Read Isaiah 5 – 9
Highlights:
God sings a love song to His beloved Israel (5:1-7). The brilliance of His holiness reveals the darkness of our sin (6:5). Send me – Will you go (6:8)? A divine principle: God always leaves a seed (6:13)! The prophecy of Jesus, the Light of the world (7:14-16; 9:1-7); Whatever the circumstances, keep trusting in God (8:20).
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 voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me (Isa. 6:5-8).
In that situation, many of us might feel as Isaiah was feeling. As a matter of fact, we should feel less than worthy in the presence of the Almighty God. It should most definitely be a humbling experience to be before God.
Isaiah knew his inner self as well as, or better than, anyone else. He knew of his sinful nature. He knew the world that he lived in, and the difficulties it would offer in serving the Lord.
What was Isaiah's answer to his problems? He turned to the only place where he was assured to get help. Truthfully, he turned to the only place that could help him. He turned to God. Isaiah prayed to the Lord and confessed the things that were preventing or hindering him from serving Him. He brought all his needs before God knowing an answer would come. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). When we pray a sincere prayer to God, we can always count on an answer to come.
Isaiah had a problem with his speech being unclean, (vs.5). Words can be dangerous things. Words have divided families, caused wars and destroyed the character of many. The Bible warns us several times about the danger of the spoken word. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (James 3:5-6).
God sent an angelic being to touch Isaiah's lips with a holy fire to purify and empower his words. Because of this, he was able to speak as few before or after him ever had or ever would. He became God's instrument to proclaim God's message before kings and common people alike.
Just as words spoken wrongly can be dangerous, the right words, especially God's Words, can do a tremendous amount of good. These words will heal families, bring about peace and edify that which is right in the Lord's way. When spoken prayerfully, we can accomplish many great things with words.
We must seek the Lord to guide the words we use, and pray He will guide what we say, when we say it, how we say it and who we say it to.
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man (Col. 4:6).
Thought for Today:
God is continually calling for those willing to serve Him.
Christ Revealed:
Isaiah reveals that a Child shall be born; a Son shall be given; and that the government shall be upon His shoulder (Is. 9:6). The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 11:15).
Word Studies:
5:1 vineyard, the Israelites; 5:5 go to, listen to Me; 5:23 reward, bribes; 7:16 abhorrest, hate, despise; 8:21 hardly bestead, sorely distressed, hard pressed; 9:9 stoutness, arrogance.
Prayer Suggestion: Pray to be sensitive to give God the praise for everything you do (Ps. 40:16).
Optional Reading: Hebrews 10
Memory Verse for the Week: Galatians 6:10