Isaiah: Undone! Holiness and Humanity

Isaiah 6

Lindsey felt broken and did everything she could to, in her words, “fix herself.” Whatever she tried fell short, leaving her feeling more hopeless. Then one day, lying on her bathroom floor, she cried out to God as loudly as she could. She felt him telling her to “Get up,” and that was when she surrendered herself to God. It was a defining moment in her life.

Have you had such a moment in your life? A meeting with God where everything changed? Here’s what happened to Isaiah.

Isaiah 6:1
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.

King Uzziah, also known as Azariah, reigned over the southern kingdom for fifty-two years (792-740 BC). He was co-regent with his father until Amaziah was assassinated in 767 BC. The kingdom experienced great days under his leadership (2 Kings 14:17-22; 15:1-7; 2 Chron. 26:1-15). However, he became too full of himself, and God judged him by inflicting leprosy upon him (2 Chron. 26:16-21). Isaiah was commissioned for ministry in the year King Uzziah died (Isa. 6:1).

There is a debate regarding the placement of this chapter. Did Isaiah express God’s warning and deliverance in the first five chapters before he was officially commissioned? Did he identify with Israel’s sin and withdraw for a time until God recalled him? Or did this event occur first, and does its placement demonstrate the contrast between God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness as seen in chapters 1-5? We don’t know the answer, but whatever the timing, we know Isaiah saw an astounding vision of the Lord sitting “upon a throne.” 

Don’t miss the contrast between God and humanity. Uzziah had been a great king for most of his reign, but he died like all human kings. However, the Lord reigns for eternity. Earthly kings are brought low in death; God is “high and lifted up.” His train—the elongated part of a robe trailing behind—fills the entire temple, illustrating his sovereignty and majesty. 

One more thing here. Who was sitting on the throne? God the Father or God the Son? Isaiah calls God “the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:3) and “the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5). However, the apostle John states that Isaiah saw Jesus’ “glory and spoke of him” (John 12:41). We know that Isaiah did not see the very essence of God. John says, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18: see also Ex. 33:18-20; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 4:12). Thus, it seems that Isaiah saw the pre-incarnate Christ, who, as John indicates, is “at the Father’s side.” He is, after all, the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).

Isaiah 6:2-4
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. 

“Seraph” literally means “burning one,” suggesting a fiery appearance. Some translate the word as “flaming creatures” or “heavenly creatures of fire.” Elsewhere, “seraph” refers to poisonous snakes (Num. 21:6; Dt. 8:15; Isa.14:29, 30:6), perhaps due to the burning effect of their bites. Did the angels guarding the throne have a snake-like appearance? We don’t know. However, we do know each “burning one” had six wings. Two covered their face, demonstrating humility before the Lord; two covered their feet, indicating service; and two were used for flying. The threefold repetition of “holy” emphasizes God’s complete holiness. As they cried out to each other, the foundations shook, and the whole place was filled with smoke. Some suggest that what appeared as smoke was the cloud of God’s presence that the Israelites experienced in their desert wanderings. 

This vision of God defined Isaiah. When Isaiah saw the complete holiness of God, he saw his own sin in a stark way and 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!” (Isa. 6:5). “Lips” symbolize attitudes and actions as well as words.^[1] Many other great people of faith had the same response when they saw the Lord: (Abraham (Gen. 18:27), Jacob (Gen. 32:10), Job (Job 40:1-5), David (2 Sam. 7:18), Paul (1 Tim. 1:15), and Peter (Luke 5:8-11). Reacting to Isaiah’s confession, he notes, “one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Isa. 6:6-7). God graciously forgave Isaiah’s sins and placed a call on his life. Here is today’s Anchor Point. 

Isaiah 6:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Isaiah experienced a renewed call and mission. His message came from God.

Isaiah 6:9-10
And he said, “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

The prophet’s assignment was to warn the people of what was coming and to call them to repent. Israel continued to hear and see God at work but refused to listen. God desired for them to turn and be healed, yet they ignored his message. Such is the darkness of a heart bent on sin and rebellion.

God’s description of Judah underscores the importance of keeping our hearts tender towards him. Spending time with God keeps the contrast between his holiness and our sinfulness at the forefront of our minds. This leads us to confession and repentance, allowing us to experience forgiveness. Then we can always be ready to say—“God, here I am! Use me!”

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Isaiah 6. Focus on our Anchor Point: Isaiah 6:8.

Talking to God: Ask God to keep your heart tender toward him. Ask him to give you the desire to say, “Here I am, God! Use me!”  

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