WHOM SHALL I SEND?
Key verse: 8
NIV
Isaiah’s Commission
6 In the year that King Uzziah(A) died,(B) I saw the Lord,(C) high and exalted,(D) seated on a throne;(E) and the train of his robe(F) filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim,(G) each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,(H) and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.(M)
5 “Woe(N) to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!(O) For I am a man of unclean lips,(P) and I live among a people of unclean lips,(Q) and my eyes have seen(R) the King,(S) the Lord Almighty.”(T)
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal(U) in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;(V) your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.(W)”
8 Then I heard the voice(X) of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?(Y) And who will go for us?(Z)”
And I said, “Here am I.(AA) Send me!”
9 He said, “Go(AB) and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’(AC)
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;(AD)
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.[a](AE)
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,(AF)
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”(AG)
11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”(AH)
And he answered:
“Until the cities lie ruined(AI)
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted(AJ)
and the fields ruined and ravaged,(AK)
12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away(AL)
and the land is utterly forsaken.(AM)
13 And though a tenth remains(AN) in the land,
it will again be laid waste.(AO)
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps(AP) when they are cut down,
so the holy(AQ) seed will be the stump in the land.”(AR)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint ‘You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / 10 This people’s heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes
Cross references
- Isaiah 6:1 : S 2Ch 26:22, 23
- Isaiah 6:1 : S 2Ki 15:7
- Isaiah 6:1 : S Ex 24:10; S Nu 12:8; Jn 12:41
- Isaiah 6:1 : Isa 52:13; 53:12
- Isaiah 6:1 : S 1Ki 22:19; S Ps 9:4; S 123:1; S Rev 4:2
- Isaiah 6:1 : Rev 1:13
- Isaiah 6:2 : Eze 1:5; 10:15; Rev 4:8
- Isaiah 6:2 : Eze 1:11
- Isaiah 6:3 : S Ex 15:11
- Isaiah 6:3 : Ps 89:8
- Isaiah 6:3 : Isa 11:9; 54:5; Mal 1:11
- Isaiah 6:3 : S Ex 16:7; Nu 14:21; Ps 72:19; Rev 4:8
- Isaiah 6:4 : S Ex 19:18; S 40:34; Eze 43:5; 44:4; Rev 15:8
- Isaiah 6:5 : S Isa 5:8
- Isaiah 6:5 : S Nu 17:12; S Dt 5:26
- Isaiah 6:5 : Ex 6:12; Lk 5:8
- Isaiah 6:5 : Isa 59:3; Jer 9:3-8
- Isaiah 6:5 : S Ex 24:10
- Isaiah 6:5 : Ps 45:3; Isa 24:23; 32:1; 33:17; Jer 51:57
- Isaiah 6:5 : S Job 42:5
- Isaiah 6:6 : S Lev 10:1; Eze 10:2
- Isaiah 6:7 : Jer 1:9; Da 10:16
- Isaiah 6:7 : S Lev 26:41; Isa 45:25; Da 12:3; 1Jn 1:7
- Isaiah 6:8 : S Job 40:9; Ac 9:4
- Isaiah 6:8 : Jer 26:12, 15
- Isaiah 6:8 : S Ge 1:26
- Isaiah 6:8 : S Ge 22:1; S Ex 3:4
- Isaiah 6:9 : Eze 3:11; Am 7:15; Mt 28:19
- Isaiah 6:9 : Jer 5:21; S Mt 13:15*; Lk 8:10*
- Isaiah 6:10 : S Ex 4:21; Dt 32:15; Ps 119:70
- Isaiah 6:10 : Isa 29:9; 42:18-20; 43:8; 44:18
- Isaiah 6:10 : S Dt 29:4; Eze 12:2; Mk 8:18
- Isaiah 6:10 : S Dt 32:39; Mt 13:13-15; Mk 4:12*; Jn 12:40*
- Isaiah 6:11 : Ps 79:5
- Isaiah 6:11 : S Lev 26:31; S Jer 4:13
- Isaiah 6:11 : S Lev 26:43; Isa 24:10
- Isaiah 6:11 : Ps 79:1; S 109:11; Jer 35:17
- Isaiah 6:12 : S Dt 28:64
- Isaiah 6:12 : S Isa 5:5, 9; 60:15; 62:4; Jer 4:29; 30:17
- Isaiah 6:13 : S Isa 1:9; 10:22
- Isaiah 6:13 : S Isa 5:6
- Isaiah 6:13 : S Job 14:8
- Isaiah 6:13 : S Lev 27:30; S Dt 14:2
- Isaiah 6:13 : S Job 14:7
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Isaiah's Vision of the Lord
6 In the year that (A)King Uzziah died I (B)saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had (C)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:
4 And (F)the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and (G)the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! (H)For I am lost; (I)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 (J)King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he (K)touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah's Commission from the Lord
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for (L)us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
(M)“‘Keep on hearing,[c] but do not understand;
keep on seeing,[d] but do not perceive.’
10 (N)Make the heart of this people (O)dull,[e]
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
(P)lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, (Q)“How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until (R)cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is a desolate waste,
12 and the Lord removes people far away,
and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 (S)And though a tenth remain in it,
it will be burned[f] again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
whose stump (T)remains
when it is felled.”
(U)The holy seed[g] is its stump.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 6:1 Or hem
- Isaiah 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth
- Isaiah 6:9 Or Hear indeed
- Isaiah 6:9 Or see indeed
- Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew fat
- Isaiah 6:13 Or purged
- Isaiah 6:13 Or offspring
Cross references
- Isaiah 6:1 : ch. 1:1; 2 Chr. 26:16-21
- Isaiah 6:1 : [John 12:41]
- Isaiah 6:2 : Rev. 4:8
- Isaiah 6:3 : [See ver. 2 above]; Rev. 4:8
- Isaiah 6:3 : Ps. 72:19
- Isaiah 6:4 : Amos 9:1
- Isaiah 6:4 : 1 Kgs. 8:10, 11; Rev. 15:8; [Ex. 19:18]
- Isaiah 6:5 : [Judg. 13:22]
- Isaiah 6:5 : [Luke 5:8]
- Isaiah 6:5 : ch. 33:17; Jer. 10:10; [1 Sam. 12:12]
- Isaiah 6:7 : Jer. 1:9; Dan. 10:16
- Isaiah 6:8 : See Gen. 1:26
- Isaiah 6:9 : Cited Matt. 13:14, 15; Acts 28:26, 27; [Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Rom. 11:8]
- Isaiah 6:10 : Cited John 12:40
- Isaiah 6:10 : Ps. 119:70
- Isaiah 6:10 : [Jer. 5:21]
- Isaiah 6:11 : Ps. 79:5; 89:46
- Isaiah 6:11 : [ch. 1:7; 27:10]
- Isaiah 6:13 : [ch. 10:22]
- Isaiah 6:13 : [Job 14:7]
- Isaiah 6:13 : Ezra 9:2
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. A vision of the Holy, Almighty God (1-7)
During King Uzziah's 52-year reign there had been peace and prosperity. People became selfish and corrupt. In the year of Uzziah's death, Isaiah saw a vision of the Holy God whose glory fills the whole earth. Isaiah repented, for he had not used his mouth to praise God--he had only complained and spoken words of despair. He cried out, 'Woe to me.' God sent a seraph to touch his mouth with a burning coal and take away his sin.
2. Here am I. Send me! (8-13)
God wanted to send Isaiah to his people with a message of repentance. Isaiah accepted God's cleansing and answered God's call. But the people were hardened by sin and pleasure-seeking; God knew that they would close their ears to his message. How long must God's servant preach to them? He must declare God's word to the end. Then, God's precious remnant would be saved-the holy seed in the stump. God works through a remnant.
Prayer: Lord, I and my people have unclean lips; cleanse me and use me.
One Word: Here am I. Send me!