Title: I Am Here / Isaiah 6:1-8
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Isaiah 6:1-8, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21
The life of faith is always a repetition of three processes. These are the encounter with God, the restoration of the soul, and the practice of true life. These three processes take place in sequence. The soul is restored only when there is an encounter with God, and when the soul is restored, the true life can be practiced. Today we see this model of life in Isaiah. You can see how God meets and guides us through these words.
meeting
Isaiah was of royal origin. From a young age, I went to and from the royal palace as if it were my home. The young man Isaiah was fascinated by the reign and power of Uzziah at that time. Indeed, King Uzziah was a great king. He ascended to the throne at the age of 16 and reigned for 52 years. He received tribute from neighboring countries, and he was recognized even in Egypt (2 Chronicles 26:8). But as his popularity and fame grew, he became proud. This is always the problem. He performed a sacrifice that only a priest could do on his own. He went into the temple and tried to burn incense himself. When the priests stopped him, saying, 'This is the priest's job, get out of the sanctuary.' In the end, he lived alone in a separate palace and ended his life alone.
Verse 1 of today's text begins like this. "In the year of the death of King Uzziah." Although it is a simple verse, it is the most important key verse to understand the scene of Isaiah's calling. It was very shocking to see such a wonderful king for Isaiah become like this. Isaiah went into the temple in sorrow and fell on his face. It was a shock to see someone who was like a star in his heart die like that. It was disappointing. It was disappointment. What will this country be like? How could such a wonderful person die so miserably? Did God strike him because of his pride? So what should I do? I prostrated myself in the temple with earnestness.
Then a vision appeared before him. God sat on a high throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Angels stood there, each with six wings. With two wings he covered his face, with two wings he covered his feet, and with the other two wings he was flying. They are 'holy' in great glory. holy holy O Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of your glory.' When he sang, he felt his whole body and foundation shake greatly. I felt that my whole body was moved by the powerful grace of God.
It is here that Isaiah really met the living God. Did Isaiah not know God until now? no. I went to the temple from a young age and learned the law and faith. They knew the beliefs and history of their ancestors. But it was not the living God. It has come to know God through ideology and thought. Isaiah went into the temple to pray while he was discouraged and met the living, holy and majestic God.
"In the year of the death of King Uzziah." It is also a hint for us. Sometimes there may be 'Uzzia' within me. Uzziah of career, Uzziah of knowledge, hobbies, materials, and experiences, anything can be your Uzziah. When Uzziah in us, Uzziah in our life, Uzziah in our heart, and Uzziah in our career dies, the moment to meet God comes.
recovery
Until now, Isaiah had considered himself a righteous man, a holy man, and a patriot. But the moment I met God, I realized that I was an ugly sinner. The common experience of those who have met God is that the moment they experience the holiness of God, they see their true self. Most people live their lives proud of themselves as innocent people. If that's enough, I'm a clean person.... If anyone is more sincere than me, ask me to come out. Most of us don't live that badly or do bad things. But it is relatively so. The moment you stand before the holiness of God, you realize that you are a shameful sinner. Realize that you are just a belief. You will confess that it is a shameful time to have turned away from God.
When Isaiah meets God, he confesses with a sad heart.
Woe to me, I am destroyed; I am a man of unclean lips.
For they dwelt among a people of unclean lips, and saw the King, the LORD of hosts. 6:5
He realized that he had no choice but to die when he saw his ugliness in the presence of God's holy presence. What is the reason for especially confessing that the lips are unclean? All this time I have said that I praise the Lord with my mouth, call on the Lord with my mouth, and fear God with my mouth, but in reality I am far from God. That's a confession.
This people will draw near to me with their mouth, says the Lord.
They honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
They fear me only because they have been taught by the commandments of men. Isaiah 29:13
As I read these words, my heart trembles. I will also confess. Lord, yes. I did just that. They draw near to God with their mouth, but their heart is far away, and their mouth fears God, but their hands and feet are far away. My heart goes numb. Isaiah's confession becomes my confession. Lord, I am a man of unclean lips. Forgive me.
When Isaiah confessed his sin, God sent an angel to bring a red-hot charcoal from the altar, put it on his lips, and said, 'Your sins are forgiven.' A sincere confession of sin meets the grace of God's forgiveness. It is said that God seeks a broken spirit (Psalm 51:17). Jesus said that I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Therefore, he burned Isaiah's mouth with the charcoal fire of the altar. So his soul was restored. What is the charcoal fire on the altar? It is the body of Jesus who was sacrificed by burning your whole body. Only through the grace of Jesus on the cross can our sins be cleansed. I bless you to become the saints whose unclean lips are cleansed by the grace of Jesus every day.
mission
As soon as Isaiah's lips were purified with the charcoal fire of the altar, he could hear God's voice. ?쏻hom shall I send, and who will go for us???Isaiah immediately responds. "Here am I. Send me." This is where the great prophet's path began.
The life of faith is always connected with the life of mission. People with clean lips are supposed to close their mouths and move their feet. Belief in the existence of God has no words, only deeds. Those who experience the grace of the forgiveness of sins will only see the Lord open their eyes.
Recently, I read 'Namhansanseong' which is a bestseller. I thought that 'Kim Hoon' was a really good writer. The sentences are concise, and something is put into words, like writing a poem. At that time, I was talking about the frustrating situation in one word. Inside the castle is full of horse dust, and outside the castle is also full of horse dust. Outside, dust from the horseshoes of the horses of the Qinggun keel was rising, but inside the castle, only the horse feast of incompetent servants was taking place. Where there is only a feast of horses, there is no power.
The moment you experience the existence of God, your faith in your mouth will change to your faith in your body. That is the life of a mission. A life of mission is nothing great. It is a natural action of those who believe in the existence of God. It's a natural change. If there is no change, the problem is not that there is no change, but that we do not believe in the existence of God. If we do not have a joyful devotion, the problem is not that we do not have devotion, but that we do not believe in the existence of God. If the vine is unfruitful, the problem is not that the vine is without fruit, but that the vine is sick. To say that a thistle sprouted after planting a fig is not the problem with the thistle, but the fact that the fig tree is dead. The change of life of a person who believes in the existence of God is a very natural and natural phenomenon, just like grapes growing on a vine and figs growing on a fig tree. When the confession of life comes out as a powerful action--that is what the mission is.
Did you know that the famous Mr. Lee Ryung recently converted to Christianity? Mr. Lee, who wrote 'In the Soil in the Wind' and 'In the Wind,' and 'Reduction-oriented Japanese', organized the opening ceremony of the 1988 Olympic Games, and served as the Minister of Culture, converted to Christianity at the age of 74. When he saw his daughter losing her sight and being healed by faith, she confessed this.
"It was incredible that my daughter had lost her sight and would never see my face again while she was alive. I prayed to God with tears in a small church in Hawaii, USA." "God, unless you take your light away from my beloved daughter Minah, I will live the rest of my life as Your servant." His prayers were humble and sincere. And I experienced God's healing. Regarding this fact, Mr. Lee said: "I said to my daughter, my knowledge and money did not save you. If you really found comfort in the Lord, if you had a new life, wouldn't it prove my powerlessness. I have lived up to this point in this helplessness. Let's do it. I'm not confident right now, but please show me the light you saw as you lost your sight." So he experienced the living God and became a Christian.
God never changes. I believe that you are still alive and working today. The moment Isaiah experienced the existence of God, he was transformed into a man with a mission of "Here I am. Send me." Just as a clear confession makes a complete change, we believe that a person of sincere faith becomes a person of definite mission. I pray that such grace may be with all of us.
As Isaiah's experience shows, the life of faith is always a repetition of three processes. It is an encounter with God, the restoration of the soul, and the practice of true life. Today, God calls us, heals us, and works in the same way. 'Lord, send me.' Blessed be the confession of all of us.