Helps for the Children Isaiah, God’s Helper Isa. 6:1-8 Memory Verse: “Here am I; send me” (Isa. 6:8). Have you sometimes wished that you were “ grown up” or that you were “ big” so that you could be the Lord’s helper—a preacher, or a missionary, or a Sunday school teacher? Sometimes Christian boys and girls do not realize that God often has work that only they can do—an adult would be of no use to God in some of His work! One day, Isaiah, a young Jew, had an unusual experience. He saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, and His train filled the temple. About the throne stood six winged holy creatures called sera phim. They were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.” The sight of the Lord caused Isaiah to realize how sinful he was. One of the seraphim took a coal from off the altar and cleansed Isaiah’s lips with it: then, Isaiah heard the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah answered, “Here am I; send me.” The Lord gave Isaiah a message for Israel and told him how long hq. was to preach to that sinful nation. When God needed a helper, He called Isaiah and prepared him to be His true servant. God needs and calls helpers of all ages today. God has limited Himself to use people to do most of His work. Angels cannot lead a soul to Christ, for they have never been sinners saved by His grace. God probably will not use your pastor to win for Christ the boys and girls in your schoolroom. God needs you to win your friends for His Son. You may be His helper in your Sunday school, your home, or your neighborhood in a better way than can anyone else. . . . Blessings are meant to be shared. Priceless Christian service may be rendered the people around you by the ministry of good books. Send your name and address for our simple book agency plan without obligation. MOODY PRESS Chicago 10, Illinois NAME________________________________________________________ AD DRESS.__________________________________________________ (PLEASE PRINT1 KiOOb
Pointers on the Lesson, H omer A. K ent , T h .D. Helps for the Children, A llison A rrowood
Lesson material is based upon outlines of the International Sunday School Lessons copyrighted by the International Council of Religious Education; used by permission.
Oct. 2, 1949 GOD CALLS A SPOKESMAN Isa. 6:1-10
is ready to operate for him. God is ready to minister from the altar of the Cross. Doubtless the “ live coal” in v. 6 came from the brazen altar, the place of judgment and sacrifice. Here in type Christ is seen leaving the throne and coming to His cross. Two altars were connected with the temple, the brazen and the golden. This is the brazen altar and the live coal speaks of the means by which sin is put away, even by the blood of Calvary. The Prophet’s Vision of Service vv. 8-10 Having seen the Lord and himself, and having experienced the cleansing which only God can give, the prophet is now ready to receive his commission to service. No one is ready to serve God who has not first of all received the first two visions. Unless a man realizes that he is but a sinner saved by grace, he will never be greatly used to bring the gospel to others. The prophet thus is ready to say, “ Here am I; send me.” The Lord commissions him to go to his people to tell them about their hardness of heart, what will be the consequences if persisted in, and later (v. 13) to tell of the liberation of the faithful rem nant. God has a commission for every one of His children.
Pointers on the Lesson Prophets were men who spoke for God. They spoke for God in things re garding the future. But not only that. They had a message of God for the day in which they lived—a message for every-day living. They were very prac tical men. Too often we miss the great truths which they have presented for our learning. Isaiah is especially impor tant as a prophet who has sounded forth tremendous principles by which we ought to guide our lives in this day. The Prophet’s Vision of the Lord vv. 1-4 Quite likely Isaiah was in the temple when this vision came to him. Uzziah was dead; he had been a great king (see 2 Chronicles 26) but he was dead. Anxiety was present as to the future. Then it was that Isaiah saw the Lord. He would be able to care for the future. As the prophet was in the temple, he saw the veil of the Holy of Holies pulled aside and beheld a throne of burning splendor. John 12:41 indicates that it was the Lord Jesus Christ in a pre incarnate form whom he saw. The one thing the angels felt constrained to do in the midst of the scene was to cry, “ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.” If there is one attribute above others in importance in relation to God, it is holi ness. An appreciation of this attribute of God is essential to an understanding of His hatred of sin, and of His plan of salvation. Until a man realizes the abso lute sinlessness of God, he is not likely to feel his need of a Saviour. The Prophet’s Vision of Himself vv. 5-7 Seeing the Lord, the prophet then feels his own utter unworthiness. In the white light of God’s perfect holiness, he sees nothing good in himself. No man who has been in the presence of the Lord talks about his own goodness. But there is always hope for a man who feels that he is undone, for Divine grace S E P T E M B E R , 1 9 4 9
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