We are in a season of church called Glimpses of Glory and Grace.
We're in the book of Isaiah.
700 years before the life of Jesus, a man called Isaiah spoke God's words to the kings of Jerusalem.
They were words of judgment, predicting the nation's rebellion against God.
They were also words of hope in a redeemer who God would raise up to pay for the sin of God's people and turn away God's wrath.
Isaiah's words in the impact that he made outlived the kings that he served and even Isaiah himself.
Isaiah's words spoke directly into the spiritual needs of God's people and they speak to our needs too.
These chapters are glimpses of God as glorious and gracious.
All people need something more glorious than what they can find in this world.
And all people need grace if God is who he says he is.
He's so wonderful and amazing and perfect and powerful and mighty and majestic that we're going to need his help.
If we, the broken people of this broken world, are going to come to him.
You and I need Isaiah, this book, in our life.
Theologian Tim Chester says that Isaiah is like a bridge.
A bridge between our side of history and the cross of Jesus Christ, reaching back to the origins of a nation called Israel, who God chose to be his people.
Isaiah is a bridge, a connection for those who find forgiveness in freedom in the Messiah in 2023.
But also for those who knew the Messiah only as a promise.
A gracious promise that one day he would save the then divided nation of Israel and Judah through his coming Messiah King.
Every year we quote Isaiah at Easter time and at Christmas.
It's because of these many glimpses that Isaiah gives us of who this Messiah is going to be.
What his nature is going to be.
What he's going to do.
What his kingdom is going to look like.
Even how he's going to be born.
How he's going to die.
Isaiah has unrivaled depth and clarity.
It's the coolest pair of sunnies in the Old Testament.
That we get to look through and see who the Messiah is going to be.
So in this series you're going to see that the God of the Old Testament that we hear about in Isaiah is the same God that in history is recorded in the New Testament.
He is most holy.
He brings justice and fair judgment for sin.
He is by nature merciful, loving and compassionate.
Providing hope to all nations.
I honestly can't wait to share more of Isaiah.
The bridge of Isaiah with you.
As we see glimpses of this glorious and gracious God.
So we're going to start in chapters 1 to 5.
And then as we go through today we're going to get to Isaiah 6.
And we're going to spend most of our time there in Isaiah 6 as Anne has read out.
Thank you Anne.
So let's open up our Bible.
Make sure we've got Isaiah open.
Turn to chapter 1.
And I'm going to, no, I'm not going to read the whole thing.
We're going to start our journey and step across this bridge.
Isaiah is a bit like watching an opera.
Or a symphony.
Or a musical.
Like these, Isaiah begins with an overture.
An overture is a musical preview.
It contains all, many of the melodies that are to come in the performance.
The emotional movements of the story to come.
We might not know why the tune sounds like that yet.
But the overture gives us that feeling and the gravity of what's going to come next.
Just without all the details.
It opens our ears and focuses our minds.
So let's listen to three melodies that we're going to hear through Isaiah.
In Isaiah's prophetic overture.
The first melody is this intimidating and fearsome, unstoppable melody of judgment and exile.
God himself says,
I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.
God pronounces judgment after judgment.
Woes on his people.
He foreshadows a time of loss and pain in chapters 1 to 5.
Like it's already happening to Israel.
He even calls Israel by two awful names.
Sodom and Gomorrah.
Two cities that were judged for their exceptional wickedness.
As he was to those two cities.
God is weary of Israel's wickedness and empty prayers.
This melody is bleak.
And Isaiah uses imagery to help us understand how bleak it is.
These are the different instruments that are playing this melody.
Here are a few.
Their fall be like the shattering of a mighty falling tree.
Like seductive women who will have their beauty taken away.
Like staggering drunks who are deceived and pushed by evil people into pits.
Like fools led by children.
They're going to wildly go astray.
Isaiah even sings.
Told you it was a musical.
He sings this mournful love song.
I will sing for the one I love about a song about his vineyard.
My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel.
And the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in.
He looked for justice but saw bloodshed.
For righteousness but heard cries of distress.
Can you hear the melody?
Can you hear the main theme of this overture?
It's terrifying.
But interwoven with woe after woe, horror after horror,
are these two sweet melodies.
And as we go through Isaiah, as you read through Isaiah yourself,
and as we explore it as a church,
I want to encourage you to be looking for these
and listening for these two melodies in the symphony of Isaiah.
And the first is the soft call of grace.
In chapter one, we can see that there is forgiveness.
There is a chance for Israel and Judah,
God's people, to turn things around.
God says to them,
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be white as snow.
Though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
And how will God do this?
How could God be leading Israel to ruin
and also make them pure before him?
Well, we get a glimpse of a name in this tune.
In chapter four, verse two,
the name of this redeemer,
this one who will save,
is called the branch of the Lord,
one who will bring shelter and cleansing
to the people of this broken,
wayward vineyard.
And then melody number two,
after the chords crash with a crescendo
and there's the empty space after in this overture.
There's these ever so quiet promises
of eternal hope.
Isaiah 1.26 says that there will be a day
where Jerusalem,
the capital of Israel,
will be restored forever.
And later,
in chapter two,
that every nation will gather
to live for God there
in joy.
In the last days,
the mountain of the Lord's temple
will be established
as the highest of the mountains.
It will be exalted above the hills
and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come to it and say,
come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths.
A day of restoration is coming.
One to five of Isaiah,
the overture,
promises that Isaiah as a whole
is going to sound like overwhelming judgment,
especially for our ears
thousands of years later.
But keep listening to those recurring melodies
of the grace of God
and his promise of forgiveness
and eternal hope.
God will bring justice and redemption
for his multi-ethnic people
and he will declare them
holy.
Holy.
But now the movement of the symphony
unfolds in chapter six.
The orchestra crescendos into something new
and the curtains part
and the cast come out
to start the first number
and so we see
what will happen next.
So I'm going to pray
before we explore further
in Isaiah chapter six.
Let's pray.
God,
you have all authority.
You're gracious
and you bring hope.
So I ask that you would graciously change us
through the words of this old book.
Speak to us as if promised by your Holy Spirit
so that we see you for who you've always been,
who you were to Israel,
who you were to Isaiah
and who you will always be
to us.
Amen.
When I first moved to Sydney,
it was mid-2000s
and everyone I met
when they were talking,
when I was getting to know them,
they would talk
about
a season of life
that came before
when I wasn't in Sydney
and the season of life now
that I kind of knew
and understood.
Chatswood looked very different.
The train station
was a totally different shape.
Right now,
I'd need a map
of how it used to be
to try and remember it.
Everything is so different
just over there.
Everyone I met
when I came to Sydney,
when I was getting to know them,
marked time
by talking about
a season of life before,
something happened
and life now.
And that event
happened in 2001
because people would say
before September 11
or after September 11.
Terrorist attacks in the USA
changed the world
on September 11.
If you're new to Chatswood,
you might be hearing
the same thing.
If you're new to Sydney,
you might hear
people talk
about a before COVID
and an after COVID.
The event that's brought
incredible insecurity
and anxiety.
After COVID,
identities were
changed,
redefined.
After COVID,
everything is different
and we will never
be the same,
even if we might want
everything to be
the same again.
In Isaiah's time,
the southern kingdom
of Israel
had been reigned
over
by King Uzziah
for 50 years.
Judah had prospered.
The people
had followed God.
They'd even have peace
from war.
But a northern kingdom
called Assyria
rose up in great
military power
and began to
annihilate
some of the surrounding
nations
of Judah.
But as long as
King Uzziah
was still alive,
Judah had hope
that they would be saved.
But as Judah
started to
look elsewhere
other than God
for other powerful
nations to trust,
hope started
to slide away
and then it plummeted
because Isaiah
marks his time
in chapter 6
with this terrible event.
In the year
King Uzziah
died.
Here's why you need
to pay attention
to Isaiah 6.
In the year
King Uzziah
died,
when fear
was raining
and everyone
began to realise
that they might
not have any
hope for their
future,
God miraculously
showed up.
He showed
Isaiah
someone
that would
help him
survive
and even
thrive.
And our time
is not Isaiah's,
but
after COVID,
we too
desperately
need to see
what Isaiah
saw.
So what did
Isaiah see?
Isaiah says
in verse 1,
I saw
the Lord.
Now the word
here is not
the common
Old Testament
Lord
in capital
letters,
which is
in Hebrew
that's Yahweh,
Israel's
special
name
for God.
Rather,
Israel is
literally saying,
in the year
King Uzziah
died,
I saw
the King,
the Lord.
The scene
is like
heaven
smashed
down into
the temple
as Isaiah
walked in
one day.
We have a
couple of
visitors who
I've met
this morning.
Imagine you
show up to
church,
you take a
step inside
and you
see
this.
Isaiah
sees the
Lord,
the King,
on a throne,
on a high
platform,
and His
robe
filled
the entire
floor.
The temple
was about
the size
of
the
floor
space,
the outer
grassy knoll
area of
Chatswood
Concourse.
Or maybe
picture a
football field,
a soccer
field,
football,
soccer.
But a
soccer field,
that's
the size
of the
space
and God's
majestic
robe,
symbol of
His
power and
impressiveness,
fills that
old space.
Not only is it
totally impractical,
but it's just
incredible.
God,
the Lord,
the King,
is beyond
impressive.
And Isaiah
knew who He
was immediately.
King.
And then Isaiah
sees who
attends this
King,
the
Seraphim.
Two beings
stand huge
above the
King.
They have
six wings,
covering
themselves
with four
and flying
with two,
uniquely
created for
this throne
room worship.
Have a
look
in your
Bible
at how
they're
described.
Have a look
right now.
can you
picture that?
Can you
imagine
what Isaiah
is describing
in only a
few words?
I googled
it this
week.
I'm more
confused than
ever before
about how
these things
look.
And I can
tell you
that no
artificial
intelligence
computer is
going to be
able to
give me
the picture
that's any
more impressive,
not even
getting close
to the
amazing
sight that
this would
have been
for Isaiah.
But these
two Seraphim,
they call
to one
another.
Their job
is to speak
about what
is true.
They don't
qualify anything,
there's no
nuance.
They're like
a toddler
who when
a plane
flies overhead
just yells
at the top
of their
voice,
no matter
what's
happening,
no matter
what they
should be
doing,
no matter
if it's
quiet,
they just
go,
plane!
Because
there's a
plane.
Or if
they're
standing in
the kitchen
and you're
trying to
get them
to listen
and they
point to
the oven
and they
just yell
hot!
Just because
that's
true.
These
creatures
simply
exist
to declare
the obvious,
the incredible
majesty of
the king
that they
serve.
Here's what
they say,
verse 3,
holy,
holy is
the Lord
of hosts.
The whole
earth is
full of
his glory.
Their
foundation
shaking
voices
declare
who God
is.
He's
holy,
but he's
not just
holy.
In
Hebrew
conversation,
repeating
a word
twice
emphasizes
its quality.
In
2 Kings
25,
there are
bowls
described,
and they're
not just
gold bowls,
but they're
gold gold.
And in
English,
that would
be purest
gold,
or finest
gold.
Jesus,
in the
Gospels,
is said to
have often
begun his
preaching with
truly,
which means
this is
the truest
truth.
The
equivalent
would be
if a
married couple
are getting
married over
here,
and the
ceremony's
about to
start,
and the
brides
come down
the aisle,
and the
blubbering
mess of
the groom
is standing
there,
and he
takes her
hand and
says,
you are
beautiful,
beautiful.
Or,
like my
daughter said
to me a
couple of
weeks ago,
this is not
quite the
same,
but it's
nearly there,
in a world
of fake
news,
what you
have to
do now
is to
say,
this is
a true
fact.
A fact
is a
fact,
but we
don't say
fact,
we now
say true
fact,
or this
is news,
news.
But the
Israelites
would never
repeat a
word three
times,
wouldn't make
sense,
unless
something is
so impressive,
it doesn't
happen anywhere
else in the
Bible,
unless they're
talking about
God's
holiness.
He's not
just holy,
he's not
just holiest,
but holy,
holy,
holy.
Holiness is
the defining
attribute of
the king.
This holiness
is not just
a goodness
or a
righteousness,
though it
is,
but it also
describes this
king's
transcendence,
his all-ruling
authority,
his complete
and incomparable
majesty.
He's totally
set apart from
anything else,
in perfection,
in power,
and in wisdom.
Nothing is
holy compared
to him.
He's the
three times
holy king.
He's so much
more than
our languages
can capture.
But this is
already a big
problem for
Isaiah.
Isaiah's
fallen body
is buckling.
His senses
are searing
with God's
holiness.
The sound
of the voices,
the smell
of the smoke,
the ground
quaking under
his feet,
the bending
beams of
the walls.
And Isaiah's
cry in response
to the holiest
holiness of
God,
the king,
is,
woe to
me,
I am
ruined.
And there's
that word
again.
our melodies
from our
overture
prepared us.
But now
that melody
is ringing
out in a
scene that's
not about
the whole
nation of
Israel,
it's just
about one
man.
It's just
about Isaiah.
He realises
that he is
part of
Israel's
deserving
of ruin.
God has
promised
that what is
happening for
Israel,
because they
do not
turn to
him,
and will
not turn
to him,
he's a
part of
that
uncleanness
that leads
to that
horrible,
horrible fate
that is
coming.
And he
literally says
in Hebrew,
I am
disintegrating.
All that is
me is
falling apart.
His very
identity,
his strength
and reputation,
everything is
undone
before this
holy God.
And when he
sees God's
holiness,
he immediately
discovers how
unsafe he is
before the
king.
the smoke
and the
noise and
the earthquake,
they're not
just epic.
It's not
just an
impressive
smoke and
light show
at the
beginning of
this
production.
It's a
prequel to
divine
wrath.
Isaiah
was a
preacher,
he's a
prophet,
he spoke
to kings,
he was
known.
His lips
were laced
with the
very words
of God,
but even
Isaiah,
strength and
good life
couldn't stand
up to a
comparison
of the
creator
and judge.
This is
not the
vision Isaiah
might have
wanted in
the year
Uzziah died,
but it's
what he
needed.
He needed
to see
that Israel,
that Judah,
needed a
miracle of
grace from
the Lord,
the king.
If we
were to
see the
holiness of
God,
the true
holiness of
God in
that moment,
we would
react just
like Isaiah.
Know in a
moment that
our future is
totally hopeless.
We haven't
measured up to
God's holiness.
holiness.
In fact,
we only have
our sin
revealed in
his holy
light.
We too
are completely
exposed before
the king,
and we too
need that same
miracle of
grace.
So what
happens next?
Don't worry,
there's no cliffhanger,
but I am going to
start by pointing out
what does not
happen next.
I don't know
whether it's
Hollywood or
just the stories
that we like or
the stories we
read or the
ways we hope
things will end,
but what does
not happen is
Isaiah's not
secretly revealed as
good enough to
stand before God.
There's no secret
magic words that
he went found on
a scroll,
on a mountain,
in a cave,
to be able to
stand before God,
and God doesn't
see some kind
of mysterious
good in him,
like in some
Hollywood script,
because God's
holy,
there's no
optimistic way
out.
Isaiah's sin,
everyone's sin,
must be paid
for.
God being
completely
perfect and
righteous,
means that
wrath is the
only option,
and Isaiah
should die
right there.
But he
doesn't.
Have a look
with me at
verse 6.
Then one of
the seraphim
flew to me
with a live
coal in his
hand,
which he had
taken with
tongs from
the altar,
and with it
he touched
my mouth
and said,
see this
has touched
your lips,
your guilt
is taken
away,
and your
sin
atoned
for.
In Hebrew,
atoned for
literally means
here,
paid for.
God
has paid
for Isaiah's
sins
in this
moment.
God's
wrath.
How?
If this
is not
done
fairly,
then God
is not
holy.
This is
really important.
How can
Isaiah's
sins be
paid for?
In the
Bible,
fire and
smoke and
flames are
all imagery
associated with
God's wrath.
a coal
is that
leftovers
after a
fire.
And this
coal is
the leftover
coal from
the fires
of wrath
that have
been spent
burning up
a sacrifice.
In the
temple,
the center
was the
altar,
where offerings
were brought
and burnt.
A sacrifice
died
in a
swap,
a swap
of judgment
because the
one who
offered up
that sacrifice
had their
death for
their sin
substituted,
swapped,
and paid
for by
that
sacrifice.
This
atonement
was at the
heart of
temple worship.
And for
the nation
of Israel,
it ritually
purified
someone.
It never
forgave them
and removed
their guilt
for good
though,
because more
sacrifices were
always needed
in season
or as sins
were committed.
But there's
no mention
here of
what died
on the
altar.
God
offered it.
Israel didn't
bring anything
for himself
to that
moment.
God
did.
A sacrifice
has been
burnt on
the altar
and the
fire of
wrath is
out.
And the
coals
that are
left
are used
to show
the power
of that
sacrifice.
The
leftover
coal
is this
singeing
symbol
on
Isaiah's
lips.
Isaiah's
sins are
atoned for
and paid
for by
whatever
or whoever
paid for
them
on the
altar.
God
is a
holy
king
and sin
has been
justly
removed
and he's
gracious
in this.
Isaiah
is changed
in that
moment
from
unholy
to
forgiven
and
holy.
God
provides
that
sacrifice
for
forgiveness
of
Isaiah's
sins
yet
Isaiah
did
nothing
here
but be
afraid.
He
sacrificed
nothing
and he
got this
purifying
forgiveness
and was
made
holy to
stand
before
a
holy
God
and this
is
great
news
for him
and it's
also great
news for
Israel
for all
who hear
it.
So God
asks
whom
shall I
send?
Who
will go
for us?
And Isaiah
is ready
and he
says
me.
His
identity
that had
disintegrated
before
God
has been
rebuilt
on this
new
solid rock
this
foundation
of grace
from
the
Lord
the
King
and Isaiah's
obedience
is
joyful
he's
willing
to tell
everyone
he meets
about what
this
King
is
like
but
will
God's
people
hear
how
will
God's
people
respond
have a
look at
verse 9
be
ever
hearing
but never
understanding
be
ever
seeing
but never
perceiving
make
the heart
of this
people
calloused
make
their ears
dull
and close
their eyes
otherwise
they may
see with
their eyes
and hear
what
they
is
and
understand
with
their
hearts
and turn
and be
healed
oh no
how could
this
be
the music's
changed
again
we're back
to that
horrifying
melody
from the
overture
verse 11
then I
said
for how
long
Lord
has he
answered
till the
cities
line
ruined
without
inhabitant
until the
houses are
left
deserted
and the
fields
ruined
and ravaged
until the
Lord has
sent everyone
far away
and the
land is
utterly
forsaken
no
Lord
stop
the song
I know
this melody
change
the channel
is there
no hope
at all
verse 13
second half
of verse 13
but as the
terebinth and
oak leave
stumps when
they're cut
down
so the
holy seed
will be
the stump
in the
land
at the
end of
that verse
all
three
of our
melodies
are playing
at once
it's a
song of
sorrow
and grace
and hope
of wrath
and justice
and love
all at once
there is
hope
from the
roots left
in the
ground
the holy
seed
is gonna
grow
and there's
that word
again
holy
only God
is holy
unless he
graciously
makes
someone
holy
by forgiving
their sin
so to do
this
God is
gonna plant
a holy
thing
in the
soils
of Israel
holy
seed
and that
is the
hope
Isaiah
has in
this
moment
even
while no
one's
gonna
listen
to him
all
is not
lost
and we
know
who the
holy
seed
is
it is
Jesus
in God's
son we
saw
this
holy
seed
die
as buried
in the
ground
so that it
could grow
life
the holy
seed
is
the
sacrifice
Isaiah's
mystery
on the
altar
is
solved
Jesus
was
sacrificed
for the
sin of
all who
would
believe
in him
not on
the temple
altar
but on
a timber
beam
on a
hill
where the
wrath of
God was
endured
and quenched
God's
holiness
held
true
and just
as was
done
on the
altar
of the
cross
see that's
how this
bridge
that Isaiah
is
that's how
it works
we see from
our time
looking back
what Isaiah
and what Israel
could not yet
we know
who that
sacrifice
on the
altar
that in
this image
who he
was
it was
Jesus
but unlike
Isaiah
we see
his
holy
life
recorded
in the
gospels
we see
our
unholy
ending
enacted
at the
cross
lived out
and died
for us
what a
saviour
in the
year
King
Isaiah
died
God
revealed
himself
as a
holy
and
gracious
king
after
COVID
in
2023
this
Easter
we
remembered
a man
who was
crucified
on a
hill
outside
Jerusalem
and
written
on his
cross
in a
sign
for all
to see
were the
words
this
is
Jesus
the
King
of the
Jews
the
King
was
crucified
the
King
on the
throne
stepped
down
and took
off
his robe
of glory
he made
himself
nothing
he was
born
as a
man
he lived
a holy
life
he was
crowned
not with a
crown
of gold
but of
thorns
he didn't
he didn't wear
a robe
he was
stripped
naked
and he
wore
our
wrath
and died
in shame
that
is how
far
this
holy
king
will go
to make
unholy
people
holy
the
king
sacrifices
himself
and that's
not even
the end
because he
is not
dead
he is
risen
and he
reigns
in glory
the
king
is
gracious
so much
so that
he made
an offering
for Isaiah's
sin
by offering
himself
as the
sacrifice
and we
now know
him as
the king
Jesus
of Nazareth
king
of the
Jews
once
you
see
Jesus
you'll
only want
to keep
seeing
this king
so I
want to
encourage you
as we
step through
this season
in Isaiah
challenge
yourself
to read
this book
to listen
to this
symphony
as you
read
a chapter
a day
four or
more times
a week
glimpse
God's
glory and
grace
here in
Isaiah
open up
the gospels
in these
school holidays
and see
the king
king
Jesus
over and
over
helping you
see that
he is
holy and
gracious
to you
and to
all people
in the
words of
a book
you have
the sight
that you
need to
see now
after
covid
after
whatever
the season
seeing the
king in
the word
is who
you need
and how
you grow
and thrive
wherever you
are in your
time right
now
and these
are the
words the
world need
to hear
for those
who follow
this king
if you
follow Jesus
will you
say with
Isaiah
here am
I
send me
Jesus
the king
just like
in Isaiah
says in
Matthew 28
all authority
in heaven
and on earth
has been
given to
me
therefore
go and
make
disciples
of all
nations
the holy
king has
placed
into our
holy made
hands
a holy
message of
repentance
and forgiveness
and grace
to all
peoples
of all
nations
so if
you know
Jesus
will you
fearlessly
trust
this holy
king
to share
the message
of his
grace
with someone
who does
not
know him
he does
not see
him
and maybe
is even
hostile
to him
and if
you don't
know
Jesus
yet
and if
you want
to receive
this gift
of grace
in Jesus
Christ
come to
the altar
come to
the cross
respond
even now
as we
sing
come speak
to me
come speak
to Carmen
or Rachel
and why
not even
start praying
right now
that God
would help
you see
what Isaiah
saw
and with
Isaiah
receive with
joy
the gift
of grace
to stand
forgiven
before your
king
before God
because of the
sacrifice
of Jesus
Christ
let's pray
God
we all
need to
see
that you
are the
king
we cannot
stand before
you
but because
of Jesus
we can
receive
forgiveness
he is
our
sacrifice
he pays
for sins
so we
can stand
in your
presence
we look
forward to
the day
when people
from all
nations
will join
with Isaiah
in worship
and we
claim
that
forgiveness
today
we commit
ourselves
to the
king
Jesus
and until
then and for
all eternity
we are your
people so
send us
to tell all
nations of
your holiness
and grace
amen