LOOKING AT ISAIAH 6

Isaiah 6:1 NLT – “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord.”

Back story: King Uzziah died around 740 B.C. Because he tried to take over the duties of the High Priest (2 Chronicles 26:18-21) he became leprous and remained so till his death. This shines a light on the seriousness of his actions. He was generally thought of as a good king with a long, prosperous reign, however, during that reign many people turned away from God. Isaiah was commissioned for the difficult task of telling the Jewish people that while they thought they were blessed by God, in fact, God was going to destroy them because of their disobedience. 

Commentary: 

            Isaiah’s view of God gives the reader a sense of God’s awesome power, authority and mystery. The seraphim were referred to as “mighty”, giving us the impression that they may have been warrior like creatures. This vision caused Isaiah to no doubt kneel before God and acknowledge that he is a sinful man, not worthy to be in His presence. When one of the seraphim flew to Isaiah with a burning coal from the altar, he touched Isaiah’s lips, thus removing all sin and guilt from the prophet. 

            What can we learned from this? The presence of Almighty God is to be taken very seriously. He sees and he knows all things, therefore, it is foolhardy to think we can live as we choose and not pay a serious price if we do not abide by the statutes laid out by our Creator. He knows what we cannot know and this fact should lead us to repent without hesitation, yet many doubt his majestic power and continue without realizing the condition of their soul. O that the Lord would allow us all to see the same vision Isaiah saw. Then perhaps we would take our walk with God as seriously as we ought. Perfection is not the goal, for it is unattainable, but a serious, daily attempt at perfection should never be avoided. Understand who our Lord truly is and think, speak and act accordingly. 

            We will continue in Chapter 6 of Isaiah next time. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.