God's call should meet with a ready response. By sanctifying all the faculties to His use. Then said I, Here am I send me. I heard the nice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send? II. 4 , 6 ) and “God’s holy mountain” as a house of prayer (v. Now, I conceive that you will find that whenever a thing is wise in God’s sight it is really wise, and that a thing which is absurd is not more likely to be adopted by God than by man; for though the Lord does use plans which are called foolish, they are only foolish to fools, but not actually foolish. (1-8) The Lord declares the blindness to come upon the Jewish nation, and the destruction which would follow. 4. — The seraphs’ voices are hushed at the “voice” of Jehovah. Blessed is the man who has both visions. — And this is the man who a few minutes ago was agonized with fear for his life because in his impurity he had seen God. Isaiah 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Isaiah, and is a part of the Book of the Prophets. The first query implies that whoever goes should first receive his commission from Jehovah; he should be. References: Isaiah 6:8.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. Did he not understand the dangers into which he would plunge? (C. H. Third, God said "go" (, "who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? This was the state of things for which the Lord demanded a voluntary workman. saying, Whom shall I send? (8) Also I heard the voice of the Lord.âThe work of cleansing has made the prophet one of the heavenly brotherhood. (C. H. How had he the courage to step forward and volunteer? The prophet divinely called and most royally endowed may fail, because of the moral obduracy and perverseness of those to whom he is sent (Isa ). Or, as many eminent commentators, it may denote the trinity, indicated in the thrice “holy” uttered by the seraphim. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? But, taking the proposal as made to us in general to serve our God, we may here see what a spirit we should cultivate. 1. More abundant communications of the Spirit—, [Whatever measures of grace were imparted to some highly-favoured individuals under the Law, as to David, Isaiah, Daniel, and others, the effusions of the Holy Spirit were very small and partial in comparison of those which are given to the Christian Church: so that none of us need to draw Sack from the greatest work; since the weakest of true Believers may say, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthened me [Note: Philip. men; otherwise the Lord knew whom to send, and whom he would The scene of the vision was, the temple, in which Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, was worshipped. Isaiah, whose anxiety to serve the Lord was no longer suppressed by the consciousness of his own sinfulness, no sooner heard the voice of the Lord, than he exclaimed, in holy self-consciousness, “Behold me here; send me.” It is by no means a probable thing, that he had already acted as a messenger of God, or held the office of prophet. Now, if you are called of God either to preach or teach, or whatever it is, remember the things you have to preach or teach will not be agreeable to your hearers. who it is certain were concerned in this mission; for the He procured it for me; and in that garret I spent some of the happiest and most solemn moments of my life; and seeing the agony of Him whose blood was shed a sacrifice for my sins, I said, “Lord, I will go.” (R. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. 2. To account for the use of these plural names, our author has recourse to what is called the pluralis majestaticus, or excellentiae, according to which, nouns of dignity and majesty, in Hebrew, are said to be used in the plural form. ), Every church member should be a missionary, In looking over a certificate of membership which I had received from a church in New York, concerning one of its members who was a sailor, I was pleased to observe that at the back of the certificate there were directions given to the member; and the first one was this, “You are to remember that as a member of this church going upon a voyage, you are sent by us as missionary. Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord. Did he not know how hard it would be to reach men’s hearts around him with the solemn message? According to chapter 1:1 the Prophet Isaiah (Meaning, Jehovah is Salvation) was the son of the Amoz, who according to an old Jewish tradition was the brother of King Amaziah. “Have you led any?” persisted Mr. Moody. (1-2) What Isaiah saw. Of the steps that lead up to this offer. "This text is among the more famous in the Hebrew Bible, serving as a source for the centuries' old shape of worship (Praise, Confession, Forgiveness/Pardon, and Response)." Isaiah 6 – Isaiah’s Conviction, Cleansing and Call A. I am rather favorable to the opinion that this passage points to Three Persons in the Godhead, just as we elsewhere read, Let us create man in our likeness. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? The same interest belongs to the work of thus tracing the rise and progress of truth in the Bible, as belongs to that of him who traces rivers to their fountain head, and proves that, far up amid mountains all but inaccessible, rises the tiny stream, on whose broad waters, as it nears the sea, navies float in proud array. Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Such is the plan of revelation; and, instead of despising early announcements, or deeming them useless, because better “proofs” of the doctrine in question can be found, we ought to admire the wisdom and goodness of God in this gradual development of truth. Isaiah 42:1-8; then Isaiah 50:5-9. THE CONTEXT In chapters 1-5, Isaiah uses harsh words to speak of Judah's wickedness. Why is God asking for service instead of discharging the work Himself? Isaiah’s Dialogue With God, 6:8-13. The change of number indicates the Trinity (cf. Dr. Waugh took for his text that beautiful verse in Isaiah, “It shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” In the first part of his subject he spoke of the perishing condition of the man who was ignorant of the Gospel, and he said, “It is a fact, there are four hundred millions of our fellow creatures in this deplorable condition, without God, and without hope.” After he had dwelt on this, he spoke of the infinite wisdom and goodness of God, which had provided a remedy for perishing sinners. It was so with Isaiah. Isaiah was married and had two sons by the names of Shear-jashub (Hebr. ), “Here am I send me.” These few simple words express the crisis, the turning point in the life of Isaiah. The perpetual song, for these sacred beings continually cried, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” While you praise His holiness do not forget His power, but adore Him as “Jehovah of hosts.” And then dwell, that you may feel a missionary spirit, on that last part of the song, “The whole earth is filled with His glory,” for so it really is in one sense. Practically all of the liberal and radically critical writers make it the beginning of all of Isaiah's prophetic writings, identifying it with his original call to the prophetic office. Note the balance of divine sovereignty and human choice in His words: He would send someone, but that someone needed to be willing to go. Many hear the sound of God's word, but do not feel the power of it. When the task is a peculiarly hazardous one; when the performance of it demands the highest attributes of the intellect, the rarest qualities of the heart, and an extraordinary stimulus of inspiration, it is better that these gifts should go to the work under the impulse of a self-moving passion rather than under the enforcement of command. Heaven opened. God asks, Whom shall I send? ]— — —, But we may consider the call as given to every one of us, not to undertake the office of the ministry, but to serve God in a way of general obedience: “Who is willing to fulfil my will, and to consecrate himself to me?” — — — This honour God is ready to confer on all who are willing to accept it: and, if we be really desirous to engage in His service, he will make us lights in the world, and monitors to all around us — — —, Such offers as these are common in the Holy Scriptures — — — and we may suppose it as now made to us, in the name, and by the command, of God himself — — —]. fit to go on such an errand: this is spoken after the manner of Just hear him in his first sermon. This list of commentaries is intended to help the reader understand and apply the author’s message in the book of Isaiah. In 1 Samuel 19:13, 1 Samuel 19:16, the plural form is applied to a “household god,” or an image; and the plural form is applied to God in Job 30:25, ‹my Makers‘ (Hebrew); Ecclesiastes 12:1, ‹thy Creators‘ (Heb,); Psalm 121:5, ‹Yahweh is thy keepers‘ (Hebrew); see also Isaiah 54:5; Isaiah 22:2; Isaiah 43:5; Isaiah 62:5. Second, the seraphim said "lo" ("behold" in the NASB), pointing to God"s provision for cleansing. stupidity, and to threaten them, and foretell unto them their Or again, if He needs service, why does He wait for volunteers? 1. (Comp. From that time we never ceased to labour hard on behalf of the resolution we had made.” In this case a Lancashire manufacturer brought the “call,” but surely the angels of sorrow and sympathy assisted in the “consecration,” and the Holy One of Israel worked with His servant. Christian thought has, however, scarcely erred in believing that the words were as a dim foreshadowing of the truth, afterwards to be revealed, of a plurality within the Unity. The present verse is to be understood humano more, (after the manner of men) and as principally designed to call forth the zeal and activity of the prophet to his office. II. The one who was watching by the bedside said, “It seems dreadful to be so helpless, to feel I can do so little to assuage the suffering of the dear one. Notice how it was that Isaiah was made to feel his unworthiness. They grant a limited kind of Divine right to their energies and substance; but there are many clauses which limit the holding. In truth, leaving out of view the plural appellatives applied to the Deity, that is, the appellatives in question, and which, therefore, cannot be adduced, there is no evidence whatever of this pretended rule. Then came the vision. It was the symbol of forgiveness and cleansing. He cannot send a thing, nor a machine, nor a sound,—no, nor even a book. And if this be the case, it is Jesus, and not Isaiah who gives the answer, here am I, send me, see Psalms 40:7. But, unfortunately for this theory, there is no evidence whatever that ancient potentates employed this style. Then said I, Here [am] I send me. 2. After speaking on this for some time he stopped, and looking around on the congregation, he said, “This trump cannot blow of itself, we must have men to blow it,--pardoned sinners--redeemed men--those who have tasted the love of Christ, and who feel for their fellow creatures--those who know what a precious Saviour Christ is, from sweet experience. The call provokes self-surrender. Whom shall I send? Now, in opposition to this call, he urged his own unworthiness of such an office [Note: Exodus 3:11. I hope that you are God’s portion upon an absolute freehold. But in no respect do we full short of the favours conferred on him: yea, rather, we may be considered as having, [Bright as that vision was, it was far inferior to that which is vouchsafed to us in the Gospel. We should not be questioning, whether we shall be able to do all that is required of us; but should expect assuredly, that God will enable us to perform whatever we undertake for him, and will give a successful issue to our endeavours — — —], [We should not draw back from any labour, nor hesitate to make any sacrifice. “Here am I send me.” The person offering himself is described in the chapter at very great length--he must be an Isaiah. ", "woe," acknowledging his own uncleanness. Then in the consciousness of this new life and enduement he heard—. (A. Whyte, D. D.). Sent by the Three-One. Who will proclaim the insincerity of the priests, their robbery of the flock, and the fiction of their ceremonial? The first query implies that whoever goes should first receive his commission from Jehovah; he should be sent, and not go before he is sent. More certain assurances of the forgiveness of our sins—, [Doubtless the vision, and that one promise given him in it, were sufficient to satisfy his mind. And why may we not suppose that this vision which the prophet Isaiah was favoured with, was a representation given to the Church, through him, of the conference at redemption? Commentary on Isaiah 6 (Isaiah’s Commission) April 20, 2016 Bill Pratt Leave a comment. The expression translated ‹the most Holy One,‘ or ‹the Holy,‘ is in the plural in Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 30:3. ", To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Overwhelmed with the awfulness of the traffic he had been denouncing, he alighted from his horse, and sitting by the roadside prayed that God would raise up some devoted champion of the oppressed African. God often chooses marked seasons for His greatest self-manifestations; makes individual souls associate eventful days with their own more personal history. Now he hears His voice (John 10:4), and it rouses him to self-consecration and activity. The traditional Jewish and Christian view is that the Book of Isaiah was written by the prophet of that name who lived during the 8 th and possibly 7 th century BC. And just as for the awakening and the warning of sinners, so for the edification and the comfort of saints. Now,’ he said, ‘when the first paroxysm of your grief is passed, I would advise you to come with me, and we will never rest till the Corn Law is repealed.’ I accepted his invitation. The call is heard individually. But, “Woe is me! III. (See Note on Isaiah 6:3.) I felt in my conscience that there was a work that someone must do. Many preachers of this passage have pointed out that the order of events is very significant. Reader, pray consult those sweet scriptures, they will amply reward your attention; and may the almighty Author of them himself explain them! If God has given you influence with men, go to the drunkard and the fallen and seek to reclaim them from the depths of degradation in which they are sunk. Then said I, Here am I; send me. ), A man once rose in one of Mr. Moody’s meetings, and gave his experience. He had his whole company about him, and he said: “This is very dangerous work, and it requires great self-sacrifice. He was convinced of sin that he might convince his fellows, he was purged from his iniquity that he might proclaim the love, the sacrifice, which takes away the iniquity of us all. Multitudes may reject the prophet's message, yet there will be "a tenth" who will accept it and be saved.âJ. The change of the number, I and us, is very remarkable; and both being meant of one and the same Lord, do sufficiently intimate a plurality of persons in the Godhead. That God always accepts offers of service for which there has been this preparation, and that bear these marks. But what were all these objections? THE RESPONSE OF THE PROPHET. "Here in this matchless passage we find the reason why so few are willing to serve God. 1 Samuel 3:10-11; Acts 9:6). Then comes Isaiah’s prayer for authority and anointing. He knew the people to whom the message would be sent; he conjectured what the character of that message would be; and what kind of service awaited the man who should deliver it; that it would be hard, unthankful, and dangerous; and yet this youth, born to be a fine gentleman, accepted a task which might well have made the strongest and most experienced natures shrink, “Here am I send me!” Let us seek the explanation of this simplicity, devotion, and courage in that which went before the acceptance of the challenge. We cannot doubt for a moment how independent our glorious God might be of all mere human resources. You are to understand that you and every other member of the church are bound to spread abroad the Saviour’s name.” (C. H. This text, and its parallels, Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22; Genesis 11:7, exhibit the Trinity in Revelation‘s dawn indistinctly - partially disclosed - revealing only a “plurality” of persons. 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