THE MINISTRY OF ISAIAH
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE:
ISAIAH 6 : 1-8; 38: 4-5
Key Verse
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6: 8
INTRODUCTION
We sometimes think that God is not watching us and know everything we think about, and everything that we do. But the Bible tells us God knows everything and He has arranged the affairs of the earth and the thoughts and behaviour of people in order that His will and intentions will always come to pass. God calls some individuals to special ministries or tasks and they stand out as heroes of the faith.
One such person was Isaiah and he grew up in the court of several kings. His writings show he was well acquainted with the affairs of the nations of Israel and Judah, as well as what was happening in other countries. God appointed him to be a prophet and that meant he had a close relationship with God. God revealed all kinds of secrets to him and told him what would happen to his own nation and to the other nations around. So he was ideally suited to tell all the nations about the foolish actions and sins they were engaged in, to warn them of disaster that would come as punishment to them, and to show them how to begin to behave properly as God wished.
One day Isaiah had a vision of God in a heavenly council meeting surrounded by the hosts of angels. It was a glorious event with special angels called seraphim circling around the throne of God crying out “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord”. There was thundering and lightning and a display of the massive power and holiness of God and the holiness of all the angels. Isaiah cried out, Woe is me” and God sent one of the seraphim to take a piece of coal from the altar and touch hs lips so that his sin would be removed.
In this heavenly meeting decisions had to be made on how to deal with the terrible sinning and violence and evil doings on earth. Something drastic had to be done about those terrible and sinful affairs that were happening. But the problem was who would be chosen and sent to confront the evildoers in Israel, Judah, and the rest of the world.
The prophet Isaiah, when he looked at the beauty and holiness of heaven and compared it to the wicked things on earth, was so shocked that he felt he had to do something to help the earth and its people. He spoke up and told God he was prepared to go and witness about the truths of God to the people.
God told him it would be a difficult mission for the people were so rebellious they would not listen. When they heard the messages from God they would get worse and worse. But Isaiah took on the challenge for he knew God would be with him and give him the strength and courage he needed.
Later in his ministry God told Isaiah to tell king Hezekiah, a good king, that he should put his affairs in order for he would die very soon. Isaiah was brave and feared no one and so he did as God commanded him. But the king Hezekiah wept when he heard the news he would die and leave the nation in trouble from the invading Assyrians. He asked God not to allow him to die so quickly, and God heard his prayer. He sent Isaiah who was leaving the royal court premises to turn back and tell the king God had heard his prayer and would allow him to live 15 more years.
So we know that when we trust God and volunteer to do as God wished He would protect and allow His servants to do great and marvellous things and have a great influence over people. God hears prayer and loves and helps His people. Let us therefore love and obey god for He will always be with us to strengthen and guide us so that we will fulfill our tasks on earth in a beautiful way