A Visionary Statement John 12:41 What Isaiah Saw A Sovereign God No Other God Before Me Humility and Service Holy, Holy, Holy Isaiah’s Commission

A Sovereign God  Compared to King Uzziah’s death  God is still in charge  Encouragement for the future  Compare Isaiah to Jeremiah  “I saw the Lord” not LORD – John 12:41; 1:18 A Visionary Statement John 12:41

John 12:41 (NASB) 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him John 1:18 (NASB) 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

A Sovereign God  Compared to King Uzziah’s death  God is still in charge  Encouragement for the future  Compare Isaiah to Jeremiah  “I saw the Lord” not LORD – John 12:41; 1:18  “sitting on the throne” – posture is significant  “lofty and exalted” – a proper view of God A Visionary Statement John 12:41

No Other God Before Me  “with the train of His robe filling the temple”  Train indicates honor  Filling the temple shows no room for anything else  God reigns and no other – Is. 42:8; Ex. 20:2-3 A Visionary Statement John 12:41

Isaiah 42:8 (NASB) 8 “I am the L ORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images Exodus 20:2-3 (NASB) 2 “I am the L ORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

No Other God Before Me  “with the train of His robe filling the temple”  Train indicates honor  Filling the temple shows no room for anything else  God reigns and no other – Is. 42:8; Ex. 20:2-3  No room in our lives for anything else  Jesus is either “Lord of all” or “not Lord at all” – 1 Corinthians 15:25; Philippians 2:9-11 A Visionary Statement John 12:41

1 Corinthians 15:25 (NASB) 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. Philippians 2:9-11 (NASB) 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Humility and Service  “Seraphim stood above Him”  Only use in Bible – means burning ones  Two wings cover faces – can’t see God’s glory and live – indicates reverence and humility  Two wings cover feet – indicates their lowliness and even shame if the Holy God sees them  Two wings they flew – indicates immediate and constant service A Visionary Statement John 12:41

Humility and Service  The verbs used here – cover and flew – are continuous action items – never ceasing  Notice that there are four wings relating to God and two relating to serving Him  This provides us a pattern for service:  Reverence and humility  Lowliness – an understanding of who you are not  Which all lead to service  Shows resources at God’s disposal – 2 Kings 6:15-19 A Visionary Statement John 12:41

2 Kings 6:15-19 (NASB) 15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O L ORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the L ORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18 When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the L ORD and said, “Strike this people with blindness, I pray.” So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19 Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city; follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he brought them to Samaria.

Holy, Holy, Holy  Isaiah notices true worship in the Seraphim  Holy repeated three times is important  Repetition is used for emphasis – pit or pit, pit  Isaiah 26:3 is an example using “peace” A Visionary Statement John 12:41

Isaiah 26:3 (NASB) 3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

Holy, Holy, Holy  Isaiah notices true worship in the Seraphim  Holy repeated three times is important  Repetition is used for emphasis – pit or pit, pit  Isaiah 26:3 is an example using “peace”  Nowhere in Scripture is this device used 3x  Notice also endless repetition  Temple foundation shakes and smoke protects A Visionary Statement John 12:41

Isaiah’s Commission  First – Isaiah caught a vision of God and His Holiness  Second – Isaiah saw himself for who he was in relationship to this Holy God  Third – Isaiah had a vision of service to this Holy God and what part he should play in his response to all of this A Visionary Statement John 12:41

Isaiah 6:8-10 (NASB) 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ 10 “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

Application Do you have a biblical view of Holiness? Has that Holiness led you to confess and repent of your personal sins unto salvation? Has that Holiness led you, as a believer, to continual confession and repentance unto sanctification? Have you responded as Isaiah did by saying, “Here am I. Send me!”? A Visionary Statement John 12:41