When I think of Isaiah, my mind often goes immediately to some of my favorite passages, like Isa. 9:6-7, especially around Christmas time, which heralds the coming of the Christ child---"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." And like Isa. 6, which gives us a glimpse of God's glory and an account of Isaiah's commissioning by the Lord. Also Isa. 53, which describes the suffering that Jesus would go through as the ultimate sacrifice for you and me, as the Lamb of God. But there is much more that we can learn from Isaiah. We can learn about true worship.
The following is a worship profile of Isaiah taken from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers. I highly recommend this study bible to anyone who wants to learn more about biblical praise and worship.
Isaiah
Media polls are often taken to determine the most and least admired occupations. Doctors and scientists usually get high marks, while politicians and lawyers tend to draw dubious ratings. Had such polls been taken in ancient Israel, the occupation of prophet would probably have ranked at the bottom. Prophets had the difficult task of speaking hard words to people with hard hearts. Isaiah was a member of this select, but unpopular group.
Isaiah was a contemporary of prophets Amos, Hosea, and Micah, as well as kings Hezekiah of Judah and Sennacherib of Assyria. Educated and compassionate, Isaiah ministered faithfully for about four decades. But his countrymen mostly tuned him out. People still are reluctant to listen to Isaiah's words--words of judgment and condemnation, yes, but also words of tremendous comfort and hope.
Isaiah the Worshiper
In chapter 6, Isaiah gives us an amazing glimpse of God himself--the object of our worship. The Lord's glorious presence radiated from the throne, and Isaiah responded by cowering in fear. Yet a seraph approached him and announced pardon, enabling him to speak to the Lord. This vision foreshadows the worship we are invited to experience by God's grace.
Isaiah reminds us of the many reasons for our worship: "O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them" (Isaiah 25:1)(NLT). Isaiah also had a great concern for the purity of worship. He constantly cautioned his hearers to give glory to God alone: "I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else. I will not share my praise with carved idols" (Isaiah 42:8)(NLT).
Learning from Isaiah
The message of Isaiah can be boiled down to a fundamental point: Loving and serving God is our highest calling. The sweep of history turns on this truth. Isaiah describes the great empires that rise and crumble at God's hand and anticipates the day of salvation. He sees the fulfillment of Israel's longing in the coming Messiah. Yet if our devotion fades, such wonderful truths become lifeless. We fall into the trap of honoring God with our lips while our hearts remain far away (Isaiah 29:13). The prophet's words, if we listen, will shake us from our lethargy and guide us to true worship.
Following the Example
If we want a complete picture of what it means to worship God, we cannot overlook the message of Isaiah or the other prophets. Theirs was a thankless but critical task. They challenge us to scrutinize our worship, to make sure we are not just going through the motions. As you read the Prophets, look for many references to worship, and ask God to open your eyes to ways in which you can become a more devoted worshiper.