“I SAW THE LORD!”

 

Isaiah 6:1-5                            (ESV)

Isaiah’s Vision of the LORD

“[1] In the year that King Uzziah died “I SAW THE LORD” sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of HIS robe filled the temple. [2] Above HIM stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two HE covered HIS face, and with two HE covered HIS feet, and with two HE flew. [3] And one called to another and said: 

    “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts;

    the whole earth is full of HIS Glory!”

    [4] And the FOUNDATIONS of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [5] And I said: “WOE IS ME! FOR I AM LOST; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS!””

There are times in “this world” that I find myself wondering HOW EXACTLY I am in the position that I find myself?  Isaiah is in such a a position in the focal Scripture above.  He is described in the English Standard Version as LOST?  A translation that causes me to declare “that is me” is the King James Version where he is proclaimed to be UNDONE!  Precisely why is it that he finds himself LOST, or UNDONE?  Why is Isaiah seemingly almost tortured by his situation?  Isaiah 6:1 says in part “I SAW THE LORD” sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…”!  

When these untrained and uneducated EYES begins to ponder what is being said by Isaiah, I become emotional and almost in shame!  “I SAW THE LORD” sitting on a throne, high and lifted up cannot be fully grasped by our blind, untrained eyes of humanity.  Isaiah was at a point in his life where King Uzziah had just died.  Uzziah had become terribly proud. So proud that he burned incense to the LORD as though he were a priest.  He lost sight of his unholiness and began observing what he wanted to see from himself INSTEAD OF what GOD observed!

When Isaiah says “I SAW THE LORD”, he could only talk about THE LORD!  He was so overtaken by THE MAJESTY OF THE LORD that he said about himself “WOE IS ME! FOR I AM LOST”, or UNDONE!  For me, UNDONE reminds me of my grandmother’s kitchen.  When she was baking, it was normal to see her checking to see if her delicacy was finished.  It wasn’t uncommon for the masterpiece to require more time “in the oven”!  This required “grandma” to place her delicacy back in the fire to complete her work.  

When trials and tribulations come (and they are a certainty!), our focus MUST remain on “I SAW THE LORD” and NOT on the problem at hand!  Removing ourselves from “the oven” too soon will result in a product that is not worthy of THE ONE WHO is making us, for HIS GLORY!  SEEING THE LORD requires us to have our EYES “divinely” adjusted by the MASTER!  “WOE IS ME! FOR I AM LOST” is not a final destination, rather we must be placed back in the fire until we can say “I SAW THE LORD”!!!