I’m reading the book of Isaiah this summer and noticed something particularly interesting today. In Chapter 5, Isaiah denounces the sins of Judah, declaring several “woes” upon the wicked. (Emphasis mine.)
Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of beer, who linger into the evening inflamed by wine . . . They do not perceive the LORD’s actions, and they do not see the work of his hands. (vs. 11-12)
Woe to those who drag wickedness with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes . . . (18)
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil . . . (20)
Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight. (21)
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are fearless at mixing beer, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice. (22-23)
But then, in Chapter 6, upon seeing the holiness and power of God, Isaiah declares, “ Woe is me . . .” (v. 5a)
Throughout this ancient book, “woe” expresses grief, pain, and sorrow and is used to announce coming judgment. Even though he is a prophet of God, Isaiah realizes his own condition. He is no better off than the people he just rebuked: “. . . I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips . . .” (v. 5b)
However, Isaiah displays something that Jesus praises in the Sermon on the Mount. He is “poor in spirit.” (Matthew 5:3) In realizing that he has nothing to offer—no self-righteousness, no talent, no wisdom, nothing at all—compared to the magnificence of the Lord of Hosts, Isaiah is in the perfect posture for receiving what God has to offer him. He is empty-handed, at the mercy of the King.
Do I have the same attitude as Isaiah? Do I have an accurate view of God’s holiness and of my own brokenness?
The Lord then provides the solution for Isaiah’s condition. He touches Isaiah’s lips with a coal and declares, “your wickedness is removed, and your sin is atoned for.” (v. 8) Isaiah doesn't earn or deserve this. God initiates and accomplishes it all. This is a beautiful picture of grace.
Right after this apex, the Lord asks “Who should I send? Who will go for Us?” And Isaiah’s immediate response to his redemption is to say, “Here I am. Send me.” (v. 8)
What a roller coaster ride. To go from “Woe is me” to “Send me” in three verses is quite a journey.
Take a few moments right now and ask yourself these questions:
What is my response to the gospel? To the grace that leads to redemption? Am I willing to “Go” where God wants me to go?
*This blog post originally appeared at gcx.org/downeydispatch/ . Used with permission.
* Photo courtesy of Robert Bruce Murray III (Flickr Creative Commons).
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