Responding to God’s Call

MEMORY SELECTION: “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” —Isaiah 6:8

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 6:1-8

IN OUR last lesson we noted that Isaiah prophesied to the two-tribe nation of Israel at about the same time that Hosea uttered his words to the separated ten-tribe kingdom of Israel.

The history of the children of Israel is one of continued back-sliding toward idolatry and licentiousness. And even though they were brought back by divine judgments at the hands of their enemies on many occasions, they would again gravitate toward the forbidden. Over and over again they required chastisements to bring them to repentance and back into God’s favor once more.

Although God had revealed his mercy and power to the Israelites from the very beginning of their experience as a nation, the context of this week’s lesson brings to our attention a new and different dimension in connection with God’s favor to them.

On this occasion God chose to reveal his greatness and glory in the form of a vision to his servant, the Prophet Isaiah. The plan evidently was to provide Isaiah with a glimpse of the majesty on high. God would then encourage and lead the prophet in such a manner that he would bear the message which had been disclosed to him to the nation of Israel.

Turning now to Isaiah’s prophecy, we note his words: “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.”—6:1,2

What a glorious sight to behold, even if it was but a vision! The glorious throne was there, with almighty God seated upon the throne. As seraphims represent the divine attributes, there were four of them standing on either side of the throne, with the entire temple filled with the glory of spirit beings. And the temple was full of the glory light of the most high God.

Then one of the seraphim spoke to one of the others and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”—vss. 3,4

The repetition of the word “holy” has the effect of intensifying the greatness and grandeur of God. Indeed, God is “most holy” of all creatures in both heaven and earth. In vision, therefore, Isaiah was impressed by God’s holiness and grace.

After the seraphims’ proclamation, the doorposts to the temple were shaken, and the glory within was obscured by smoke. Thus were the very surroundings of the throne moved and seen to reverberate with the greatness of God. The smoke suggests, perhaps, that it is impossible for mortal man to look upon God and live. The prophet sensed his position, and his own imperfection and unholiness as a member of the fallen race of mankind—unworthy even to see so great a sight or to be in the presence of God even in vision.

Then a seraphim touched the lips and mouth of Isaiah with a live coal, symbolizing his purification making him acceptable as a servant. Then he heard the voice of the Lord asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isa. 6:8) Isaiah was overwhelmed with the privilege offered to him to serve God.

This is the natural response of all to whom God has given the privilege of knowing something of himself, and this has been the privilege of the called-out ones down through the Gospel Age. Jesus, in John 6:45, speaks of those who were to be called of God.

Throughout the Gospel Age, God has been inviting those who so wish to consecrate their lives to him, which is made possible through the merit of the shed blood of Jesus. And, as Isaiah’s experiences illustrate, few heed the message to present their bodies as a living sacrifice. Only those who are pure in heart will hear the call. They alone will respond to the voice of the Lord and say in their hearts, “Here am I; send me.”

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