As we continue to work through Isaiah 6, we’ll see what implications the holiness of God has for Isaiah’s ministry. What hope do we have amidst bad news?
(A)The Prophet: Commissioned for rejection, fruitlessness, and hardened hearts (Isa 6:8-10)
Before we begin, we need to remember what happened just before, in Isa 6:1-7. Isaiah found himself before the Lord and saw how holy He is, and in contrast, how unholy and unrighteous he is. He had the eyes of his heart opened and saw his own sins and therefore, the need for his own personal repentance. When he admitted his sins, he had his sins removed and atoned for.
This vision marks a turn in the narrative. Up to this point, Isaiah’s prophecy was just tracing the spiritual decline of Judah. Isa 6 made it personal for the prophet, as God chooses and cleanses His prophet.
What was it like for Isaiah to be in the presence of God, to hear His word? This is also what we do today, as we gather with God’s people and stand before Him. But, how do we react? Do we see our sin and iniquity? Do we see our brokenness and turn to God in repentance? Do we see how we are unworthy of being in the presence of God, much less to do His work? Isaiah models this posture of repentance and humility that should mark our hearts as we approach this holy God.
As the narrative moves on in Isa 6:8-9a, we see a brief exchange between God and Isaiah. God poses a question and Isaiah responds and through this, we can see God’s nature and attributes. Firstly, we see that He is a speaking God. He speaks and interacts with his people (Isa 6:7).
What does he say? Interestingly, He poses a question and seems to be asking for help — “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? (Isa 6:8a)”. God doesn’t need help for He is a God that could do everything alone. Yet He desires to involve His people. Thus, this passage also shows us that it is a privilege to be included in His plans! This is a God who sends His people to chase them down to preach to them and love and care for them. He is a missional God.
He is also a Triune God. God poses the question from the perspective of an “us”. It can be inferred to be the collective “we” of the Trinity, that speaks and sends.
How does Isaiah respond? Knowing the context of Isa 6:1-7 is important for us because that informs our understanding of Isa 6:8b. Isaiah responds, “Here am I! Send me.” His answer is immediate, personal and decisive. He doesn’t “pray about it” but responds to God’s call immediately as he tells God to send him.
What about us? We see our iniquity and know that we have been forgiven. But it doesn’t just stop there. The gospel also changes our hearts and the purposes of our lives. Have we deferred obedience even though we’ve seen a clear need? What is behind our disobedience and deferred obedience? Is it a love of things that we deem as more important? Do we worship something above God? We must address this tonight. When God calls, do we obey?
After Isaiah volunteers, God tells him to bring a message to his people. Isaiah brings a message of judgment. God says that they will hear but not understand, they will see but not perceive (Isa 6:9b). He also doesn’t seem to want them to hear, turn, see and for their hearts to be softened (Isa 6:10). Why? This doesn’t seem to be the mission and message that we are used to. It just seems to be a message only about judgment for hard hearts.
Does it make us uncomfortable that God sends His prophets only to send bad news, and seems tot prevent them from turning? We need to remember who God is. He Is not merely a cuddly doting Father, but is a fierce and awful judge that calls His people to judgement. This is also why He had to send His Son. We are to remember that this same God that sends His Son to die, is also a judging God. This is a God who is just and hates wickedness (c.f. Ps 5). There must be a consequence for sin and disobedience. This is the consequence.
For those that are serving in church, these verses should also cause us to pause and consider, what if this is God’s will for your ministry? We always expect that we when we meet people and read with them, they will turn and respond and we expect fruit. We also plan for great things for the church. But what if our ministry is met with hardened hearts and dull ears. We have to see that this too, is right and good. God doesn’t call us to save the world. He sent His Son to do that. All we have to do is to be obedient to Him. He has every right to judge the disobedient.
Isa 6:9 also shows us that there are only 2 ways to respond — either you understand or you don’t, either you perceive, or you don’t, either you hear God’s word or you don’t. God’s word is not received in a neutral manner. There’s always a response to it. Bible teacher Ray Ortlund puts it this way:
“Every time you hear the Word of God preached, you come away from that exposure to his truth either a little closer to God or a little further way from God, either more softened toward God or more hardened toward God. But you are never just the same. And if you think you can hold the gospel at arm’s length in critical detachment, that very posture reveals that you are already deadened. The same truth enlivening someone else is hardening you. And don’t tell yourself that if only God would perform a miracle in your life, you would believe and open up. Jesus performed miracles, and the people who saw them only became further hardened (John 12:37-41). And if God’s Word isn’t saving you, what will?”
How are you receiving God’s Word? As we observe Isaiah’s instinctive obedience to go as God calls, is some way or an area of your life where you have not heeded God’s call to obedience?
(B) The Wasteland: Dismay, barrenness, and judgement from the LORD (Isa 6:11-12)
Upon hearing these words from God, Isaiah doesn’t offer his own opinion and pushback. Neither does he offer a counterproposal. All he does is plead, “how long, O Lord?” in Isa 6:11. All he wanted to know is how long is he to preach to dead ears and hardened hearts. This is fulfilled in Judah’s exile and resulted in the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem.
This also reminds us that the hardening of heart is not a response to something abstract. It is simply rejecting a simple message: turn from your sins and turn to God. This is the simple act of a hardening of hearts. It should prompt us to reflect on our own response to God’s message of repentance. In this period of COVID, have you hardened your heart as you heard His Word preached, or have you run to Him in love?
As we read these verses, do we think that Isaiah is not a good minister? Do we think that a good Christian simply blooms where they are planted? The commission of Isaiah teaches us some important lessons. We see that a life of fruitlessness is still worthy of obedience. At the same time, our obedience is not necessarily rewarded by fruitfulness. Ministry is still worth persevering in even if we don’t succeed.
This reminds us that ministry is often hard and it will be difficult. But an unfruitful ministry is still worth persevering in, because we are called to obey Him in His calling of us. All we are to do is to call them to repentance and trust that God works. Whether they turn or are hardened, it really is not up to us! Take heart if you are ministering in church and feel discouraged. We have a wonderful model in Isaiah. Keep persevering.
(C) The Stump: A promise of hope amidst rejection and barrenness (Isa 6:13)
But the passage doesn’t just end at Isa 6:12, which is mainly a pronouncement of judgment. We catch a glimmer of hope in Isa 6:13. Isaiah uses a picture of a tree. Big trees, when felled, often leave a stump. It’s often difficult to fully remove the tree. Thus, in a similar way, though God is judging Israel, He is not done with them yet!
At the end of this passage, God promises hope in a faithful remnant of his people — “the holy seed is its stump” (Isa 6:13). The entire passage is intended to culminate in this line - this holy seed is supposed to point to Jesus Christ. God promises hope for this remnant, out of this remnant salvation will come. Even though there is judgment, even though God promises Isaiah a horrible ministry of hardened hearts, in the end God promises him hope. His people will be saved through this remnant.
As we chew on this, we are supposed to see God’s salvation plan. That he set this plan in motion all along . This plan is intended to save the people who are disobedient through Jesus Christ - the same man who died on the cross to save us so that we may have soft hearts, open eyes and ears to know this holy God.
This is the same Jesus Christ we worship today, and talk about day in and day out. Are we flippant and careless with this salvation history, with Jesus as the heart of it? Does it drive us to worship? Does it help us see our sin, and our unworthiness “woe is me”? Does it drive us to ask for God to cleanse us and send us?
Is this the first time we’ve heard this? If it is, let us respond to Him as the one who saves us by giving us clean hearts.
Or, have we heard this over and over again? Are we toiling in ministry? Amidst judgement and fruitlessness, God promises hope. How do you live with such a hope in mind, on this side of heaven? What difference does it make in your walk, in your ministry and in your life? Let’s take heart. Just like Isaiah, amidst painful ministry, God promises us a living hope. Let’s cling to that and drive our ministries forward.