When Isaiah Saw the Lord

Dan Bailey

In John 12:39-41, we have a scripture quotation from Isaiah 6:10. Isaiah was told by the Lord that the people had closed their ears and eyes to God's Word. The same passage is basically quoted in John 12 and applied to those who rejected the miracles of Christ. After John quoted from Isaiah 6, he said, "These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him" (John 12:41). Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord. He saw "... the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up,..." (Isaiah 6:1). Let us consider the time when Isaiah worshipped before the King, the Lord of hosts.

When Isaiah saw the Lord it was a time of great awe and reverence. Whenever we worship God it should be a time of respect, fear, and reverence. We should never be flippant or disrespectful in worship. Although there are exceptions, there is generally no need for people to be going in and out of the assembly during the worship services. Many people today would rather have entertainment in the place of true worship. They please themselves and others, but they do not desire to really please God. The only way to please God is to worship Him according to His directions. We read in John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Let us always be respectful during the worship services.

When Isaiah saw the Lord, he recognized that he was a sinner. Whenever we approach God in worship we are reminded that God is sinless and that we, like Isaiah, are "of unclean lips." We read in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." We know that we have the forgiveness of sins in Christ, but none of us lives above sin. Let us humbly recognize that fact and let us never become boastful about our own goodness.

When Isaiah saw the Lord, he learned that God was able to cleanse him of his sin. "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." (Isaiah 6:5-7). The Lord could cleanse Isaiah, and the Lord can cleanse us. Let us always go to the Lord for forgiveness when we sin.

When Isaiah saw the Lord, he dedicated himself to the service of God. "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me" (Isaiah 6:8). Isaiah was read to volunteer to serve the Lord and to preach His word. When we come to the worship of God for the right purpose and with the proper reverence, we leave more dedicated than when we came.

Brethren, let us learn from the time that Isaiah saw the Lord, that our worship to God is to be holy, respectful, and reverential. Let us put our hearts into our worship so we will be more dedicated than before. May God help us to be more like Isaiah.