The Year King Uzziah Died
The year Uzziah died, God’s people were a mess. The twelve tribes of Israel to the north had spiraled into shameless idolatry and violence, and, looking around, Isaiah could see that his own two-tribe kingdom of Judah was not far behind.
King Uzziah had begun well, and those longing for a return to God had been hopeful, but the stronger Uzziah became, the further he drifted away from God. At one point, he pridefully took upon himself the office God had given solely to the priests and was instantly judged with leprosy. He lived out the rest of his days as a leper, isolated, humiliated, his once-victorious reign ending in ignominious defeat.
We are not told what Isaiah thought or felt when he heard Uzziah had died, but we are told enough about the state of the nation to know that things would have looked pretty bleak. Those who should have been leading the people in righteousness and devotion to God ignored His call to repent and return.
I can only imagine how hopeless it must have seemed to serve God when constantly met with apathy and disinterest, if not outright rejection. So what does God do to encourage Isaiah? What was God’s response to the apathy, disinterest, and blatant rejection of His truth and righteousness?
The following passage may be very familiar to you, but I want you to read it slowly, to chew on it a little, and to notice what God reveals to Isaiah about Himself:
“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. And one cried unto another, 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.” (Isaiah 6:1-4)
What do you see about God here? I see His majesty, His holiness, His authority, and His boundless glory. At this glimpse of his holy God enthroned in majesty, Isaiah was struck with the realization of his own sinfulness as well as the sinfulness of his people. He cries out,
“Woe is me! For I am a man 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.”(v.5)
Isaiah was grieved, even despairing over the depth of sin in himself and his people, but God’s conviction always leads us to redemption. God sent one of the seraphim to touch his lips with a coal from the altar, a symbolic representation of God’s forgiveness and cleansing.
Then, God says something remarkable. In the face of His people’s apathy, anger, and blatant rebellion towards Him, with Isaiah’s fresh reminder of their sinfulness, notice how God chooses to respond:
“Also 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. And He said, Go, and tell this people…” (8-9)
God was about to send Isaiah to a people who would not listen. When Isaiah asks how long they will not listen, He gives Isaiah a glimpse of the extent of His coming judgement, but also a promise that there will be a remnant left. Justice was coming, but so was mercy.
My point today is that God, during a time when all seemed hopeless, met Isaiah with a vision of Himself. He showed Isaiah that He was still on the throne, still reigning over all, and that He was still working on behalf of His people, even though they were not doing right. Judgement was necessary because of their sin, but His judgement and mercy are as inseparable as His omnipotence and sovereignty.
So if today you are facing a situation that seems hopeless, don’t despair! God is still on His throne, He still cares, and He still knows exactly what to do.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58