In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-5)

We have just emerged from a very checkered year. We are still recovering from the effects of COVID-19 and the economic fallout from the Russia and Ukraine war made it a very difficult year for many people around the world. In Ghana, we have seen severe economic challenges, with the Cedi at one point depreciating to a remarkable 15 Cedis to a dollar. Inflation and corruption have risen to unprecedented levels. We usher in the New Year amid these global uncertainties and the prospect of tough times to come upon our world.

In many ways, the situation in Ghana mirrors the conditions under which Isaiah lived at the time he encountered the glory of God. The nation was in deep darkness and facing unprecedented hardships. The opening text is set at the end of the life of one of the greatest and illustrious kings of Israel, who reigned for fifty-two years and whose reign was characterised by abundant material prosperity, peace and notable godly reforms. Unfortunately, toward the end of his reign, Uzziah became proud and was cursed by God with leprosy.

Even before he died, Judah had begun to drift from the ways of God. The moral decay that set in during the latter years of king Uzziah’s reign was a huge cause for concern for the prophet Isaiah. Like him, you cannot help but wonder how God’s chosen people got to this point. From the context, we can point to at least two things that led to Judah’s straying from God’s presence.

Materialism and greed

In Isaiah 5:8, we find the prophet decrying the materialism and greed of God’s people. He declares, woe on “those who join house to house, who add field to field until there is no more room…”. It is important to note that the insatiable quest to accrue material possessions contributed heavily to Judah’s departure from the ways of God. While working to earn an honest living is commended in Scripture, the desire to be rich, according to Paul, is a snare that plunges many into temptation and many senseless and harmful desires, ultimately drowning its victims in ruin and destruction (1 Timothy 6:9). Embarrassingly, the church in Ghana and its members presently seem preoccupied with an inordinate desire to accumulate material riches. Some find a reason to preach prosperity from every verse in Scripture. We have relegated sound and systematic Biblical teaching to the background and prioritised material prosperity to the detriment of the Gospel.

A diluted view of sin

In Isaiah 5:20, the prophet alludes to the fact that Judah had retrogressed to a point where they couldn’t differentiate light from darkness or bitter from sweet.  

 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

The Bible defines sin as a transgression of the law, and this definition has not changed. We hurt ourselves when we revise the Bible’s definition of sin to suit our conditions. Isaiah would have us desist from diluting the definition of sin if we want to see God’s glory in the unfolding year.

A fresh vision of God for 2023

Reflecting on the passage, I am convinced that a fresh vision of God is required if we are to escape the decadence and live God-glorifying lives in 2023. Below, I outline three areas where I believe we need a fresh vision of God as we journey through the New Year.

1) A firm grasp of the Sovereignty and Supremacy of God

In Isaiah’s moment of uncertainties regarding the future of Judah, he set his gaze on God. He writes, “[When] king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…”. This was God’s way of affirming to Isaiah that though Uzziah may be dead and his dynasty ended, he [the Lord] remained seated on the throne, high and lifted up above all. It was as if God was saying, “Isaiah, relax! It is not over for the people of God; I remain who I am – the all-powerful.” It is instructive to note how the Lord is given in Isaiah 6:1. In the Bible, when God’s name is written with the first letter in capital and the remaining letters in lower case, it means the Hebrew word being translated is Adonai, a title for God which means, “Sovereign one”. That is to be distinguished from the sacred name of God, which in Hebrew is written yhwh, and translated LORD or Jahweh or Jehovah. I am convinced that a fundamental doctrine all Christians must thoroughly acquaint themselves with is the doctrine of God’s Sovereignty over all situations. Nothing happens to God’s people by chance; everything is in His Sovereign will, and He has power over all situations. Like Isaiah, we must have a fresh vision of the Sovereign God who is in charge of every aspect of our lives and works all things in accordance with his purpose, if we are to live without fear and in hope.

2) Having the Holiness of God before us, always

Holiness is one attribute of God that is constantly at the fore in the Bible; it is impossible to miss it. The Seraphim certainly did not miss it in Isaiah’s vision; they could not help but to join in the perfect declaration “…Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts…”. The chorus of the angels has been called the Trisagion, meaning “the three times holy”. It is instructive to note that never in holy writ is any attribute of God repeated three times, except here. This is a literary device used in the Hebrew language to denote emphasis. Double repetition indicates a severe or strong emphasis; however, repetition to the third degree represents an elevation to the highest degree. Living with a constant reminder of God’s holiness is bound to alter our vision of who He is and positively impact our lives. When Isaiah saw God in his holiness, he saw clearly, perhaps for the first time, who he was in God’s sight (Isaiah 6:5). He became aware of how sinful he was. It was also when he saw himself in the light of God’s holiness that his commission was clearly defined.

3) A focus on the great commission

We see in Isaiah’s encounter how God immediately commands Isaiah to “…go and say to His people.”The great commission is not a preserve of the clergy but a commission for all Christians. A fresh vision of God leads to an acute awareness of the work he has called us to do. I commend to you a resolution to keep spreading the word of God in 2023. We have a charge to preach the good news to all at every opportunity.