A King Who Doesn't Force Your Hand

Transcript

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[0:05] Our sermon text this morning comes from Isaiah chapter 6, the whole chapter, but it's not that long. And this is from the NLT. It was the year that King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

[0:29] Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of heaven's armies. The whole earth is filled with his glory. Their voices shook the temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

[0:56] Then I said, It's all over, I'm doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of heaven's armies. Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it, and he said, See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed. And you're saved. Your sins are forgiven.

[1:30] Then I heard the Lord asking, Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us? I said, Here I am, send me. And he said, Yes, go and say to this people, Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.

[1:54] Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their ears. That way they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, and turn to me for healing. Then I said, Lord, how long will this go on? And he replied, Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland. Until the Lord has sent away everyone, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.

[2:26] If even a tenth, a remnant, survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But, as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed. Let's pray. Our God, we thank you for your word.

[2:50] God, we ask your blessing over it, and we ask your blessing over the remainder of this service. Would you speak to our hearts and our minds. These things we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. So we've been talking about the kingdom of God the past few weeks. And in thinking about the kingdom, we're drawn largely to Jesus' words and parables. But really a great place to understand the kingdom is the book of Isaiah, where the kingdom imagery and prophecy is seen in so many different places. Today we're focusing on the kingdom of God. We're focusing on Isaiah 6, which may throw some people off at first. But here we see Isaiah painting a solid picture of a truly sovereign king seated on his throne in the first eight verses, followed by a more disheartening picture of this broken, painful, earthly kingdom with our closed eyes and our blocked ears and our obstructed hearts. And that's in 9 through 13.

[3:56] These are the verses that we're going to read. The last few verses you might recognize from some of the kingdom teachings in Matthew, because Jesus quotes them in the gospels when asked why he speaks in parables about the kingdom.

[4:11] So yes, go and say to this people, listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing. Now we start today, of course, with the beginning few verses. Isaiah was someone who kept records for King Uzziah. When Uzziah died, God showed Isaiah who was truly king. I think we all need that once in a while when a leader dies and we're not sure what to go, where to go next or what's going to happen in our future. God showed Isaiah that it was okay. This king that Isaiah respected had died, but it was going to be okay because there was someone much greater in charge of the kingdom. He was in charge of all the nations of the world. And he was not a king who would die or be dethroned, leaving them vulnerable. But he's an everlasting king and sovereign over all, not just over one nation, but over all the universe, over all the stars in the sky, over the heavens and the entire earth.

[5:20] So Isaiah draws in words that stir up memories of that. And he's a man of the covenant made between this God, Adonai, that's the word used in the first verse, and the Israelites at Sinai. So as a side note, I've always really especially loved the word Adonai for God. It sounds pretty, I just like saying it, Adonai, but it was originally described to me as meaning the king over all. And that's not entirely how it's used in Scripture. It's used to keep the word Yahweh holy. So instead of writing out the word Yahweh, because it was so holy that they didn't even want to write it out, they would write different names for God. And in a lot of cases, they wrote the word Adonai.

[6:13] And it's used to describe an authoritative lord or master or king. Adonai is the word used for lord in this passage in verses 1 and 8 and 11. And it's a title used for God particularly when referring to God's role as the supreme ruler and sovereign king. It's a title that's always given me comfort, just knowing that even when things are going crazy and everything seems wrong, that if I submit to God's will, all will be well because he is the sovereign king. So the Sinai covenant had established a relationship between God as the sovereign ruler and Israel as kind of like a prototype kingdom under his law. Israel was a kingdom that did not have an earthly king. And so with God as king, that was kind of showing the rest of the world what God's kingship could be like.

[7:18] Coming under his leadership, they provided a house for God to live in among them and lead them. And at the heart of this dedicated palace, which was the temple, was a chamber dedicated just to God alone. A chamber just for the king alone. So it was furnished with what we would think of as the throne, which was the ark of the covenant, where their invisible God sat enthroned between the symbolic guards of the presence, which were the cherubim.

[7:55] The holy chamber was off limits for Isaiah until God gave him a vision of his presence. There he saw Adonai seated on the throne, high and exalted above everyone and everything. What earthly king do you know is in charge of everything? I've never heard of a king who is in charge of everything. There's no king who can calm the storms or control the weather or feed the birds of the sky.

[8:32] The ark was more of a footstool than a throne because our sovereign God was seated so far above that the temple that was provided could not contain him, just the fringes of his robe. And his attendants declared him holy. And this is important because holiness is more than just flawless character.

[9:03] Holiness finds expression as wholehearted devotedness. The seraphim declare the sovereign's unswerving dedication to his earthly realm, a realm designed to be lit up with his majestic presence. His holy kingdom is a place of worship. His holy devotion to his people was established in the Sinai covenant.

[9:27] Isaiah hears just the rumbles of the mountain that shook at God's presence. That's back to Exodus when the people were too scared to go up to the mountain because it shook with God's presence. That happened in the temple that he saw in his vision.

[9:49] And the smoke that surrounded the invisible presence of God, the cloud that entered the house that they built for him. At the sound of the voices of the seraphim, the pillars and supports of the temple still shake as the smoke of his presence fills the temple. So it wasn't just the mountain in Exodus that shook as the covenant was laid out between the king and people at Sinai. It was that everyone in the entire camp trembled. Seeing the mountain in smoke, they shook with fear. Moses said it was so that the fear of God would be with you to keep you from sinning.

[10:29] The abusive relationships that the Israelites had known under Pharaoh's dominion could not continue in Yahweh's kingdom. Not just the Pharaoh's kingdom where they experienced abuse, but no earthly kingdom can compare to God's reign. So the Sinai covenant and his interactions with the people of Israel made it clear to them that Adonai was the king of Israel.

[10:57] But then Isaiah 6-5 shows us that the scene with the heavenly beings attending to him made it clear that he's the ultimate king with authority not just over the earthly kingdoms, but over heaven itself.

[11:12] Holy, holy, holy. The seraphim remind Isaiah. They remind all of God's people of every aspect of the covenant that he created with them. It reminds them of God's burning passion for justice, to make things right for all people.

[11:32] Especially for the vulnerable. God is not like the earthly rulers who are set apart in their own ways. Some people called them gods. But they were so far from holy. They will have their own agendas and won't hesitate to trample on the hearts and freedoms of the people. Especially the most vulnerable. And it's completely flipped over in this upside down kingdom of God's where it's especially the vulnerable that God looks out for. This Adonai is more than an earthly lord or king. He's not persuaded or pressured by God. He's not controlled by the Assyrians or the Babylonians or controlled by the Israelites.

[12:19] Adonai has got this under control. And this is not about political dominion. He doesn't need that. That's beneath him. That's what so many rulers today want. They want power and authority. But God doesn't need that because he has it. Without even trying, he has it. It's not about rising to greatness. At the expense of others. It's about God's holiness. And the mission of God to bring healing and light to all nations. And this is the heart of the kingdom of God. Every nation will be judged by God on one standard. Did your system seek justice by rescuing the oppressed? Or defending the orphan? And pleading for the widow? Or did your system seek justice by rescuing the oppressed? Or by making the rich richer and the powerful more powerful while hurting those who were already hurting? And this is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew when he tells the parable of the king separating the sheep from the goats. The standard was, what have you done for the least of these? That is so different from any earthly kingdom.

[13:35] God is sovereign over all nations and all worldly systems. He will call the kingdoms of this world to judgment. But God is also sovereign over us as individuals. He sees our hearts. So just like he'll call the systems to justice and judgment, he'll call us to justice and judgment. We see how Adonai is so lovingly devoted to upholding his side of the covenant. His kingdom is about shalom. Shalom is the peace that is so encompassing that every single part of creation is in a state of absolute wellness and wholeness with God and with others and with themselves.

[14:23] God as Adonai, or the sovereign king over his heavenly kingdom, is wholly committed to upholding his end of this covenant relationship. And when we see that devotion, we see that God is so lovingly devoted to upholding his side of the covenant.

[14:42] And he is so lovingly devoted to upholding his side of the covenant relationship. we failed. He certainly didn't feel as though he was fit to be in the presence of God and certainly not this most holy all-sovereign king and so he cried out it's over I'm doomed yet I have seen the king the lord of heaven's armies he's terrified he's lamenting his unclean state he feels lowly and dirty Adonai who controls the seraphim could have the seraphim just strike him down and he'd be well within his right to do that just be done with him and Isaiah seems to almost expect something along those lines but instead they take pity on him they cleanse him there's space for reconciliation between man and God because of the covenant that God lovingly made with his people and upholds his end of again he's unlike any earthly king an earthly king would say you didn't uphold my covenant I will have you punished but that's not what God does and so to look upon his subjects and declare them reconciled in their unworthy state that is the character of God and then we move on to the reconciliation of the king and the king would say I would like to see you in the kingdom of God of the chapter. God was calling Isaiah to be his representative to the people. He

[16:37] wanted somebody to go out and proclaim to the world that God is Adonai, the sovereign ruler of all. 6.8 says, Then I heard the Lord asking, Whom shall I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us? And it's pretty clear who God wanted to send. Isaiah is the one who's receiving this revelation, but just as it was at Mount Sinai, Adonai does not force our hand, but instead invites us to respond. Isaiah accepts this commission and he says, Here I am, send me. And that's our role too. That wasn't just Isaiah's role, that's the role that everyone is called to. Having seen the majesty of the King of Kings and having seen this glorious kingdom, if even just a glimpse of it, that God offers to all people and all creation, having been cleansed and therefore invited into that kingdom, now we have the chance to respond. Will you go? It truly sounds incredible, right? What could possibly go wrong when we're representing this sovereign God. He's got the power to rule over all. He can just use his sovereign will and have everyone obey. But the entirety of scripture, especially when we get to the story of the cross, shows us that this is not how God exercises his sovereign authority. God gives people autonomy. He calls people to live under his authority, but oftentimes they

[18:26] just simply don't, and he gives them that ability. He doesn't force our will. A number of us right now are going through the Bible recap, and we only just we just finished Joshua yesterday, and already the cycles of disobedience that the Israelites have displayed have just been unbearable. And so we're going to go through the Bible recap, and we're going to go through the utterly exhausting. And we're just getting into Judges, and I know that that one's going to be a rough one with the cycles of disobedience. But they're exhausting to me, and I can only imagine how much they frustrate God. But yet that's part of the story. We need to see that. Why did he call Abraham? Because the nations had gone their own way. Why did the first generation of God's nation die in the wilderness? Because they would not trust him to lead them to the promised land. Why did foreigners overrun the land in the time of the Judges? Because they forsook the Lord and the God of their ancestors who brought them out of Egypt. So God doesn't force his will on the people. It's the reason he has such a frustrating time with this earthly realm. God straight up told Isaiah that Isaiah would face those extreme difficulties.

[19:49] Verses 9 through 10, or verses 8 through 10 say, here I am, send me. And he said, yes, go and say to the people, listen carefully, but do not shut their eyes. That way, sorry, listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing. Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts. And turn to me for healing. He knew it was going to be frustrating. And he called Isaiah into that frustrating process. I can only imagine the emotional roller coaster Isaiah is going on in this chapter. He sees the holy God. He's fearing for his life because of his sin. He's cleansed and he's feeling so uplifted and amazed. And now he's called to a task by the one true God, but that's not going to happen. He's going to be a man of God. He's going to be a man of God. That task, even God is saying, is going to be very nearly impossible.

[20:53] Adonai's people pretend to listen, but their body language says otherwise. God's experience with his nation is described in Hosea 11 too. The more they were called, the more they went away from me. The more Isaiah speaks, the more the people will close their hearts to him and to God.

[21:17] The more Isaiah speaks, the more the people will close their ears to the message, close their eyes so that they cannot see all that the Lord has done and that he seeks to draw them back under his governance and heal them.

[21:29] It would remain that way, not just until the time of Christ, but well after. That's why the, that's why Jesus spoke about the kingdom in parables. It gave the people a certain amount of control over their decisions. They didn't want to be told what decisions to make, but if they heard a story about the kingdom, what the kingdom was like, they could come to conclusions for themselves. Isaiah is given hope though. There will be a king from the line of David, the stump from the line of Jesse. That is Jesus. He will rise up and redeem all those who follow him to the ultimate sovereign God, and one day God's kingdom will reign. So there's hope in all of that. And so that emotional roller coaster he's on ends with hope from the sovereign God, the one who's able to give us hope, the only one who's able to give us hope, ends with that line of hope. So we're gonna wrap up and I think you guys think that I got through a sermon without making you divide into groups, which is funny, because we're going to use the last three minutes and you can decide whether to divide into groups or whether just do this solo on your own, you'll just review your thoughts on this passage. Imagine you're in Isaiah's shoes and really put yourself into Isaiah 6, and you're receiving

[23:04] this vision from Adonai. Which part of this chapter catches you in this moment that you are in personally right now? Are you currently taken by the image of his kingship? Are you standing in need of cleansing? Or are you the one proclaiming, here I am, send me? Or maybe you're already in the thick of proclaiming his word, proclaiming the kingdom, in which case are you feeling the difficulties that Isaiah was feeling? Or are you feeling that seed of hope? So I want you to either reflect on this in quiet for three minutes or get into group with neighbors for three minutes and discuss where your thought process is in this particular chapter. I'm going to set the timer.

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[25:47] Thank you. All right, that's time. I'm glad some of you were in groups. I was worried that everyone would just sit very, very quietly for three minutes. . Um. Let's go ahead and go to God in prayer. God, thank you that your kingdom is beyond our earthly comprehension. That when the rulers of this world stumble, that when the systems of this world are painful and unjust, you are a God greater than all. And nothing is out of your hands.

[27:38] God, we pray that you would. . . Praise us up to be workers in your kingdom. That you would cleanse us, that you would set us aside, and that when you call, we would each respond, here I am, send me. These things we pray in Jesus' name.