The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1917-06-28
LESSON FOR JULY I
ISAIAH'S CALL TO HEROIC
SERVICE.
LESSON TExT-Isaiah 6

Il LESSON TEXT-Isaiah 6
N GOLDEN TEXT-Also heard the voic,
Of the Lord saying, Whom shall 1 send
and who will go for us? Then said
i Here am I; send me.-Isa. 6:S.
The lesson committee now turn for
n third quarters lesson to 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. G. 76O and down
to the early years of the reign Of
Manasseh about r. G. 694 (ch. 1 ~.
This event took place probably B. G..
755. The place was Jerusalem; the
kingdom of Israel was still in exist
ence for 33 years longer) being ut
terly destroyed in B. @. 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
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,
d 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 1906 are
Il 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.
I. Visions wv. 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 a special time |
and place Och. 1:1). Every mans |
great need today is real vision of |
God. We are not so much in need of
theories about God, as vision Of
God himself. UZZiah's long reign of
50 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 1919. 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 it,
or around it, were arranged lowering
couriers and the seraphic choir. The
majesty of this vision is indicated in
verse two, it's glory in verse three,
and its power Is indicated in verse
FOUR The whole earth was filled with !
Gods wondrous wisdom, love and pow
ar. Literally "the whole earth is full {
If his glory" The Hebrew word for 1
holiness comes from a word meaning [
to set apart-set a distance FROM" {
The holy Lord is not only sinless but 1
le is sublime and absolute also. 1t {
nay seem difficult to harmonic s
saiah's vision with John 1 :18, yet
hese manifestations were one and the /
anne; for all that saw Jesus saw God 4
John Ia: 10y. King Uzziah was dead Z
ut the real king was living still, high 2
nd lifted up. The attempt to reason t
bout him, what he must be and what e
e must not be, as If he were one n
f ourselves (Eph. 1 20, 21) is absurd.
II. Divisions wv. 5-13). O The s
ision of the prophet wv. SD. This G
ision brought conviction because it G.
bowed how far separated from Gpd is
ne prophet was. 1t also brought II
diversion in that he acknowledged
lmself to be unclean, himself and his OF
to be vile. 1t also led to u
Lansing, for the king heard the voice g
{ the prophet, removed his guilt and tr
lSged his sin. (2) The voice and
from the king wv. S-13). W
he king called for a messenger ". 81 ~
nd at once the prophet is found. al
Dmeone has said that "a task without
vision is drudgery; a vision with y,
IT a task is a dream; while a task y
lked to a vision will move the -
orld." Not only did the king ask for ~
but he gave the message a.
hich the messenger was to utter :.
". e-12). The message was to be -,
his own people; it was not to be g.
pleasant one. Verse Is shows US -,
is message In prophecy. Isaiah ought