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SM1147: On-Line
Teaching Notes
ISAIAH 6:1, 5-8
I think all of us, at one time or another, have allowed someone or something to block or obstruct our view of things. And it really doesn't matter how big that object is you are trying to see, for something that is very tiny can block it out completely!
Let me give you an example of what I mean. The sun has a diameter of some 864,000 miles, it is a very big, bright ball in the sky to say the least. And yet, my fist, which measures some 4 inches or so across, can completely block out the sun, even though its diameter is immensely greater than my fist. You see, the closer I place my fist to my eyes, the more of the picture is blocked out, no matter how big it might be.
Solomon, as he was dedicating the temple he built for the Lord, rightly recognized how big God is when he said in II Chronicles 6:18, "But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!"
Solomon's point was that no building can contain God, for His presence fills the universe. And yet, knowing how big God is, we can still allow things to block out our vision of Him. And I don't think any of us are immune from this problem. I think we can allow things to get so close that they completely block out our seeing the Lord. And I think part of the solution to this problem is recognizing some of the areas that may hinder our vision of Almighty God!
This morning we are going to look at Isaiah's eye problem and see how God helped him to see clearly the glory of God. In doing so, I pray that our eye problems can also be healed so that we may see the glory of God in our life. So if you would, please turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 6, and lets begin reading in verse 1.
ISAIAH 6:1, 5-8
As I have said before, under the reign of king Uzziah the nation prospered tremendously. Militarily they were strong. Economically they were wealthy. Agriculturally they were fruitful. And for 52 years the nation had a stable man as king, one who loved the Lord and because of the prosperity and security he brought to the nation, the people loved him.
And that may have been one of the problems. Instead of looking to the Lord for strength, for provisions, for a fruitful harvest, they were looking to Uzziah, their beloved king. They could trust in this man day in and day out, he was a stable force in the nation. But because of that they were not trusting in the Lord, but in a man to help them.
And as they trusted in the strength of man, they could not see the Lord, and in a relationship like that you end up doing dead religious activities. And that is exactly what the Southern Kingdom of Judah deteriorated into, they were doing empty religious performances. And as we saw in Isaiah chapter 1, God was not please with those activities, nor would He even accept them any longer.
Now Isaiah also grew up under this godly king. And Isaiah seems to have placed his eyes upon this king, trusting in him, instead of looking to the Lord. It must have been an easy thing to do, and slowly it eroded away a persons trust in the Lord. Not that it was Uzziah's fault, sometimes people elevate others to a place of worship, which is wrong. My desire has always been to point you back to Jesus, for He is the only one that can help. For Isaiah, yes he spoke for the Lord prior to this event in his life, and he did so very boldly.
The first 5 chapters of Isaiah are words of judgment against Judah for leaving their first love. He was coming against them for their sin. But Isaiah is not commissioned by God, sent into the ministry, until here in chapter 6.
You see, Isaiah thought he was doing good when he compared himself to the rest of the people of Judah. And when man compares himself to man, he tends to always come out looking good for he compares himself with people that are worse than he is. And because of Isaiah's eye trouble, because he did not encounter God or see God as he should, he had an improper perspective of himself.
The time is now 740 BC and king Uzziah has died. His son Jotham was now king and yet he would not add up to the accomplishments that his dad had done. In their eyes the throne was empty. The king was dead. Their was no one to trust. No one to lean upon. And once you put your trust in man, once that man is gone, you have nothing left.
For Isaiah, this is exactly what he needed. For once the man was removed, the one who he allowed to block his view of God, he once again saw God in all His glory, in all his majesty. The throne was not empty but the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords sat upon it!
And you see, once you see God clearly, once you have a proper perspective of who He is, you will see yourself as you really are, UNCLEAN! Isaiah needed to recognize that fact. When his eyes were not focused upon God he saw himself better than the people. But his comparison was man to man and not man to a holy God!
Once he encountered a holy God, he said, "...'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 my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." Isaiah 6:5. It was out of that recognition of his hopeless sinful condition apart from God, that God was able to heal him. And it is out of that healing that God sends Isaiah out to the people to share with them the judgment of God if they don't repent, but also to share the grace of God when they do repent and turn from their sins. You can't share what you haven't experienced, and now that Isaiah has experienced God's grace, he too will share it with others.
Like Isaiah, and the people of Judah, we can allow things to get in our way and block our vision of God. And many times God has to remove those things in our life so that we can clearly see Him and that He is still in control, He is still on the throne, He is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords in our life!
We are going to look at some things this morning that we tend to trust in, things that make us feel secure, comfortable, when God wants us to trust in Him, to see Him clearly. But these are things that can cloud our picture of God or can block Him out completely. These are some of the things we are not to trust in.
1. WE ARE NOT TO TRUST IN WEAPONS
A nation and individuals can make themselves very secure in the weapons they have amassed together. In fact they can make you feel very secure but that may be a false sense of security. God does not need weapons to win, He is only looking for individuals in which He can work in so He may work through them.
In Psalm 33:16-17 we have a proper perspective of the advantage that military might gives to us. We read, "No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength." You see, it is not in the number of soldiers we have or by our own strength, both physical and intellectual. It is not based on the weapons of war we have. Our victory comes from the Lord as we trust in Him.
I like the way Psalm 44:6-8 puts it. We read, "For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us. In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever." The Psalmist is looking at God's past deliverance's to give him strength during the present situation he is in. How important that is for us to focus on the Lord and not on our own strength or how big the enemy is. Our God is in control, we just need to remove those things that are blocking our view of Him. Look how God has helped us in the past so we may have confidence in the present situation we are in.
2. WE ARE NOT TO TRUST IN WEALTH
Many people feel that money can buy them anything they need. They rest their entire life on what they have saved or how much they are making. And wealth does have a way of blocking our view of God if we allow it to. The Psalmist said in Psalm 49:6-7, "Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him."
First of all, your money can't save you or anyone else. You can't buy your way into heaven. And when the money is coming in we tend not to pray as much as when we have to trust God for every meal, when every penny counts. God has and will take away our financial security if we are trusting more in that than in Him. Yes, God does bless us financially, above what we could ask or think many times, but don't trust in that wealth, but in the one who has provided it for you. And use what God has given you to build up the kingdom of God, trusting that where God guides, He will also provide!
3. WE ARE NOT TO TRUST IN LEADERS
The people in Judah put their trust more in their earthly king, Uzziah, then they did in their heavenly king, and even Isaiah had a problem in this area. And God removed Uzziah so that Isaiah could see clearly who was on the throne! And God also gave the nation an opportunity to see His glory, to trust once again in Him.
I think many times we can elevate people to positions they don't belong. And when that person dies or moves on we become lost. That shouldn't happen. God is still on the throne. You remember the story of Moses and Joshua. For 40 years Moses lead the Jews, who were very rebellious, through the wilderness. And because he misrepresented God on one occasion, Moses was not allowed to enter the promise land.
In his death, Joshua is now going to lead the people. And you would think God would have some big time praise for Moses and his faithfulness, all except that one episode where he made a mistake. But all we read God say of him in Joshua 1:2, is "Moses My servant is dead..." Why did God not praise Moses for all he did? Why was this man of God not exalted? Because Moses was an instrument in which God worked through, and thus, it is not the instrument that gets the praise, but the Lord who used and worked through Moses.
In Psalm 146:3-4 we get a proper perspective of leaders. The Psalmist said, "Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish." You see, man will return to the dust of the earth and as big as his plans may be, God is in control. The people of Judah had Uzziah on the throne and when he died, they were lost. Don't place leaders, pastors, anyone in the place of God in your life. Keep God on the throne, high and lifted up!
4. WE ARE NOT TO TRUST IN MAN
This is not to say that we are not to trust in anyone. The problem comes when you begin to trust more in man and his help than you do in the Lord. In Jeremiah 17:5 we read, "...'Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.'"
The idea is you can't trust fully upon God and man at the same time. God's desire is that we grow in our relationship with Him, trust in Him in the little things so that He can do even greater things in our lives. But we have a way to come up with our own plans, get our own help, instead of going to the Lord. Go to Him before you go to man!
5. WE ARE NOT TO TRUST IN WORKS
The thought here again is coming up with plans, ideas, and then asking God to bless them. And we can allow our works to block our vision of God. We can get so busy that we don't see Him any more. And then our work, our activity becomes mechanical, like happened in Judah. God said to them, "'To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?' Says the LORD. 'I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies; I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.'" Isaiah 1:11-15.
You see, God does not want a dead religious relationship, but a intimate relationship with His bride! In Jeremiah 48:7 we read, "For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken..."
6. WE ARE NOT TO TRUST IN PHYSICAL HEALTH
This is one of those areas that I was broken in. When I was 29 I was the picture of health. I was in good physical shape. I ran 4-8 miles almost every day. I pictured myself being one of these guys who at the age of 90 would still be running. I was secure in my health.
Then I turned 30 and got the shock of my life. The thing I was trusting in was now taken away. I was diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes. And at that point I was admitted to the hospital to get my blood sugar down from over 400 back to a normal range of around 100 with insulin injections.
And I can remember crying out to the Lord, as I sat in the darken exercise room of the hospital one night. I couldn't understand why this was happening to me. What did I do to deserve this? And the Lord spoke to my heart as I sat there in the dark, watching a violent thunderstorm pass by outside. And the Lord said to me, "...'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'..." (From II Corinthians 12:9).
What God was saying to me was that I needed to trust in Him. I was not going to accomplish things through my strength, but His. Now to say I rejoice in having diabetes would not be true. But I do know this, God brought this into my life so that I can see Him more clearly. No longer could I trust in my health, but in the strength He has given me.
If you are struggling with a physical illness, health problems, don't let it make you bitter or angry towards God. Use it to draw you closer to Him because He will use you as He sees fit, no matter how much strength you think you have or don't have. He will strengthen you to do those things He wants you to do, and I have seen this happen over and over again. In fact with my own wife, last year as she was just released from the hospital with a blood infection, within a few days she was to teach at the women's luncheon. She could hardly stand up, and yet God gave her the strength to accomplish that task! That is what we believed and that is what we saw happen. God gave her the strength to teach that day, and that night she came home and went to bed, for it still took several more weeks to overcome that infection she had.
7. WE ARE NOT TO TRUST IN DREAMS
This is not speaking of those things that God has placed in our hearts, but what we have placed there. And we can get so caught up in these things that we lose focus of God, trying to fulfill our plans, our dreams, instead of His. And God may have to completely take away that dream, that plan, so that we may see Him more clearly.
I like the way that James puts it. He shows us that our dependence must be upon God and not on our own plans our ideas. He says in chapter 4, beginning in verse 13, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" James 4:13-15.
We also must be careful to not allow difficulties, tribulations in our life to block our view of God, for that can easily happen. We can become so overwhelmed by them we miss the healing, the peace that God wants to give us. Jesus comforts us and warns us of difficult times, in John 16:33, when He said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." When your focus is upon God, you will be anxious about nothing, for He will keep your mind guarded with His truth, He will keep your emotions from running wild, He will give you a perfect peace. It is just as Paul said in Philippians 4:6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
For Isaiah, it took the death of Uzziah to get him to see the Lord, sitting on the throne, high and lifted up, in all His majesty. What will it take for you to see God in all His majesty, in all His glory, sitting upon His throne?
You see, once you begin to cast off those things that hinder your vision of Him, you will see yourself as you really are, UNCLEAN! And as you recognize your position outside of God, He will touch you and cleanse you. He will purge those things in your heart that don't belong there, and that is a life long process!
But God does want us humble before Him, for the commission of Isaiah came after he saw the Lord, and after he saw his own heart. We need to keep God in proper view, with a proper perspective of who He is. You see, the more we gaze into the eyes of Jesus, the more we see Him through His Word, the more God can get a hold of our hearts and transform our lives into His image, and the more we will see ourselves as we really are!
I like the way that H. A. Ironside put it. He said: "We do not become holy by looking into our own hearts. There we find only corruption. But as we look away from self altogether, 'looking unto Jesus,' as He is the object in which we delight, as we contemplate His holiness, purity, love and compassion, His devotion to the Father's will, we shall be transformed, imperceptibly to ourselves, perhaps, but none the less surely, into His blessed image."
That should be our desire, not our will be done, but His will to be done in our lives so that as He works in us He may work through us and we can be instruments for His glory!
As I begin to rap this up this morning, I want you to hear these words from Pastor Greg Laurie's book, "On Fire". He said: "Not many people have read their own obituary. Alfred Nobel did. Nobel had been ill and someone falsely reported that he died. Imagine his surprise when he opened the newspaper one morning and saw his own death notice!"
"As he read through the brief paragraphs that summarized his life and work, he became disturbed to find that he was noted only as the man who invented dynamite. The obituary further described all the destruction his invention had caused. Nobel deplored the thought of being remembered as the creator of something that had been used to destroy so many lives."
"After reading his own obituary, Nobel decided to make a change. He dedicated his life to a new direction: the pursuit of peace. And today we remember Alfred Nobel not as the inventor of dynamite, but as the founder of the Nobel Peace Prize."
"Nobel's story illustrates an important truth: It is never to late to change the direction of your life."
"What if you knew that today was your last day on earth? How would you sum up your life and ministry? What truths would you emphasize to your friends and family. What have you learned about God and His Word over the years? Would you be able to say with the apostle Paul that you finished your race with joy - or would you look back on life with regret?"
God wants to use us, and I want to make this challenge to you, the same one that was made to D. L. Moody many years ago. As a young man, a wise old Christian gentleman challenged Moody by telling him: "You know, Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him." And Moody responded by saying: "I will try my utmost to be that man."
Can you say that this morning? That you want to be used by God to the fullest so that at the end of your life you have nothing left over? I desire that for my life. And all we need to do is put to death those things that are blocking our vision of God, so that we can say like Isaiah said, "In the year that King Uzziah died [those things that are blocking our view of God], I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple." Isaiah 6:1.