Vision

The Vision of Isaiah – 1st September 2018

As a young person called by the Lord, the first few word pictures and revelation and vision he gets is, one of rebellion of his own community. “The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand”. “They have forsaken the Lord, they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him”. “Your whole head is injured; your whole heart is afflicted”.

And then God continues to reveal His heart and His desire for His people, Isaiah’s own community – “”Stop bringing meaningless offerings!...Your hands are full of blood: wash yourselves and make yourself clean; take your evil deeds out of my sight: stop doing wrong; learn to do right; Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the cause of the widow.”

And then God goes on to “reason together with the nation; Though your sins as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool, if you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land;” ….

Thus far it would have been okay, but then God goes on to share about His coming judgement – a tough message for a young prophet to share…“but if you resist and rebel; you will be devoured by the sword” “I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove your impurities” and the next 3 chapters are word pictures of rebellion and judgement. 

Chapter 5 is where God gives a picture of His heart for the nation, his love song for His vineyard, the rejection of the master by the vineyard, a mourning for His own “He looked for justice but saw bloodshed; for righteousness but heard cries of distress.” And then goes on to a series of “woe to those….” And ends that chapter with a statement of doom. ” And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds.”

What a way to begin one’s ministry – brokenness all around, injustice, potential doom soon to come, judgement of God ready to be rolled out! 

At the same time – if he had put his faith and dependence on the leadership – he would have lost all hope – Uzziah (Azariah) was though a good King was living in a separate house afflicted with leprosy and his son, a young man Jotham was in charge. God had told Isaiah about the futility of trusting in man “Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils; Of what account is he?”

It is in this context of “brokenness around, impending doom and judgement, non-dependable leadership” Isaiah receives this vision of God – in Isaiah 6 – the vision of Lord enthroned!

It is such a vision that will sustain us today. As we look around – in the context where we are, in the community which we are part of, the church at large in our nation, the nation itself, the leadership of our nation, we only see brokenness. It is in such context – we need such a vision – a vision of the Lord enthroned!  

The vision of the enthroned Lord – should take us from a visible tangible natural world to a world that is invisible to the naked eyes, but visible to our inner eyes, one that is super natural, but at the same time – real and true. 

That vision showed that Lord was enthroned in the invisible world, worshiped by the invisible to human by but real heavenly beings. To recognize that amid the visible brokenness in the natural world, there is a Lord enthroned and in control in the invisible supernatural world, is the start of my perspective change. 

But that vision has not only an invisible to the external eyes component – but a visible to natural world component – “the whole earth is full of His glory”. The ability to see His glory amid the brokenness around – something we need to learn – We see brokenness and become skeptical. But to recognize that is the Lord in enthroned to day and to see His glory around and to help each other to see. This is what is expected of us as called people.

And that vision should lead us to realization of who we are. In front of such a God – there is only “the Holy God” and “men and community of people with unclean lips”. Many a times – we think we are holier than others – a bit better than the community we live with, the community around us! But in front of that Holy God, we are part of the sinful world and community – we are no different, we need to give up our “self-righteousness” our “holier than thou” attitudes. We are part of the broken sinful community – We are not different!

At the same we are different –  different not because of our earned righteousness – good works, or good life – but a bestowed righteousness. God’s touch has made us clean – if we are different it is because of what God has bestowed in our life – His coal of cleansing has touched our lips and our guilt is taken away! To recognize that it is His touch that makes us what we are – and enables us to be what He wants me to be! A sense of gratitude, gratefulness and awe, sinner that we are – His grace touched our lips!

Then we will go out send by Him. We will be available to be send by Him, not out of sense of duty, not out of sense of guilt, not out of desire to be a savior – but of a sense of gratitude – a privilege to be His representative in what He is wanting to do in this world! This world that is His, where His glory is there. 

But when He send Isaiah out – he sends him to a people who will not respond – an assurance of a failed ministry – “be ever hearing but never understanding; be ever seeing but never perceiving” “Until Lord has sent everyone far away and land is utterly forsaken...” An assurance of a no response to the work done – results the way humanly one would perceive…To be reminded of this in the daily challenge of living in a broken and non-responsive ministry context…!

But a small sign of a future hope “and though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste, but as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land…” To see the little stumps of hope amid brokenness and hold on, is what we are called for…

And then the war breaks out – outright conflict and the leadership “shaking in fear” – and Isaiah is called to give hope and strength to the leaders that are shaking in fear. A hope from God “It will not take place, it will not happen…” at the same time, a reminder from God “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all”….Calling for us – to be hope givers and people who brings God’s message to leadership – to stand firm in faith and see God’s greater purposes.

Leadership does not respond the way God expects and this leads to God giving through Isaiah – a message of judgement, a message of his plans – how he will use Israel’s enemy Assyrian Kingdom for His greater purposes, at the same time – a picture of a future hope – the coming Kingdom and the King…. 

Messages of judgement and call for repentance and renewal, based on past life, discerning what God is doing today based on current context, and a hope for future – the coming of Messiah - Emmanuel – God with us. Our role? - To be a messenger of “repentance and renewal, discern-ers of current context and messengers of future hope – along with others who are called to be His followers…