ISAIAH’S VISION

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 

     2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished

and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. Isaiah 1:1-2 (KJV).

It is believed that Isaiah was a member of a family of nobility.  That did not stop him from seeing the things that his heart and soul told him were not right.  It was a time of wealth for the land of Judah.  People were greatly blessed by God, but notice; Isaiah’s troubled heart.

The vision Isaiah sees is during the time of four kings; Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.  We know that in chapter six Uzziah has died, and Isaiah is troubled.  Let’s look at how Isaiah may have looked around, and been burdened for the souls of Judah.

ISAIAH’S LOG Monday, Ab 15, 749 B.C.

As I walk the streets of Jerusalem  I see people who have no heart for God.  I saw them in the temple on the Sabbath, but where is God in their lives?

O, God they say they know YOU, but in their lives; Where are YOU, LORD?  The Lord God of all creation is crying out.  I hear Him in my heart.  I hear Him in my head.  My heart is about to bust.  “Hear, O heavens, …Give ear O earth:” The Lord has made you, nourished you, and brought you up, and you have rebelled against Him.  You are rebelling against Him.

Look at this; this thief who is weighing the corn, and using a false balance.  Look at that one over there.  O God, my God. What are we to do.

I may be a prince of Judah, but the people of nobility are not much better.  My people, Judah; God’s people?  Where is God in this unrighteousness?

ISAIAH’S PRAYER

From the previous chapters we see that Isaiah had saw the sin of the people of Israel.  It was a time of trial for the nation; the king Uzziah was dead, and he had been a godly leader for the most part.

Because of the death of Uzziah; Isaiah was evidently mourning the death of the king, and he was greatly troubled by the death.  It becomes aparent, though, that Isaiah had not seen the Lord of glory.  Now things are about to change.  Isaiah is about to change.  When you see the Lord, exalted, on His throne and that He is holy, holy, holy you too will change for His glory.

When Isaiah saw these angelic beings it seems logical that he fell on his face, and cried these words, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (6:5).  When someone sees Jesus for the first time as the suffering Savior dying on the cross for their sins, their heart cries, ‘Woe is me! I am undone…”.  “Undone” simply means sinful, without hope of one’s self.  God is holy, holy, holy, and you and I are unholy; yet God seeks to reconcile us to Himself.  He could only do this through the death of His righteous, sinless Son.

When you become right with God your desire will be to go for His glory.  God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  Isaiah’s answer was, “Here am I; send me”.  that is the answer of a truly grateful heart.  That is the answer for the saved, changed, made new heart.

God tells Isaiah, that no one will hear, no one will obey.  Isaiah’s answered by asking, “How long do I keep preaching?”  God’s answer was, “Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate…” (6:11ff.).

Loving this thrice holy God is a call to faithfulness, not recruiting of numbers.  God will give the people.  You and I  are to keep praying, going, and being faithful.

THE ACT OF PRAYER AND PRAYING

If there is anyone who knows about prayer it is Jesus.  He is the Master of it.  He prayed continually.  He taught us how to pray.

In Matthew 6:8-13 is what is often called “The Lord’s Prayer”, but that is not really correct.  It is in fact the “Model Prayer”.  It is Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray, and we are His disciples if we have trusted Him for our eternal salvation.

Here is what Jesus teaches us in this MODEL PRAYER.

1.  Begin prayer by honoring and adoring the Father, Praising Him, worshipping Him; He is worthy;

2.  Recognize Him as the Master/Owner of His kingdom, and show that you desire His kingdom to come on earth, and His will be done on earth and in your life;

3.  Now you can petition Him for your daily needs, and the needs of others – this could include requests for healing of sickness, etc.;

4.  Ask forgiveness for your sins, and you could take on the part of your priesthood in Christ and pray for others to come to the place of asking forgiveness for their sin; Note that this is a conditional part of the prayer, “As we forgive our debtors”…;

5.  Now pray for God to keep you from evil; this would be a good time to also ask Him to help you hide His Word in your heart that you might not sin against Him; for that is how you will be kept from doing evil;

6.  End your prayer by again recognizing His glory and power, and realizing that it is for His glory you are asking all these things.

 REMEMBER:  IT’S ABOUT GOD.  Not you or I.