Isaiah’s Call
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Isaiah 5:1-30, Isaiah 6:1-13, Psalm 80:17-19, Matthew 21:33-44
BY Amanda Bible Williams
Text: Isaiah 5:1-30, Isaiah 6:1-13, Psalm 80:17-19, Matthew 21:33-44
I’ve long been a fan of liturgy. My United Methodist upbringing only offered it in moderate doses and my current church home even less, but I still feel at home in the rhythms, radical though many of them are.
Take corporate confession, for example. You’d be hard-pressed to find something more unexpected than a group of men, women, and children, many of them strangers or mere acquaintances, joining together to voice aloud their sins and shortcomings. It’s shocking when you consider it, especially in a culture where we work carefully to craft a public image of ourselves that rarely matches the private one.
Corporate confession is a sort of double humility: we humble ourselves as sinful individuals before God, and we humble ourselves alongside our brothers and sisters as a sinful body of believers. We are saying to God, We are broken; You are whole. We are flawed; You are flawless. We are sinners; You are holy.
Our condition (sin) is directly opposed to God’s character (purity, holiness).
In Isaiah chapters 5 and 6, the prophet contrasts this “otherness” of God’s glory and holiness with the utter darkness of Judah’s rebellion. The people’s sin has so dramatically distorted their reality that good and bad are reversed in their eyes. God’s messenger Isaiah declares, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness” (5:20).
But God—“His glory fills the whole earth” (6:3), and Isaiah is humbled at the sight of Him. Heavenly beings hover around the Lord, calling out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts,” as the temple shakes and fills with smoke (6:4).
What does Isaiah do at the astonishing sight of God’s holiness? He voices a confession:
Woe is me for I am ruined
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Hosts.
– Isaiah 6:5
Notice that Isaiah’s confession is personal (“I am a man of unclean lips”) and corporate (“I live among a people of unclean lips”). Isaiah is aware of his own rebellion against God, as well as his place among a rebellious people. Repentance involves both confessing to God our sinful actions and our sinful condition.
It’s like the parable of the vineyard owner in Matthew 21. God is the vineyard owner, and what more could He have given us? Yet we corrupted His good gift. He sent His Son, and we were the ones who put Him to death—not because we were present at the crucifixion, but because ours was the sin that sentenced Him to die. All of us. We are all sinners and we are all sinful.
Left to ourselves, we would have no hope. Thanks be to God, we have not been left to ourselves. As we confess our sins and our sinful condition before our holy God, we also give thanks for Jesus, who took our sin upon Himself. In Jesus, the radically unholy are clothed in righteousness and reconciled to God.
Because of Jesus, we are ushered into the presence of the One whose holiness fills the whole earth—the One who is three times holy. Holy is God the Father. Holy is Christ the Son. Holy is His Spirit, mercifully poured out on those who confess their sins and believe on Christ. Holy, holy, holy.
128 thoughts on "Isaiah’s Call"
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Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness” (5:20).
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I am going through a season of spiritual tribulation and warfare. Not only am I being attacked but those close to are being too and it seems this to be for my benefit – the devil is hurting me through my closest and dearest, and using everyday situations and people.
After weeks of thinking ‘Why me? When something good is FINALLY happening to me and my family, why is all this foolishness happening?’ Last week, it suddenly dawned on me, ‘this is my season of tribulation’. I am at war, and the devil wants me to choose him because to be honest, ladies I have been an unknowing operative of his for a while – not reading my bible, not watching myself (my vices). Basically, being self-absorbed and pompous, thinking I can do this (life) by myself. (Ephesians 6:12)
But alas, when I look back God has patiently been by my side; letting me stumble and falter but whispering in my ear ‘I am here if you need me’ (Romans 2:4) He has been encouraging me to return to fellowship (with SRT and others), put me in contact with another mother who has a young son who sends me daily devotional messages and nudged me out of my life lull. I thought just saying ‘I leave it in God’s hands’ was sufficient and knowing I’m a Christian who believed was enough but that’s just empty words from a cocksure child. (Psalm 30: 1-5)
So to read Amanda’s words ‘Left to ourselves, we would have no hope. Thanks be to God, we have not been left to ourselves’ was sufficient today.
Amen.
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Oh you speak words that ring such truth with me. Praise the Lord we are not left to her own devices.
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So thankful for honest Jesus loving women like yourself. I pray you are able to keep to the disciplines that we “get” to do each day so that you are enriched with more and more of Jesus and that will bear beautiful fruit.
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Your honesty is so refreshing. I understand fully and ut reaffirms God’s promise to never leave us mor forsake us. He longs fir fellowship and will not stop tI’ll we surrender and the scales are removed so we can behold his glory . Press on. When we sex weak then is he strong. Thank you for boldly sharing
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Why do I do what I don’t wanna do?
Why do I love what I should hate?
Why have I sold myself to be a slave?
Why do I give my heart away?
I’m tired of singing songs of victory
When I’ve been living in defeat
I’m done standing with the enemy
This is a war won on my kneesWho will rescue me?
Come wash me clean
And set me freeCause I wanna see these giants fall, giants fall
And I wanna crash through every wall, every wall
In between you and me give me faith to believe
That I’m, I’m gonna see these giants fall
I’m gonna see these giants fall
I’m gonna see these giants fall(This is the first verse & lyrics of “Giants Fall” by We Are Messengers. It’s been playing in my house non stop since reading for Lent. I hope it encourages you as it has me! One day these giants will fall forever!)
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Thanks for sharing this song. I’ve been listening to it this morning & I am sure it will make an appearance on my regular playlist.
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My pleasure! I love hearing God’s voice through music. Music is a form of worship, yet almost every time I turn it on to worship Him, I find he has given me healing balm for my soul. Isn’t that so our God? What we give to him, he lovingly gives back to us. I’m thinking now…wheels are turning…the reverse is just as true. When we refuse to give up what we’re holding on to, when we don’t give him anything, we can’t receive what he wants to give us. Hmm. Im going to have to chew on this today…Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise him all you creatures here below! Praise him above ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son, and a Holy Ghost! Amen.
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Thank you for your vulnerability and truth! I have been in the same place! Praying for you as the Lord leads you through this time!
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Those of us who are believers are righteous and holy through Jesus!
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference in Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22-24
This truth is woven throughout the new testament, including Romans. How beautiful!
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Wow. Thank you for this honest post. I am also in my season of tribulation but thank God I have found this bible study and found your post because although I do not know you, you gave me courage to trust in God and not feel so alone.
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Wow… thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I have tears in my eyes… Your words are my thoughts. Grace and peace to you.
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That is so beautiful. We are so loved by God! Your journey inspired me today. Thank you for your honesty.
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