The Voice of Isaiah
It all began in the year that King Uzziah died. ‘I was a young then, but now I am old and nearing the end of my life. However, before I ‘go to glory’ and join my God, I wanted to share the pathway of my life and the pictures God gave me, so that others might draw strength and trust from my story.
It started with a dream — a vision, really, but I wasn’t hallucinating. I saw myself standing in the courts of God, in the throne room of the
Almighty. Suddenly, I was not alone. I was surrounded by creatures, the like of which I had never seen before, or since. Each one had six wings and they flew all around me.
I covered my eyes because I felt so vulnerable. I was afraid that I’d die if I saw God. I knew I was not worthy to be the company of such angelic beings, yet there I was. Then one of the creatures touched my lips with a burning coal and I heard the voice of God speak to me. “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”
I was overrun by emotion, swept up in the very moment. So before I even really knew what I was doing, I was putting up my hand. I hadn’t thought it through, hadn’t undertaken a risk assessment. I hadn’t even consulted my loved ones.
“l‘ll go,” I said. “Send me!”
And send me he did. He sent me to “an unclean people” with “unclear lips”. He sent me to tell them to repent and turn back to him. There was no going back — no pretending it had all been just a dream. This was my new reality: I was a prophet of God.
Years passed, and over time God’s message changed: destruction was in the past, repentance was the order of the day, and hope was at hand — the hope of a child to be born, a son to be given who would be called “wonderful, counsellor, mighty God, everlasting father and prince of peace”. He would come from the line and the throne of David, and he would establish a kingdom built on justice and peace. A people who were
‘walking in darkness’ would see the light dawn.
However, the child that was born would not remain a child, of course. He would grow and become a man - a man who would be a servant even to servants and who would lay down his life for his friends. He would redefine all things. He would be like a shepherd for scattered sheep. He would also be treated badly — his beard would be pulled, he would be mocked and he would be whipped on the back by his aggressors. Ultimately, he would take upon his shoulders the sins of the world. He would suffer and die alone and in agony.
Nevertheless, this would not be the end. Hope would come again. He would rise up, like an eagle taking flight. He would never grow tired or weak again. The child of hope would come to stay forever. He would make his home among us. He would come and renew his people, and everything would change.
Prayer
Lord of the manger and of the cross,
thank you that you are with me
as I prepare to greet you again this year.
Help me to remember that even when you were a baby,9
the cross that lay ahead was always the purpose of your life.
Help me to work with those around me to share your story,
not just one of a baby born in a stable,
but of a man who died for our salvation.
Amen.
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