While reading Isaiah, I came again to this phrase in Isaiah 6. “In the year that King
Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up . . . “(Isaiah 6:1).
What was significant about the
year that King Uzziah died? Why did God choose that year to give Isaiah a special
vision?
I’m sure I must have read about
this along the way, but I couldn’t dislodge the answers from my memory
bank, so I investigated.
After several searches, I found helpful
information in a Wycliffe Bible commentary my dad used to teach Sunday School.
King Uzziah started off well, but
later his arrogance and pride led him down a dark path and he spent the end of
his life as a leper in exile. Wycliffe writes, “Uzziah’s death . . . marked the
passing of a golden age of spiritual vigor in Judah (at least until the king’s
sin of presumption ten years before his decease); and his ungodly grandson was perhaps
already exerting an influence in Jotham’s government. To the discouraged
prophet, as he knelt in prayer at the Temple at Jerusalem, the Lord granted a
transforming vision of his glory. He thus assured Isaiah that despite the apparent
triumph of wickedness on earth, the Lord Jehovah still reigned omnipotent upon
his heavenly throne . . .”
So, in the year that seemed as if
the best days were in the rearview mirror, in the year that seemed as if evil
was prevailing, in the year that seemed there was no reason to hope, God
revealed himself in a glorious way to Isaiah.
That experience was
transformative, because the holiness of God’s presence caused Isaiah to see his
own sinful state which led to confession, God’s cleansing, and ultimately to his
responding to God’s question, “Who will go for us?”
His answer?
“Here I am. Send me!”
In the year that . . .
You fill in the blank from your perspective.
It’s easy to grow discouraged
when it seems the world is unraveling around us, or when things are going
haywire in our personal lives. But, we can remind ourselves that just as in Isaiah’s
time, God is on the job
God can still reveal himself causing
us to fall once more into His everlasting arms and perhaps set us on a new
course for Him.
It’s all in our response to God.
Isaiah experienced the holiness of God, repented, and answered the call. When we
allow ourselves to do the same, God can take us to new places with Him, as
well.
So, our best days yet may still be ahead of us. And in the year that we are
growing so weary from an ongoing pandemic and much more, that is really
good news.
Beverly Varnado is the author of several small town romances from Anaiah Press including her latest, A Season for Everything. All are available at Amazon. A memoir, Faith in the Fashion District, from Crosslink Publishing is available wherever books are sold. Also consider her other books, Give My Love to the Chestnut Trees and Home to Currahee. She also has an Etsy Shop, Beverly Varnado Art.
To explore the web version of One Ringing Bell, please visit bev-oneringingbell.blogspot.com
Beverly Varnado copyright 2022