Isaiah 6:8-13 – Isaiah’s Commission
Who issues the call here in verse 8? This is not something Isaiah takes on himself. Jesus, in His glory, issues the call. To go on behalf of God to sinful men demands courage, zeal, love, wisdom, and knowledge. All these things are needed. But only Christ can so equip that man. So He does. When first faced with the glorious Christ, there on His throne, Isaiah was almost scared to death. But now, since he has forgiveness of his sin and fellowship with the triune God through the glorious Christ, he is bold and he is ready. He’s willing to go, whatever the terms of the call. He doesn’t even know what God wants him to do. He has no conditions whatsoever. He is confident now that he is received and accepted in the blood of Jesus Christ; he is ready to go. And that is how it is for us. When we know God’s calling upon our life, we’re ready to go.
The call is a sad and depressing one. It is to be a message unheeded and not understood. Utter ruin will come due to war and pestilence, exile and scattering. Spiritual judgments have temporal consequences. And it can happen again to any nation, any denomination, any professed Christian who makes the statement, ‘Oh, I am God’s child’ and refuses to repent under sin.
Now, thankfully, as we see in verse 13, a remnant is preserved. What’s to happen with that remnant? They will return, as we read here in verse 13, to godliness and prosperity. They will go through affliction and trouble, but even during that, they will be like certain kinds of trees that, when you cut them down, new sprouts come out. They are the core of the new people of God. They are people like Anna and Simeon, or Joseph and Mary, or the shepherds around Bethlehem. They are people like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. They are like the 3,000 souls saved by the grace of God through the preaching at Pentecost. They are the new trunk of the New Testament Church in which we live today.
Questions
- How does Isaiah respond to Christ’s call?
- What happens to the remnant?
Prayer Points
- Pray that you would be ready and willing to work for the Lord.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.