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* Isaiah confessed his sin – “I am a man of unclean lips” (v. 5).

* Isaiah’s sin was forgiven by God – “Your sin is forgiven” (v. 7).

* Isaiah prayed, “Here am I. Send me” (v. 8).

* Isaiah was called to preach the word of God – “Go, and tell this people …” (v. 9).

Isaiah received forgiveness because he needed forgiveness. Forgiven by the Lord, Isaiah was being equipped for the work of bringing the Word of forgiveness to others. Isaiah’s testimony concerning the forgiveness of his own sins was a powerful part of his ministry to others.

In the preaching of Isaiah, there is both promise and warning – the promise of salvation and the warning of judgment.
We see this combination of promise and warning in Isaiah 1:18-20.

18 “Come now, let us reason together,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;

20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Moving, from there, into the New Testament, we note that (a) In Jesus Christ, there is “great salvation.” (b) We must make sure that we receive God’s salvation (Hebrews 2:3).
God invites us to ‘come’ to Him and receive salvation – ‘though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow’. He also warns us – there will be judgment ‘if you refuse and rebel’(Isaiah 1:18-20). God speaks to us of His great purpose of salvation: ‘God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.’ He tells us that we can be saved through faith in Christ: ‘Whoever believes in Him is not condemned.’ He calls us back from the way of unbelief and judgment: ‘Whoever does not believe is condemned already because he does not believe in the Name of the only Son of God’(John 3:17-18). In Jesus Christ, there is ‘great salvation’. Make sure that you receive God’s salvation. ‘How shall we escape if we neglect or ignore such a great salvation?’(Hebrews 2:3).

“What are we to make of the fact that Jesus, in Mark 4:11-12, quotes the words of Isaiah in connection with His own parables?

11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
” ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

Does this mean that, in Jesus’ parables, there is no word concerning the forgiveness of sins? When we read the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), there is a wonderful message of forgiveness. Sadly, many people remain in the “far country” of “prodigal living” (Luke 15:13). They “refuse and rebel” (Isaiah 1:20). Through Isaiah’s ministry, the people were called to “come” to the Lord. God spoke to them concerning the forgiveness of sins: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Along with this offer of grace, there was the call to be “willing and obedient.” When the offer of grace is refused and the there is rebellion against the call to be “willing and obedient”, the word of warning – “If you refuse and rebel … ” – needs to be spoken (Isaiah 1:18-20). The word of judgment is not the only word spoken by Isaiah. It is not the primary word spoken by him. It is, however, the word that needs to be spoken when the word of grace is rejected. Even where a word of judgment needs to be spoken, there is also, in the ministry of Isaiah, that wonderful word of salvation: “with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

In Isaiah 6:6-7, we read about the touching of Isaiah’s “mouth.

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal 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; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah was being given a ministry of speaking the Word of God. Here, we have his empowering for this speaking ministry. Isaiah did not come to God, claiming that he was the ideal man for this ministry. He confessed that he was entirely unsuitable – “I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). At the heart of Isaiah’s empowering for ministry, there is the forgiveness of his own sin. Before he could speak for God, he needed to be forgiven by God.
Many in the nation rejected Isaiah’s preaching. There were, however, those who responded positively to His message of salvation – ” … your God … will come and save you”, his call to holiness – “the redeemed shall walk on the Highway of Holiness” and his call to worship – “the ransomed of the Lord come with singing, with everlasting joy” (Isaiah 35:4, 8-10).

In Isaiah 6:9-10, we read of the w idespread rejection of Isaiah’s message.

9 He said, “Go and tell this people:
” ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”

When Isaiah hears that there will be such a negative reaction to his preaching, he asks the question, “For how long, O Lord?”(Isaiah 6:11). There was great darkness in the land – “the land is utterly forsaken” (Isaiah 6:12). This was not, however, the whole story. The final words of the chapter should not be forgotten – “the holy seed will be the stump in the land.” This is a little glimmer of light which should not be overlooked.