The Glory of Immanuel (Is 6:1-8)

Introduction:

The beautiful Christmas carol, “Away in the manger”, has been sung for many generations and reminds us of what happened that miraculous night where God became flesh. We are reminded that God did not descend from heaven on a white horse with great might and power, but chose to come into the world just like every other human being, born, as a small, vulnerable little baby completely dependent upon his mother for nourishment and nurturing. We love this peaceful scene, and without realizing it, we think that Christmas begins and ends here, in a Bethlehm manger.

However, in this year’s advent series entitled, Immanuel: God With Us, we will seek to unpack the full spectrum of what this meant to God’s covenant of redemption, from, who was Immanuel before he came, to the work of Immanuel once he arrived. We will see that the word Immanuel implies the one who is both God, and man. So we begin this morning with a familiar passage in Isaiah 6, and catch a glimpse of The Glory of Immanuel…a look at the God part of Immanuel before he became flesh.

Text: Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah 6:1–8 ESV

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. 2 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. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I 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!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 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.”

Main Idea: Because Immanuel begins with God, His glory is to inspire adoration and worship.

Background:

Isaiah ministered for more than forty years, from 740 until well after 701 B.C., mostly to the southern kingdom, through the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. King Uzziah presided over a lengthy period of peace and stability. During his reign, Egypt was racked with internal strife and Assyria was preoccupied with securing its northern frontier. These conditions left Uzziah free to pursue his affairs largely in peace, allowing both the northern and southern kingdoms to recapture lost territory. By the end of Uzziah’s reign, both kingdoms had virtually reclaimed the boundaries established at the height of the Solomon’s empire. However, by the time of Uzziah’s death and Isaiah’s calling as a prophet, the storm clouds were already gathering in the North with the rise of Tiglath-pileser III as king of Assyria.

In this morning’s context, it is around 740 B.C. that King Uzziah died, marking the end of a lengthy era of national prosperity (see 2 Chronicles 26). Uzziah had contracted leprosy for disregarding God’s holiness (burning incense in the tabernacle), and his son Jotham had been his co-regent for about 10 years (2 Chron. 26:16–21).

I. The Worship of Immanuel (1-4)

(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.

the year that King Uzziah died - about 740 BC

I saw the Lord (adona [noun] - sovereign master over all things) sitting upon a throne -

This phrase drips with irony as the earthly king dies but the undying King holds court above.

Isaiah describes a “theophany,” a visible manifestation of God. God’s coming is often attended by such phenomena as earthquakes, smoke, fire, and lightning

high (ram [verb-noun] - high in position) and lifted (nissa [verb] - high in rank) up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. - shows that the Sovereign Lord is above all things positionally and above all things authoritatively, and that his presence fills all things.

So who is this Lord, or adonai, who is high and lifted up? Well you say, of course this is the triune God…and I would say you are correct. However, this specific phrase, high and lifted up, appears elsewhere in Isaiah, and very clearly, I believe, is zeroing in on an OT appearance of the second person of the trinity…let’s look at Isaiah 52:13-53:5, in reference to God’s servant, and who he is:

Isaiah 52:13–53:5 ESV

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. 1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Then, over In the book of Ephesians, we have already seen that when Christ had finished atoning for our sins, he was again restored to his original position:

Ephesians 1:20–22 ESV

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

So what’s the point? The point is, that this description, is of God’s servant, the messiah, the ruling reigning sovereign, is purposefully presented here to help us see who Jesus was before he became a man. If this is the case, let’s look at how he is worshipped...

(2) 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.

Above him stood the seraphim - flying above the throne were seraphim (literally: “burning ones”, same word used of the fiery serpents in Numbers 21:6), or winged angelic beings.

Each had six wings: with two he covered his face (The seraphim have no glory to compare with God’s, and they cannot look on Him directly.), and with two he covered his feet (“Feet” can also be translated “legs.” This may be an indication of modesty, showing a sense of shame in comparison to the presence of God), and with two he flew (The seraph does the Sovereign’s will. Here it is to praise Him.). - these heavenly creatures who flew around the throne had one purpose and that was to declare...

(3) And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” - the seraph speaks to one another...

Holy, holy, holy - A threefold repetition is the strongest sort of superlative. It is the only one of God’s attributes that is repeated in this way. Nothing is as holy as God. Holiness implies absolute moral purity and separateness above the creation (transcendence).

the Lord of hosts -

Originally a military title, its scope is extended to denote divine control over all the created realm.

A designation for God that presents Him as a divine warrior (13:4; 30:27; 40:10; 42:13, 25; 59:17; 66:15, 16), the commander over all troops whether in heaven or on earth. Ultimately, Israel’s survival is not due to the enemy’s weakness, but to God’s sovereign power.

This, again, is a reference to the divine conquerer, Jesus the King:

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

the whole earth is full of his glory! - his glory is a technical term for God’s manifest presence with his covenant people. It was seen in the cloud in the wilderness (Ex. 16:7, 10); it moved in to “fill” the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–35) and then the temple (1 Kings 8:11), where the worshipers could “see” it (Ex. 29:43; Ps. 26:8; 63:2). Several passages look forward to the day when the Lord’s glory would fill the earth, i.e., the whole world will become a sanctuary (Num. 14:21; Ps. 72:19; Hab. 2:14; cf. Isa. 11:9); and the ESV footnote suggests that the seraphic cry shares this anticipation. Other texts in Isaiah also look forward to the revealing of the Lord’s glory to the world (11:10; 35:2; 40:5; 58:8; 59:19; 60:1–2; 66:18). John 1:14 asserts that this glory was present in Jesus.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(4) And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. - shows the awesome, fearful scene in which the presence of God causes even the earth to shake at its foundations. Very similar to when God spoke to the children of Israel at Mt Sinai in Exodus 19:16-20

Exodus 19:16–20 ESV

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

The presence of God is not sustainable before God’s creation, which is the natural response of one who needs:

II. The Atonement of Immanuel (5-7)

(5) And I 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!”

“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 -

Isaiah is astonished by the glory of God; like Peter he becomes afraid (cf. Luke 5:8). He pronounces an curse upon himself. His conviction of sin is specific: he has unclean lips. The fact that others around him suffer from the same condition compounds his sin rather than alleviating it.

When one has a true understanding of the holiness of God, this will always be their response.

for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! - I believe that Isaiah was given a glimpse of the preincarnate King, Jesus, the Messiah. This he will begin to unpack in his prophesies in chapter 7, 9, and certainly in 52-53 as we have already scene.

(6) Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. -

the altar was the place of atonement. Note that the seraph did not tell Isaiah to clean up his act in the presence of God, but acted on the reality that atonement had to come from outside of Isaiah, from the altar.

The stress is on the purification necessary for approaching God. The altar symbolizes purification by blood, and the fire, purification by the Spirit. The blood of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit sanctify believers today.

(7) And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” - What an amazing picture, from the altar, in the presence of the King, the Lord of Hosts, the preincarnate Messiah, Isaiah receives atonement for sin, pointing forward to the finished work of the incarnate Messiah, Jesus, Immanuel.

So what was Isaiah’s response to this atonement…we see this in...

III. The Commission of Immanuel (8)

(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.”

I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” -

The Lord permits Isaiah to listen in on the sessions of the royal, heavenly court (“us”).

“Us” is like “us” in Gen. 1:26 (“let us make man”): God could be addressing himself (in a way compatible with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity), or he could be addressing his heavenly court (less likely, since only God is doing the sending here). See notes on Gen. 1:26; 1:27.

Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” -

Isaiah’s experience of grace has dealt with his problem, confessed in Isa. 6:5.

From this moment on, Isaiah is a servant of God’s court and proclaims God’s message to kings and people alike (cf. 1 Kin. 22:19, 20; Jer. 23:18, 22). Having been freely forgiven, Isaiah volunteers without waiting to hear the nature of his commission.

So What?

In our celebration of the coming of Immanuel, do we understand that the baby born in Bethlehem, was none other then the Sovereign of the universe, the one who is high and lifted up?

Do we see ourselves as sinners, needing our sins atoned for outside of ourselves?

As a result of be atoned for by the coming of Immanuel, are we ready and willing to do anything that God calls us to do?