The Carlisle independent., 1917-06-28


 of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us2 Then said I, Here am l. send me.-Isa. 6:S.
 The lesson committee now turn for third quarters lesson to a series of studies in the Old Testament as found in II Kings, Ezra and Nehemiah. As an introduction, they have chosen this chapter in the book of Isaiah.
 Isaiah prophesied in the latter half of Uzziah's reign. B. c. 760 and down to the early years of the reign of Manasseh about B. c. 694 (ch. 1:1). This event took place probably B. 0. 755. The place was Jerusalem; the kingdom of Israel was still in exist ence (for B years longer) being ut terly destroyed in B. c. 721. The name Isaiah means "the salvation of Jehovah" his wife is called "the prophetess;" two of his sons are named and his social position was high, as shown by his intimacy with kings. Isaiah lived in troublous times. He was refOrmer seeking to rescue his nation from the sins growing out of their disobedience to God. He was the leading statesman of his time, the greatest of the prophets, an author, heroic, single-minded, patriotic, fear less, undaunted man of great personal power and influence. He was proph- ct of hope; he wrote out of his long life of faithfulness and fellowship with God. The book of Isaiah falls into two great divisions; chapters 1-39 be- ing chiefly historical, interspersed with songs and poems; chapters 40-66 are collection of prophecies that have to do chiefly with the return from the Babylonian exile and the days of future glory for the kingdom of God. l. Visions (vv. 1-4). As we have said, Isaiah prophesied in time of great need. The prophet was very much discouraged. In this passage he locates his vision at special time and place (ch. ID. Every mans great need today is a real vision of God. We are not so much in need of theories about God. as a vision of God himself. Uzziah's long reign of 52 years, in which the kingdom pros pered and the kings name was spread abroad, stopped as suddenly as an earthquake, and his glory was eclipsed (see II Chron. 26 :16-19). The place in which Isaiah saw his vision was the house of God. Perhaps not in the tenn pie. but seeing the vision from the temple the prophet looks to house not built with hands, Jehovah's own heavenly palace. Therein he saw ''the Lord sitting on a throne and his train filled the temple" Above 1t, or around it, were arranged lowering couriers and the seraphic choir. The majesty of this vision is indicated in verse two, its glory in verse three. and its power is indicated in verse four. The whole earth was filled with Gods wondrous wisdom, love and pow CT. Literally ''the whole earth is full of his glory" The Hebrew word for holiness comes from word meaning ito set apart-set a distance from" The holy Lord is not only sinless but he is sublime and absolute also. It may seem difficult to harmonize Isaiah's vision with John 1:18, yet these manifestations were one and the same, for all that saw Jesus saw God (John 14:9). King Uzziah was dead but the real king was living still, high and lifted up. The attempt to reason about him, what he must be and what he must not be, as if he were one of ourselves (Eph. 1 20, 21) is absurd. II. Divisions (vv. 5-13). D The vision of the prophet (vv. 5-7). This vision brought conviction because 1t showed how far separated from God the prophet was. It also brought conversion in that he acknowledged himself to be unclean, himself and his surroundings to be vile. It also led to cleansing, for the king heard the voice of the prophet, removed his guilt and purged his sin. (2) The voice and proclamation from the king (vv. 6-1S). The king called for messenger (v. 8 and at once the prophet is found. Someone has said that "a task without vision is drudgery; vision with out a task is dream; while task linked to a vision will move tho world" Not only did the king ask for messenger, but he gave the message which the messenger was to utter (vv. 9-12). The message was to be to his own people; it was not to be a pleasant one., Verse 13 shows us this message in prophecy. Isaiah ought to fully proclaim the truth, but the people would not understand 1t, and the whole effect of his proclamation would be to harden them.
 The Application.
 /, What is your application of this vision for Isaiah? We are Chris tian nation, but there are many de- grees and kinds of Christians; those who sincerely try to follow Jesus {; those who live under a Christian gov ernment, and are unaffected by Chris tan influences. There Is only one way to save this nation from going the i way of Nineveh and Tyre; that Is, that i justice and righteousness shall govern, and that justice and righteousness shall l ha fho fruit 0f reponornfod lives Tha