潔淨和授命
以賽亞書六章8至13節
8我又聽見主的聲音說：我可以差遣誰呢？誰肯為我們去呢？我說：我在這裡，請差遣我！
9他說：你去告訴這百姓說：你們聽是要聽見，卻不明白；看是要看見，卻不曉得。
10要使這百姓心蒙脂油，耳朵發沉，眼睛昏迷；恐怕眼睛看見，耳朵聽見，心裡明白，回轉過來，便得醫治。
11我就說：主啊，這到幾時為止呢？他說：直到城邑荒涼，無人居住，房屋空閒無人，地土極其荒涼。
12並且耶和華將人遷到遠方，在這境內撇下的地土很多。
13境內剩下的人若還有十分之一，也必被吞滅，像栗樹、橡樹雖被砍伐，樹墩子卻仍存留。這聖潔的種類在國中也是如此。
信息分享
置身在聖殿中的以賽亞，當然會看見一個燒著紅炭的祭壇。看到祭壇，就必然會想到獻祭；而想到獻祭，就必然會想到被宰的祭牲所流出來的血，是用以潔淨人的罪。
神命天使拿起祭壇中的一塊紅炭沾以賽亞的口──神正是準備用以賽亞的口來服侍祂。當他的口得著潔淨之後，他便可以將神的信息傳給神的百姓。
接著，便是神的呼召。以賽亞彷彿聽見三位一體神之間的互相對話。神正在尋找一位為祂傳遞信息的使者。以賽亞該怎樣回應呢？他立即向神自薦，而神亦立即接受。這整件事的發生，乃始自以賽亞首先來到神的面前，願意與神作親密的相交。倘若我們也是這樣來到神的面前，經歷祂的潔淨與呼召，然後才去事奉神，那麼，我們的事奉必然會產生截然不同的果效。
神接納了以賽亞的回應，並立即差派他「去」；然而，請留意神對他說的話。神是否應許他的事奉必然成功？不，神對他說：「我差你去告訴百姓，但他們聽是要聽見，卻不明白。他們會厭棄你，甚至想殺掉你。」以賽亞問道：「主啊，我要繼續這工作到幾時呢？」神回答說：「直至再無人聽見。」多麼黯淡的前景啊！但以賽亞卻接受了神所差派的工作。我們今天得以讀到神藉著他所寫下的話語，便正是因著他願意這樣忠心地回應神。
反觀我們自己，我們總是很執著自我，不太願意走神的道路。當我們事奉的時候，總是很渴望得到別人的讚賞與感激。這豈是看自己的死的，和為主而活的標記？僕人怎能高過主人呢？基督昔日並沒有獲得別人的欣賞和接待，反倒受人排斥和拒絕；這正是祂走過的道路，我們作祂僕人的，又豈能繞道而行？
牢記：
十字架的道路最終總帶來祝福。
ISAIAH'S CLEANING AND COMMISSION
Isaiah 6:8-13
8 Also 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 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”
And He answered:
“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
12 The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 But yet a tenth will be in it,
And will return and be for consuming,
As a terebinth tree or as an oak,
Whose stump remains when it is cut down.
So the holy seed shall be its stump.”
Message
On the altar which Isaiah saw there was a fire. An altar speaks of sacrifice and a sacrifice speaks of blood being shed. The shedding of blood is God's way for cleansing.
A live coal was brought to touch Isaiah's lips-that which God was going to use most of all. Cleansed lips meant he was ready to carry God's messages to God's people.
Then came the call. Isaiah overhears God speaking within the Trinity. God is seeking a messenger. What should Isaiah do? He offers himself and God immediately accepts. It all came about as the result of Isaiah being in the presence of God, of knowing deep fellowship with him. If our service came out of that same atmosphere there would be a tremendous difference in its effectiveness.
Isaiah's offer is accepted and God says 'GO'. But did you notice the words of the remaining verses? Did God promise Isaiah immediate success of even long-range success? No, God said 'I am sending you but the people will not listen. They will reject you and will even kill you.' Isaiah asked, 'Lord, how long shall I carryon this ministry?' And God replied, 'Until there is no-one left to listen'. What a discouraging prospect! Yet Isaiah undertook the task God gave him. We are still thanking God today for the words of the man who was commissioned in this way.
Are we willing for that kind of service? We are often so unwilling for God's ways. Self is so much alive. We want every bit of praise and thanks which we can get. Are those the marks of a life dead to self and alive in Christ? Is the servant any greater than his master? Was Christ well received? Was he really appreciated? It is the way the master went, should not the servant tread it still?
REMEMBER: The pathway of the cross is always the pathway of final blessing.