Isaiah 6:1-4
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. 4The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
Isaiah 6:1-4 tells about a vision that the Lord gave to Isaiah. This vision took place in the year that King Uzziah died. King Uzziah was also called Azariah. Uzziah began his reign over Judah in 792 BC. In the beginning he was a fairly good king who did what was right in the Lord’s sight. Except for one thing. He failed to remove the high places. (2 Kings 15-3-4). The people of Israel continued worshipping in the high places
High places were areas that were created so that people could come and worship a god. High place worship included making sacrifices, burning incense, and holding feasts or big parties (1 Kgs 3:2 – 3; 12:32). One of the Israelites enemies was the Canaanites. The Canaanites worshipped Baal , their main god, in the high places. Uzziah was a good King in the beginning except for this one little thing. But this one little thing was enough to numb the people of Israel to reverent and glorifying practices of worship to the only one true God.
The influences of the high places led the Israelites to corruption. The corruption included much immorality and even the neglect and swindling of the helpless in their society. Their leader had not done them any favors. He neglected to follow that one little command of God. Destroy the high places.
It was in the year that King Uzziah their failed leader died that Isaiah had a vision and looked up. It was a time of failed leadership. And in fact it was a time when they would lose that leadership to death. When Isaiah looked up in his vison he saw the reality of the matter. God was still on the throne! Isaiah 6:1 “I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple.”
We would do well to look up for our leadership too. God is still on the throne. He still has a perfect plan and he rules and reins with power in his hands.