Isaiah
key words
biblical reference
Isaiah 6:1-13
lesson objective
To help the students understand that just as God called the prophets to give his message to the people, they must also give God’s message to the people that surround them
memory verse
“Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you” (Jeremiah 7:23b, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
The years leading up to adolescence bring many changes. Especially some boys tend to get away from hugs and signs of affection in public. They struggle between feeling loved and showing affection to other people. It is important for your students to realize that God loves them. He always finds a way to communicate to people his love and what he wants for them.
One way by which God spoke to the people of Israel was through the prophets.
As the preadolescents study Isaiah’s life, they’ll learn about God’s love, his holiness, and their need to receive forgiveness for their sins. It is good for them to know that Isaiah felt inadequate and worthless when faced with the presence of the Lord. God heard his cry and cleansed him of his sins. Then he called him to be the one to bring his message to the people of Judah. Isaiah’s response to God was immediate and positive.
Our desire is that the preadolescents develop that same enthusiasm. It is important for them to know that people today need to hear the message of God’s love and forgiveness. Pray for the result of this lesson, so the students can pass this message on to others. Pray that they allow God to take their weaknesses and give them his spiritual resources to be the “megaphones of God” in today’s world.
biblical commentary
Isaiah was a prophet of Jerusalem from 740-700 BC. During his ministry, he repeatedly warned his people that Jerusalem and Judah would be judged for their failures. Isaiah’s spiritual experience was the vision of the temple of God (Isaiah 6). The vision defined and clarified the task he was doing. This well-known story began with a “splendid vision,” continued with the acceptance of his weakness and ended when he was ready to be sent.
A splendid vision
The story of Isaiah began with an inspiring vision of the throne of God. The presence of God filled that place. And the beings praised God, saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy” (v.3). In the Scriptures, repetition marks the importance and intensity of a truth. The repetition of the word “Holy” reveals a deep understanding of God and is considered the heart of all human religious experience.
Acceptance of your weakness
In the presence of holy God, Isaiah became aware of his low value and the low value of the people for whom he had come. He refused to think that he could do anything for God. But he was not the only one who thought that way, since others, like Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, at first also resisted the call of God. The resistance to God’s call is not related to the personality of the individual, but to the fact of being in the very presence of God. Yet, for the biblical prophets, it was not enough to be in God’s presence. They believed that their words had genuine power. They were the human expression of the Word of God and what they expressed changed the course of events. What can intimidate or frighten a messenger more?
Ready to be sent
One of the beings that surrounded the throne of God helped Isaiah to overcome his hesitation. A seraph or angelic being took a burning coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s mouth with it. Instead of hurting him so that he would not speak, this action removed his guilt, and his sin was atoned for (verse 7). Through this event, Isaiah received cleansing and purification. This qualified him to carry out the task that God had prepared for him.
Cleansed and trained, Isaiah was able to respond to God’s call by saying: “Here I am, send me” (v. 8).
Even though the book of Isaiah may introduce several new concepts to our preadolescents, it has been important for Christians of all ages. The inclusion of topics, such as the virgin birth, the Suffering Servant, and the Messiah, have helped Christians express their faith in Jesus. Some church scholars conclude that, along with the four New Testament Gospels, Isaiah is the “gospel” that contains the teachings of the Christian faith in its entirety.
introduce the lesson
Why do we communicate?
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #371-A. Ask the students to pair up with a person sitting next to them. Assign one or more of the following questions to each pair.
When the students have finished, ask them to share their answers with the whole group.
What is communication? (Talk, share ideas with others, listen to what others tell us)
Why do we communicate? (We want to connect with others, express our thoughts and feelings to them, etc.)
In general, with whom do we communicate? (Friends, family, teachers, God, etc.)
What kind of information do we share with and transmit to others? (Ideas, beliefs, feelings, opinions, emotions, etc.)
What skills do we use to communicate? (Thinking, speaking, listening, language, answering, etc.)
At the end of the discussion, ask: “In what ways does God communicate with us?” (Through the Bible, through prayer, through ministers and teachers, etc.)
Today we’ll talk about how God spoke to his people during Old Testament times. This will help us know that we’re responsible for communicating the message of God’s love to our friends, neighbors, and family. We have no excuse for not talking about the Lord to others.
How much do you know about Isaiah?
Encourage the students to tell what they know about Isaiah. Make a list on the board. Then give them reference books to see how many new things they can find out about Isaiah. Give them Bible dictionaries, Study Bibles, etc. Ask students to raise their hands as they find new information. Continue adding more information to what is already written on the board. Say: “Today we’ll study a specific moment in Isaiah’s life: his call to ministry.”
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #371-B.
teach the lesson
Here am I. Send me!
The following script tells the story of the day. It is written as a script to be acted out or read by them. For this you will need five volunteers for the following characters: Narrator, Isaiah, seraph 1, seraph 2, God. When you indicate it, they’ll begin, and each one should read the part that corresponds to them as it is written in the activity handout. At the end of the reading, there is a series of Points of Interest to discuss and review the story. Encourage all the students participate in the discussion.
Narrator: One day, Isaiah decided to go for a walk. He needed time to think about important issues, such as King Uzziah’a illness and the evil of the people. He stopped in front of the temple and looked through the open doors. There he had an incredible vision. God was sitting on his great throne and there were seraphim. Each one had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet and with two they flew. And they were calling to one another saying:
Seraphim 1 and 2: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Narrator: When Isaiah heard this, the temple began to tremble and was filled with smoke. Imagine Isaiah’s reaction!
Isaiah: “Woe to me! I’m ruined! For I’m a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Narrator: At that moment, one of the seraphim took a burning coal from the altar with tongs and touched Isaiah’s lips with it. How painful! But the coal didn’t burn Isaiah. God used it to purify him.
Seraphim 1: “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Narrator: Then God began to speak. God: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Narrator: Isaiah didn’t even hesitate. He felt small in front of such an amazing God, but still he was determined to serve him.
Isaiah: “Here am I. Send me!”
Narrator: Then, God told Isaiah what he should say to the people.
God: “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.”
Isaiah: “For how long, Lord?”
God: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitants, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until the Lord has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken. And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak trees leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.” (Taken from Isaiah 6)
Points of Interest
Isaiah saw this vision of God on the throne when he was thinking about the empty throne of Uzziah. Why is it important to believe that God is on his throne, even when we are insecure?
The seraphim covered their eyes and their feet so they could not look upon the Holy God who was watching them. Do we sometimes forget how powerful God is? Discuss situations in which this happens to us.
When the seraphim announced the holiness of God, the entire temple filled with smoke and trembled. In what ways are your times of prayer such that it seems like the earth “trembles”?
Isaiah felt that he was not worthy to be in the presence of God, but he was willing to serve him with all his heart. Are we as passionate as Isaiah to serve God?
connect the lesson
How are your ears?
Say: “God communicated with Isaiah through a vision, and he wanted him to communicate it to his people. Listening is a very important aspect of communication. Isaiah had to have the will to listen to God.”
Are your ears working? Are you a person who knows how to listen? Allow your students to rate themselves using the following 3 questions. But, begin by reading the score part. Then give time for them to think about the questions, and choose the option they most identify with until the activity is over.
Evaluate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5:
1. Very bad. I need a doctor to solve this!
2. I need to improve a lot.
3. I’m almost there.
4. Pretty good.
5. Always!
Questions:
1. I listen to God every day when I read the Bible and pray.
2. I listen to my parents and teachers very carefully when they talk to me.
3. When I talk to others, I stop and listen carefully to what they tell me.
When finished, say: “Are you ready to listen to God? What can you do this week to hear God better?”
Ask the students: “What are some things we can do to strengthen our communication with God. For example: the student who reads the Bible from time to time may commit to reading it three times a week; those who only pray when they’re in an emergency can commit to pray regularly. Do not forget to ask them next week if they were able to keep their promises.
practice the memory verse
The memory verse has 30 words, including the reference. Write it on strips of paper and share them among the students. They should learn the verse for next week and teach it to a family member. Encourage them to study it with a member of their family (father, mother, brother, grandfather, uncles, etc.). For the next session, the student should invite a family member and together the two should write the memory verse. If students bring a family member, give them a reward or special recognition. (It is a good opportunity to give visitors a Bible or New Testament and invite them to the next group.)
wrap-up
Pray
Pray for them and for the message that God wants to give us all. Pray that all are always ready to hear the voice of God.
Encourage
Make this moment a very important time, especially if there were “visitors” to your group. Encourage the students to diligently find ways to obey their parents, teachers and other leaders during the week.
Invite
Tell the group something of interest about the next session to encourage them to attend and to invite friends.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™