Isaiah 6 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence
Certainly one of the better known passages in the Old Testament, chapter six is a foundational text in the book of Isaiah and in all of Scripture. Isaiah’s vision in these verses, along with the corresponding passage in Revelation 4:8-11, served as the inspiration for the classic hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” This prophetical vision occurred in the year that King Uzziah died, which was in 740 BC. We are not told where Isaiah was located at the time of his vision, but it likely occurred in Jerusalem, perhaps even while he was worshipping in the temple of God. Whatever the circumstances, immediately this prophet was transported in his spirit to the heavenly temple where he beheld God’s throne room and the Lord sitting on his throne high and lifted up.
It doesn’t appear that Isaiah ever saw the face of the Lord, for the train of his robe filled the temple. This is meant to show us both the immensity as well as the glory of the Lord, which cannot be contained, for as the glory of the Lord filled the temple so it will fill the earth. He also sees the seraphim flying around the Lord’s throne proclaiming and displaying the Lord’s holiness by covering their faces and their feet. The thrice repeated proclamation of God’s holiness is to denote the superlative nature of his holiness. He is the most holy being in the universe and is perfect in holiness. Then Isaiah’s experience of the shaking of the thresholds, the booming voice and the overwhelming smoke was intended to inspire the fear of the Lord in any sinner who dared to enter into his most holy place.
Isaiah, who stands as a representative of Judah, immediately is cognizant of his own sinfulness and says, “Woe is me! For I am lost.” In the previous chapter, Isaiah had just pronounced six woes upon the Jews for their many sins against the Lord, but now he pronounces a woe upon himself since his eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! Particularly he makes reference to his unclean lips, which might surprise us given the fact that he was called to speak forth the oracles of God. Nevertheless, he immediately sensed his own unworthiness to bear such holy words with an unholy tongue and unholy lips and cries out in despair. Then one of fiery creatures—the seraphim—flew over to him and touched his mouth with one of the burning coals from the altar assuring him that his guilt has been taken away and his sin atoned for. This acknowledgement of sin, this cry of desperation and the accompanying atonement by God was meant to be an example to God’s people of what is required for their own salvation.
Then, once he was assured of his standing before God, immediately that booming voice could be heard with clarity, and it was a call to service, a call to mission. Likewise, when God’s people would repent of their sins they too would be used in God’s service as a light to the nations (Isa. 42:6). But strangely, in this situation, Isaiah was not called to bring light to his people, but rather to ensure that they didn’t see the mercy of the Lord in the land of the living. Because they had refused to listen, refused to submit to the Lord and to repent of their sins, God’s judgment was certain. He would harden their hearts even more for a time to ensure that judgment would be executed upon them. But this judicial hardening would only be for a short period of time until the cities were destroyed, the houses all emptied and the land devoid of most people in order to cleanse the land of evil.
Nevertheless, there is a message of hope, here. In the final verse, Isaiah promises that from the remnant that survives, from the oak tree that is cut down, a holy seed will grow up from its stump, a branch shall produce lasting fruit and that branch is Christ Jesus. This last verse introduces us to what is known as the Book of Immanuel in chapters seven through twelve in the book of Isaiah. When all hope seems to be lost, when God’s vineyard is trampled to the ground, the true vine is revealed, the true Son of David is seen and proclaimed.
The timing of this vision is recorded for us not merely so that we might know what year it occurred, but so that we might see a contrast between the failing kingdom of Judah and its dead king Uzziah and the growing kingdom of God and the living King Jesus sitting on his throne with the train of his robe filling the temple. It is not explicitly stated here, but later on in John 12:36-43 the apostle tells us that Isaiah actually saw the glory of Jesus in the temple on that day and that he spoke particularly of the Christ who was to come and to reign over all nations. In the book of Immanuel we see Christ in the shadows, for even Isaiah doesn’t see his face. Nevertheless, he already knows his salvation and is eager to share that message of hope with God’s people and with all the world.
For the Lord is able to take a “whore” (1:21) and to make her his faithful bride through the blood of Christ. And when Christ is glorified, she is glorified with him as a sign of hope to the nations. The book of Immanuel ends in chapter twelve with another song. But unlike the song of judgment sung in Isiah chapter five, the song sung in chapter twelve is a song of salvation sung by those saved through faith in Christ.