Isaiah 6:1
I. (Chapters 1-39) Condemnation
A. (Chapters 1-12) Prophecies against Israel and Judah
1. \\#Isa 1:1-31\\ God’s Case Against Judah
2. \\#Isa 2:1-5:30\\ Judah’s Condition Described
3. \\#Isa 6:1-13\\ Isaiah’s Call - A new vision with a new message.
This is Isaiah’s third vision and message in this book.
a. \\#Isa 6:1-4\\ A Vision of God
b. \\#Isa 6:5-8\\ A Vision of Self
c. \\#Isa 6:9-13\\ A Vision of Israel
I. \\#Isa 6\\ Isaiah’s Call.
A. \\#Isa 6:1-4\\ A Vision of God - While God is too pure for human eyes to
look upon, an impression of His glory and power is given in this vision.
1. \\#Isa 6:1\\ "In the year that Uzziah died…." Uzziah was a godly king.
At his passing, God commissioned Isaiah, no doubt knowing that
Judah would need additional help to stay on the righteous path.
2. \\#Isa 6:2\\ "the seraphims" - The seraphim is an angelic being.
(a) The word SERAPHIM means "fiery ones" and gives some indication
that they are bright and glorious creatures.
(b) By covering their face with two wings, they were either showing
that they were not able to look upon the Lord (due to His glory)
or that they were not worthy to look upon Him.
(c) By covering their feet, perhaps they show their submission or
humbleness. Some have speculated that feet are our "less
honorable parts" \\#1Cor 12:23\\ and so becomes an act of
humility to cover them.
(d) By keeping two wings available for flight, they were always
ready to serve.
3. \\#Isa 6:3\\ "Holy, holy, holy…." God’s holiness is one of God’s chief
characteristics.
4. Three things are described as being filled in this passage:
(a) \\#Isa 6:1\\ The temple is filled with His TRAIN (representing
God’s presence).
(b) \\#Isa 6:3\\ The whole earth is filled with His GLORY.
(c) \\#Isa 6:4\\ The house is filled with SMOKE (representing God’s
holiness).
5. \\#Isa 6:4\\ "And the posts of the door moved" - In addition, the door
posts shake at the voice of the angel, symbolizing great power. If
the angel has great power, what must His master be like?
B. \\#Isa 6:5-8\\ A Vision of Self - Any clear vision of God would demand a
new look at one’s self.
(1) \\#Isa 6:5\\ "Woe is me! for I am undone" - After Isaiah saw God,
he saw himself more clearly. Although Isaiah had kept himself from
deliberate sin, he found himself exceedingly sinful when compared to
God.
(2) \\#Isa 6:6-7\\ "…one of the seraphims…having a live coal…laid it
upon my mouth" - The vision is of Isaiah’s mouth being symbolically
purged of sin by fire so that he can speak for God. Of course,
fire, no matter what its source, can not really remove sin. Only
the blood of Jesus Christ can do that. Yet this vision is not
teaching us how to have sin removed. It is teaching us that only
God can remove it and that is must be removed for us to adequately
speak for Him.
(3) \\#Isa 6:8\\ "…who will go for us?" God’s desire was for Isaiah to
be a messenger.
(4) \\#Isa 6:8\\ "…for us…" God refers to Himself as a plural, that is,
more than one being. Not that there is more than one God, but that
God has more than one persons.
(5) \\#Isa 6:8\\ "Here am I; send me." Isaiah will serve God.
C. \\#Isa 6:9-13\\ A Vision of Israel
(1) \\#Isa 6:9\\ "Go, and tell this people" - Isaiah lived in Judah, the
southern kingdom, but many of his prophecies deal with both Judah
and Israel, the northern kingdom. This chapter is a good example.
Although locations like Jerusalem and the temple are identified,
some of what God prophesied extended beyond the southern kingdom
into Israel as well.
(2) \\#Isa 6:9\\ "Hear… but understand not, and see… but perceive not"
This people will hear but will not understand the message. They will
not obey it.
(3) \\#Isa 6:10\\ "Make the heart…fat… their ears heavy… shut their eyes"
God is illustrating that Israel will not react as they should to
the message of God. The heart will be too fat, the ears will be
too heavy, and the eyes will be closed so that the message will not
strike a cord with them. This would be sad news for the young
Isaiah to hear as he was just beginning his ministry.
(4) \\#Isa 6:11\\ "Lord, how long?" Hearing of Israel’s unyielding
spirit, Isaiah asks how long he is to continue to speak to them.
(5) \\#Isa 6:11-12\\ "until the cities be wasted without inhabitant… the
houses without man… the land be utterly desolate" - The answer is
not pleasant. Isaiah will minister until the cities are empty and
the land desolate. God is prophesying a near-at-hand judgment upon
Israel. One that will come is Isaiah’s day. It would have been
fulfilled when Assyria carried the northern kingdom away (722 BC).
(6) \\#Isa 6:13\\ Yet, "a tenth… shall return." God always provides a
remnant of His people, no matter how wicked they are, so that He
can fulfill His promises to them. This will not be done for
Israel’s sake but for the sake of the Lord’s name.
(a) "return" - The word literally means to turn again or to come
back; but in the context, it is not a reference to 1/10 of
the captives returning to the land for the northern kingdom
did not return to the land. More than likely it is a reference
to 1 in 10 of the northern kingdom returning to God. If that
is the case, the judgment that God would bring upon Israel
would do more than just destroy. It would redeem some.
(b) "tenth" - It is uncertain whether the tenth was a literal figure
or whether it just symbolized God’s portion (as the tithe given
symbolizes God’s portion). If 1 in 10 of the rebellious Jews
of Israel did repent and return to their God, the judgment
would have had a very high rate of success. It is sad that it
would take such a severe judgment to bring a people to their
God.
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