ISAIAH
Isaiah 6:8-10

quote:

"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!" 9 He said, "Go, and tell this people: "Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand." 10 Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."

"Whom shall I send?" This was a rhetorical question designed to provoke a response from Isaiah, who at one moment feared there was no hope for him; now is ready in faith to do whatever God asks of him, saying "Hineini!" – "Here am I. Send me!" The change from one moment to the other came the instant he was convicted of his sin and realized that God had taken his iniquity and pardoned his sin. It is only when we are convicted of our sin and see that Jesus, our Redeemer, has taken the guilt of our sin upon Himself that we will serve Him with joy and faithfully go wherever He leads.

Though Judah may hear Isaiah's words, they will fall on deaf ears, and though they may have eyes, they will be blind to Isaiah's warnings. The "Song of Moses" Israel was to have committed to memory and passed on to each generation (Deuteronomy 32) was meant to serve the same warning that Isaiah is commissioned to give and is now prophetically coming true. Isaiah's words should have been a very familiar wake-up call, yet they still refused to believe.

Deuteronomy 32:28-29
"For they are a nation lacking in counsel, And there is no understanding in them. 29 Would that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would discern their future!"

If there is to be understanding, there must be a change of heart. When Isaiah warns Judah, they cannot perceive their sinful condition and, consequently, they will not repent. God will continue to raise up ministers, even today, to call for faith in the One True and Living God and repentance of sin. He wants all to hear His Word and walk in His paths – to turn and be healed.