In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. … Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go…” (Isaiah 6:1, 8, 9a)

Justin Trudeau resigned Monday, the same day the American election result of Donald Trump was certified in Congress, Kamala Harris presiding (peacefully). It was another significant January 6, albeit less violent than the one four years ago. But while January 6 may have marked some significant happenings on the political stage, we do well to remember that in the Christian calendar it was also the day of Epiphany.

The context surrounding Isaiah’s call to ministry gives a fitting parallel. King Uzziah (also called Azariah in 2 Kings 14:21), had reigned in Jerusalem for 52 years at the time of his death. Unlike Trudeau or Trump, he was the only King that many people had ever known. Much like Queen Elizabeth had been. As her death was the symbolic, yet definitive end of an era, so King Uzziah’s death would have been in Judah.

During Uzziah’s reign over Judah, the Kingdom of Assyria began to rise in power in the East even as political unrest plagued the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The cold winds of change had begun to blow through the kingdoms of the world, even though Uzziah’s presence kept a sense of stability in the land. Not long after Uzziah’s death, Assyria would strike: conquering and exiling the Kingdom of Israel.

So it was at this shift of the epoch when all the old institutions and politics began to crumble and give way that Isaiah sees his vision. But the vision he sees is not necessarily what the astute philosopher or political scientist of the day would have seen.

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah does not see civilization crumbling around him: he sees the Lord. High and exalted, still seated on his throne: the temple scarcely large enough to hold his royal presence and garments.

Lowly Isaiah steps into the presence of the true King of all the Earth, gripped with fear and suddenly aware of his impurity and sheer ineptitude. But with fire from the alter he was cleansed and made ready to stand in the King’s presence.

Then boomed forth the voice of the Lord: “Whom shall I send?” “Here am I. Send me!” replied Isaiah. “Go…” came the response.

In these days of weariness and swirling anxieties when it feels like the world we once knew is continually sloughing off into the heart of the sea: these words come to us again. The Lord Almighty is still on the throne. And we are firstly citizens of His Kingdom, not of Canada or any other country. Be still and know that he is God, our God who remains our refuge and strength—ever present in times of trouble.

And our Triune God still calls out to his people, saying: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Will you respond today? Will you go on this royal mission as an ambassador of Christ? Will you go out as sheep among wolves—shrewd as snakes and gentle as doves to minister to your nation, neighbours, co-workers, and friends in His name?

In this season of Epiphany, may you too catch an Isaiah vision of Jesus on His throne and hear the Spirit-breathed call to go forth in His name—together, in faith.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

Our text is from Psalm 96:

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:1-3).

What's the point of life? Where is history headed? Is it just a random series of events? Why even ask questions like this? Isn't it better just to do one's best to survive? Can't we just adopt the old bumper sticker: 'the one with most toys wins'? How would you define toys? What would winning mean for you?

As Christians, Psalm 96 helps us shape an answer to these questions. The point of history and our lives, as short as they may be, is to worship God. We have long believed that declaring the glory of God gets about as close to the heart of living as we can get.

There is an important context to our psalm. It’s a shortened version of the song Israel sang as the ark was given its place in Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 16 tells the story. God is enthroned as King in the worship of his people. His presence, glory, is symbolically present among his people ‘between the cherubim’ which covered the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle.

This presence of God is a shadow leaning forward towards Jesus, for John says, ‘the word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us” (John 1:14). There is more. This psalm is about God as king. “Say among [all] the nations, the Lord reigns” (10). Jesus leans back to this psalm when he says to Pilate, “You say correctly that I am a king” (John 18:37).

The writer of Hebrews declares that “After he had provided purification for sins, [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (1:3). Jesus is king. Our text is fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. John sees and hears it in Revelation 5 when all the creatures in heaven and earth gather to sing a “new song”: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).

When we talk about the mission of the church, we start here. Everything the church does flows out of this desire to give glory to God, who is King. The followers of Jesus on this earth long for that day when all glory will be given to God. But here we come up against the problem don't we: do we desire to give glory to God?

Let's not gloss over this matter of our desires. If you are starting your day with this meditation: what is your goal for the day?

When raising your children: what is your goal? If you are on your way to your workplace: what is your goal? If you are in a dispute with a family member, co-worker, or church member: what is your goal? What do you want?

You see, most of us do believe in the bumper sticker: the one with the most toys wins! To believe that the goal of life, of history, of the church, is to give glory to God is much too difficult.

Giving glory to God begins with a passion for Him. The psalms of worship keep repeating: "For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise" (4). Worship that is passionate about God is by nature missional or evangelistic. It desires others to join us. The bigger the crowd the better.

Take some time to examine God. Do you see that he is worthy of worship and exaltation? Do you see his majesty and holiness? Do you see his righteousness and love? Do you see his justice and his mercy? Do you believe that one day the entire earth will 'ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name and bring offerings into his courts'? (8)

The worship of Christians is the aroma anticipating that day. Giving God praise is a necessary part of the Christian life because it reminds us of who we are and where we are going. It moves us away from the bumper sticker philosophy to the life described in Psalm 96.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations…You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God (Isaiah 61:10-62:3).

In ancient times, the week prior to a wedding was time for celebration, with the men celebrating in one area and the women in another. On the day of the wedding, the bride was led to her groom’s home dressed in a gown he had provided for her. There another round of feasting occurred before the bride and groom went to the wedding chamber.

These ancient wedding customs lie behind the verses of our text. Knowing them is helpful for understanding Isaiah, but even more, to understand how this theme plays in the New Testament. In Ephesians 5, Paul writes that the church will appear before Christ “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (5:27). Revelation 19 adds, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)” (7-8). Both passages are rooted in our text.

The wedding of Jesus and his bride, the church, will be the final act of this age. Rooted in Isaiah’s imagery, the New Testament makes the point that we are currently in the week of wedding preparation. Two things happen in that week: dressing up and celebration. Earlier, Isaiah wrote that God promises to bestow on the grieving “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).

Praise and thanksgiving are the natural response to grace that has been received and experienced. Inspired and gifted poets help us to voice this praise. Hymns such as Amazing Grace and In Christ Alone give us words to express our praise for God’s grace which we have experienced in Christ.

Because we live between the two comings of our Lord, the Christian life is characterized by joy. There are times when it becomes buried under the griefs and hardships of life in this sin-stained world. Yet, it keeps rising again, leaking quietly back into our lives, filling us with thanksgiving and with expectation and hope for what is to come.

Celebration marks the Christian life; but also, ‘dressing up.’ Notice how Isaiah phrases things, “For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness” (10). Also take in what John sees, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints) (Revelation 19:8).

God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, that is, make us like himself, to behave as he does. To Titus Paul wrote, “Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (2:13-14). Forgiveness of sin is not the end; it is only the means. The end is that we should live out the righteousness of God by faith. We cannot live out this righteousness in our own strength. Only as we believe, that through his Spirit, Jesus is giving us cloths of his own righteousness, do we discover God making us holy.

Shall we go to the wedding feast of the Lamb clothed in the rags of our own failures? Surely not! We come to the celebration clothed in a gown of righteous behavior. Jesus has caused this garment to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah invites us to lift our eyes from the horror of our own sin and to see the glory of what Jesus is doing in us. Like the ancients, let’s celebrate as we get ready.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

“May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it” (5:23).