Day Thirty-Nine

During this week we dwelling in Isaiah 6 and the call of the prophet. We are specifically examining the pattern of worship found in Isaiah’s encounter which also shapes the way many Christians and churches understand worship.

We are in the midst of exploring six distinct movements in Isaiah 6 that model a flow of worship for us. So far this week we have noted two:

We are invited into God’s presence. (Isaiah 6:1)
We sing praise to God (Isaiah 6:2-4)

Yesterday we saw how it is God’s holiness that inspires praise, as the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision proclaim:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’

Standing before a holy God will cause us to fall on our face in worship. It will cause something else in us as well: an awareness of our sin. Standing in the presence of the Lord we see ourselves clearly, as Isaiah experienced:

“‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’”—Isaiah 6:5 (NIV)

I appreciate how the King James Version translates the beginning of Isaiah’s cry: “Woe is me, I am undone!” As we come into God’s presence every pretense fails, every mask falls away, and every lie we tell about ourselves unravels. We are undone. This is the third movement of worship in Isaiah 6:

We are invited into God’s presence. (Isaiah 6:1)
We sing praise to God (Isaiah 6:2-4)
We are made aware of our own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5)

This may not seem very worshipful at first. What part does confession of sin have in a time of worship? Isn’t that something we do in private, so that it’s not hanging over us and casting a shadow over our time of worship? Wouldn’t confessing sin as part of worship just make it depressing, which would defeat the purpose?

Maybe that would be true…if the purpose of worship was to feel good. But that isn’t the purpose of worship. The purpose of worship is to live out our faith in God through song, prayer, Scripture, and fellowship in a way that it comes alive, bringing glory to God and transformation to our lives. And God is glorified when sin is confessed and hearts are opened. It’s a cleansing act that brings rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:10) and also prepares us for the work of God in our lives (Hebrews 10:22). In fact, in James’ epistle he puts confession squarely in the context of our experience as a community:

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”—James 5:16a (NIV)

This worshipful aspect of confession is true in our personal times of devotion as well. Remember it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), and it is an acknowledgment of his love and of the work of Jesus when we come to him humbly and openly.

In Scripture there are powerful moments of repentance and confession. The citizens of Nineveh in the book of Jonah, the tax collector in Luke 18, Jonah in the belly of the great fish…all of them significant examples of people who, like the prodigal son, "came to their senses” and confronted the reality of sin in their lives.

But perhaps the most poignant insight we have into confession and repentance comes in Psalm 51, where King David pours his heart out to the Lord following his sin. It is heart-wrenching and intensely personal. It is, to borrow language from the King James version of Isaiah 6, an example of being completely “undone.”

But in the presence of a merciful God, being “undone” is a glorious thing, because it opens the door for us to be “re-done.” We will delve more into this movement of worship tomorrow.

For today, let’s re-examine the concept of confession and see it as an act of worship. David acknowledges this in his prayer:

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.”—Psalm 51:16-17 (NIV)

David clearly saw his confession as a sacrifice to God that was an act of worship. May we do the same. After all, this is why Jesus came—that our sins might be forgiven.

Glory to God.

Save me from the guilt upon me, Lord who saves me
And my tongue will sing of Your righteousness
O Lord, the God who saves me
Open up my lips and I will declare Your praise, O Lord

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) Have you ever considered confession as an act of worship? How does that idea sit with you? Do you embrace it or resist it? Spend some time thinking about your response and offering it to God.

2) Are there places in your life right now that need to be “undone?” If so, perhaps the best thing to do right now is to turn off your computer/phone, open a Bible to Psalm 51, and sit before God with David’s words and make them your own.

3) The 19th century pastor Phillips Brooks said this about repentance. Spend some time considering these words and how they speak to you.

“Repentance, not proper behavior or even holiness, is the doorway to grace. And the opposite of sin is grace, not virtue.”—Phillips Brooks

4) Read and reflect on this passage of Scripture. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV)

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”