February 5, 2003
Reading:
Isaiah 6: 1-8
“I saw the LORD
sitting on a throne” (1)
As a child my parents gave me a book titled
“Aesop’s Fables,” and I never tired of listening to my mother as she read the
stories to me. The stories had titles such as “The dog and the bone,” and “The
King and the Pauper.” The Bible has its own wonderful stories such as “The Boy
and the Giant,” “Three men in a furnace,” and “The Man who walked on water.” If
I were to give our reading a title, it could be, “The Throne and the Altar.” As
with Aesop’s Fables, there is always an underlying truth and lesson to be
learned in Bible stories. Of course, the spiritual truths contained in Isaiah
6, are of much greater importance and have eternal ramifications.
With the modern day emphasis on evangelism and
gospel outreach, a phrase has become popular – the “altar call.” I have heard
the value of a church judged by whether or not the preacher gives an “altar
call” at the conclusion of his sermons. The altar has become the focal point in
the message of salvation. People are invited to leave their seats and come to
the front of the church as an indication they wish to receive Jesus Christ as
their Savior. Many churches no longer have a physical altar, so the act of
“coming forward” is given the same recognition. While there is nothing wrong
with the “altar call,” this emphasis has hidden the necessity of the altar in
the life of the Believer.
One of the important lessons to learn from
today’s passage is the order in which the prophet Isaiah is introduced to the
two objects of the throne and the altar. He first saw the Lord sitting on His
throne and heard the glorious sound of angels worshipping their Creator. Isaiah
was not given a front row seat so he could sit back and simply enjoy the experience.
The glory of the Lord had an effect on him – it caused him to see his own uncleanness
and unworthiness. Other passages tell us that God is surrounded by light and
fire that is brighter than the sun (Ezek 1:26-28; 10:4; Matt 17:2; Acts 26:13,
etc). Isaiah’s vision of the throne made him aware of his need for the altar.
“Woe is me, for I am undone” (5). The
brightness and glory of the throne revealed to Isaiah his true condition. The
truth to be learned here is that the more we stand before God’s throne the more
aware we become of sin in our lives. As Christians, do we hate sin and all
appearances of evil the way we should? Is sin really abhorrent to us? Do we
recognize that unconfessed sin keeps us from enjoying the fullness of life that
is available to us in Christ? Unless we continually “come boldly to the throne
of grace” (Heb
“Let us therefore come boldly to
the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of
need” Heb 4:16. The throne of God exposed the sin of the prophet, but his
answer came from the altar (6). There are those who profess to be Christians
who literally bang their heads on the altar paying penance for their sins. They
are at the right place, but they find no help. The throne must come first, for
it is there we see Jesus, and He is the perfect Standard by which we must be
measured. When we see Him we see our imperfection. To seek help at the altar
before seeing Him on the throne will lead to nothing but frustration and
defeat. May our desire be to “see Jesus,” for it is only as we see Him that we
will see the depths of our own unworthiness.