"HERE AM I! SEND ME": THE PROPHET ISAIAH

1. "HERE AM I! SEND ME": THE PROPHET ISAIAH Lesson 13 for the 27th of September, 2008

2. In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the wholeearth is full of his glory.And the posts of the doormoved at the voice of himthat cried, and the housewas filled with smoke…

3. 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. Also I heard the voiceof the Lord, saying, Whom shallI send, and who will go for us?Then said I, Here am I; send me(Isaiah, 6: 1-8)

4. It was under circumstances of difficulty and discouragement that Isaiah, while yet a young man, was called to the prophetic mission. Disaster was threatening his country. By their transgression of God's law the people of Judah had forfeited His protection, and the Assyrian forces were about to come against the kingdom of Judah. But the danger from their enemies was not the greatest trouble. It was the perversity of the people that brought upon the Lord's servant the deepest depression. By their apostasy and rebellion they were inviting the judgments of God… E.G.W. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, page 750)

5. The youthful prophet had been called to bear to them a message of warning, and he knew that he would meet with obstinate resistance. He trembled as he viewed himself and thought of the stubbornness and unbelief of the people for whom he was to labor. His task seemed to him almost hopeless. Should he in despair relinquish his mission and leave Israel undisturbed to their idolatry? Were the gods of Nineveh to rule the earth in defiance of the God of heaven? E.G.W. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, page 750)

6. As he [Isaiah] stood under the portico of the holy temple. Suddenly the gate and the inner veil of the temple seemed to be uplifted or withdrawn, and he was permitted to gaze within, upon the holy of holies, where even the prophet's feet might not enter… E.G.W. (Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5, page 751)

7. There rose up before him a vision of Jehovah sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, while His train filled the temple. On each side the throne hovered the seraphim, two wings bearing them up, two veiling their faces in adoration, and two covering their feet… E.G.W. (Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5, page 751)

8. These angel ministers lifted up their voices in solemn invocation, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory," until post and pillar and cedar gate seemed to tremble at the sound, and the house was filled with their praise… E.G.W. (Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5, page 751)

9. Never before had Isaiah realized so fully the greatness of Jehovah or His perfect holiness; and he felt that in his human frailty and unworthiness he must perish in that divine presence. E.G.W. (Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5, page 751)

10. Humanity, with its weakness and sin, was brought in contrast with the perfection of divinity, and he felt altogether deficient and unholy. Thus it has been with all who have been granted a view of God's greatness and majesty E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, page 249)

11. In the vision… he was given a clear view of the character of the God of Israel… In beholding his God, the prophet… had not only been given a view of his own unworthiness; there had come to his humbled heart the assurance of forgiveness, full and free; and he had arisen a changed man. He had seen his Lord. He had caught a glimpse of the loveliness of the divine character. He could testify of the transformation wrought through beholding Infinite Love. Henceforth he was inspired with longing desire to see erring Israel set free from the burden and penalty of sin E.G.W. (Conflict and Courage, August 17th)

12. Here am I, send me

13. To everyone who becomes a partaker of His grace the Lord appoints a work for others. Individually we are to stand in our lot and place, saying, "Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8. Upon the minister of the word, the missionary nurse, the Christian physician, the individual Christian, whether he be merchant or farmer, professional man or mechanic--the responsibility rests upon all. It is our work to reveal to men the gospel of their salvation. Every enterprise in which we engage should be a means to this end E.G.W. (The Ministry of Healing, page 149)

14. What though earthly powers should be arrayed against Judah? What though Isaiah should meet with opposition and resistance in his mission? He had seen the King, the Lord of hosts; he had heard the song of the seraphim, "The whole earth is full of His glory;" and the prophet was nerved for the work before him. The memory of this vision was carried with him throughout his long and arduous mission E.G.W. (Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5, page 752)

15. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed (Isaiah, 6: 9-10) Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah, 55: 6-7)

16. Called for a prophetic ministry, Isaiah felt downhearted because of the obstinacy that created his message of warning among the people. • In that moment, he received the vision that will go with him and will make him stronger on his prophetic assignment (more than sixty years): The Vision of God’s throne. • When he realized his indignity, God purified him and prepared him to proclaim His messages. • The message given to Isaiah deals with the call made by God to turn to Him in order to achieve Salvation and it spans wider than only Israel people. • It’s a call for everyone, “light to gentiles”, that has arrived to our days and has gone through our own hearts.

17. The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God's people in the last days. They are privileged to see by faith the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary. "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." As they look by faith into the holy of holies, and see the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, they perceive that they are a people of unclean lips,--a people whose lips have often spoken vanity, and whose talents have not been sanctified and employed to the glory of God. Well may they despair as they contrast their own weakness and unworthiness with the purity and loveliness of the glorious character of Christ. But if they, like Isaiah, will receive the impression the Lord designs shall be made upon the heart, if they will humble their souls before God, there is hope for them. The bow of promise is above the throne, and the work done for Isaiah will be performed in them. God will respond to the petitions coming from the contrite heart… We want the living coal from off the altar placed upon our lips. We want to hear the word spoken, "Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged" E.G.W. (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, pg. 1139)

18. Here am I, send me !