September 7th, 2025: Isaiah's Call and Ministry | Isaiah 6:1-8, 38:1-5

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. (1 Corinthians 7: 20-24).

Have you heard that old age is not for sissies? This saying is well known because, as people age, they find out that there is nothing at all easy about being older. In the same way, ministry is not for sissies! Spending more time with God, studying and preparing to share God’s word - well, what could be better? However, real lives are affected by what those who minister say and do. Nothing about ministry can be taken lightly or for granted.

Our lesson today is about the call on Isaiah’s life and his ministry. The first part of the book of Isaiah is about his ministry to the nation of Judah. He preached about 150 years before Judah was taken into captivity to Babylon, though he clearly gives the reasons for their punishment and a detailed description of their suffering. The latter part of the book of Isaiah gives hope to a shattered nation as he taught about a future King to come that would take the burden of sin on himself and dwell among men as their Messiah and Redeemer. Now, just as then,  God calls some of us to speak His word, specifically and purposefully.  His desire is to warn the lost and save as many as will call on His name.  What has He called you to do?     

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.

For just a little background, King Uzziah is also known by another name, King Azariah. He is one of the few good kings of Judah. Good, but not perfect, he made a fatal mistake by attempting to offer incense in the temple, a responsibility only given to the Levites to perform, resulting in immediate leprosy. 

But when he (King Azariah) was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. (2 Chronicles 26: 16-19).

He was leprous until he died.  Isaiah dates the time of this prophecy by mentioning Uzziah.  A good but imperfect king had passed; however, the God of heaven and earth was and is still on His throne. This King is high and lifted up. He has not lost any power or given up any of his authority. His train (garment) 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 whole earth is full of his glory.

Seraphim are only mentioned here. The word actually means to burn or to purify.  Some scholars think they are the same as the living creatures that are in the book of Revelation. They appear to be different than the cherubims.  Whatever they are, these created beings are in the throne room of God, worshipping. They cry Holy, Holy, Holy…

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

The Seraphim voices are so powerful and their voices so loud that the posts and the door of the temple shake.  The temple fills with smoke. Even Heaven is shaken by the power and glory of God.  At both the tabernacle and the temple on earth a cloud of God's glory, which resembled smoke,  indicated the presence of God.  

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (Exodus 33: 7-11).

It is suggested that Isaiah may also have been a priest or at least a Levite since his vision takes place inside the temple. 

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.

Look around and compare yourself to your human peers, and you can get an inflated sense of self-worth. But when comparing oneself to the pure holiness of God, we realize what sinful, flawed human beings we are! Moses hid his face and removed his shoes at the burning bush. Daniel had no strength and understood he was full of corruption. John on the isle of Patmos fell on his face as a dead man. Isaiah reacted the very same way as everyone else who ever came in contact with our Holy God. “Woe is me”. We aren’t any great thing, in fact, outside of Christ, we are nothing at all. In comparison to God, our great need is made undeniably clear; even the faith needed to receive salvation was given to us by God!  

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:3).

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.

We cannot and do not want to come before the holy presence of God without the covering of the Son. His cleansing of our sin by redemption through His blood is the only thing that allows us in God’s presence. This fiery coal from the altar of God cleanses Isaiah and prepares his lips for the service he will be called to do. He doesn’t say anything about pain, but I can’t imagine a burning hot coal being pleasant. Our Advocate, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanses us from all sin and makes us able to serve God according to His direction. 

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.

Who will God send? Who will represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? There was a great need. There was a job to do.  Isaiah said, "Send me". It is doubtful that he understood the extent of the task he was undertaking, but he saw firsthand how worthy God is of all we can give. He would begin his ministry around 742 BC and end around 681 BC. He would work during the reign of at least four different kings. He would be asked to suffer shame as he was called to illustrate the truth of God’s word with his own body, by walking naked and barefoot for three years, as those who would be conquered and forced to leave their country would be made to do. He would be martyred for his faith, the ultimate surrender. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He did so by standing in the synagogue and reading from Isaiah’s book, the ultimate honor! 

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:16-21).

In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, And said, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

These last few verses jump to chapter 38 of Isaiah’s book. At the start of our lesson, a good-ish King had died. In this chapter, another good King was stricken with illness and was advised to prepare to die. Isaiah was told by God to let King Hezekiah know that it was time to get his house in order. Isaiah delivered the message. The King cried out to God, and God allowed the good King Hezekiah to live 15 more years. If Isaiah had been given a chance then to see the temple of heaven, we would again see the Lord God high and lifted up. He had not tired or lost any authority. He is eternally God, all-knowing and unchanging. His plans remain sovereign.  A son born during Hezekiah’s additional 15 years was the very King who sentenced  Isaiah to death. When Isaiah saw God face to face after leaving this world, He was still high and lifted up.  Tradition says that Isaiah was sawn in half; his death is referred to in Chapter 11 of Hebrews. His suffering was for but a moment, but the God who called Him spends eternity with Isaiah in His presence. I think Isaiah would agree with the Apostle Paul, who said, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worth to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

In conclusion, faithfu,l obedient ministry includes many ups and downs. Sometimes the consequences of obedience to God include ridicule and suffering, and it’s possible that your earthly life may be required. Spiritually speaking, every calling has a consequence. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Romans 11:29). Isaiah was called into ministry at a very crucial time for nation of Israel, if they had listened to God’s prophet, they would have avoided tremendous pain and loss. But many who heard his message felt that things were not that bad, and ignored the word. 

In America, we are blessed with freedom to worship, and things are not as bad as we think they could be; however, the church is seeing fewer and fewer faithful followers who obey God’s call to serve in ministry. They chose money, ease, and personal pleasure over obedience. The callings of God are sure. He uses whoever, whenever, and for whatever purpose He has in store. Every calling is not obvious to others in the way that a calling to the mission field or pastoring, or evangelism might be. The Holy Spirit will instruct each believer according to God’s will. God seldom calls the people we think He should. He sees the heart. He empowers the unlikely. God will qualify the ones he calls. There are quieter callings, like encouragement, the ability to help, and strong faith. There is no calling that doesn’t require obedience.  There is nothing more important than being a part of winning souls to heaven.  Listen intently.  Is he calling you?

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!