The Word Holy
Key Words of the Bible • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:
The whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Introduction
Introduction
Words are an important part of our lives. Without words, we would not be able to communicate. In our series on the Key Words of the Bible, we are looking to define these important words as we study the Word of God.
The tenth word that we will look at in our series on Key Words is holy. “Holy” or “holiness” are found 654 times in the King James Version. God is the supreme example of holiness. Man is the opposite of holiness. When we study the holiness of God, we see that there is a moral command inherent inside it. That command is seeking to bring us to be more holy like Him. The command to be holy is found often in Scripture.
Webster defines holy as
ho•ly \ˈhō-lē\ adjective
ho•li•er; -est [Middle English, from Old English hālig; akin to Old English hāl whole—more at WHOLE] before 12th century
1: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness
2: DIVINE 〈for the Lord our God is holy—Ps 99:9 (Authorized Version)〉
3: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity 〈a holy temple〉 〈holy prophets〉
4 a: having a divine quality 〈holy love〉
b: venerated as or as if sacred 〈holy scripture〉 〈a holy relic〉
5 —used as an intensive 〈this is a holy mess〉 〈he was a holy terror when he drank—Thomas Wolfe〉; often used in combination as a mild oath 〈holy smoke〉—ho•li•ly \-lə-lē\ adverb
The idea of holiness is one of separation from that which is “unholy”. When you add the “un-” to a word, you change the word into a negation of itself. Dictionary.com has this to say about the prefix “un-”,
“a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative or opposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns ( unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of; un-get-at-able ), and less freely used in certain other nouns ( unrest; unemployment ).” -from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/un
What is unholy? Everything that is not God is unholy. Only the righteous touch of God can change something to holiness. As we see in our passage, the holiness of God is a powerful attribute of God that is found in connection with the throne room in heaven. Whenever we see this throne room in Scripture, the holiness of God is manifest in its descriptions by the prophets. Ezekiel and Isaiah see the holiness of God. In the New Testament, John sees the throne room and the holiness of God is found there too. What does it mean when it says that God Himself is holy?
Holiness is self-affirming purity. In virtue of this attribute of His nature, God eternally wills and maintains His own moral excellence.
-Emery H Bancroft pg. 77, Christian Theology
It means that God is pure because He is the standard that purity is judged by. God is holy. God is pure. God is perfect. From this passage we will see that man is not holy. Man is not perfect like God. One theologian pointed out the significance of the word holiness to our understanding of the Bible,
The holiness of God is the message of the entire Old Testament.
-William Evans pg. 38, The Great Doctrines of the Bible
When we see holiness in the Old Testament, it is pointing to the need for a New Testament. The New Testament shows us that this matter of holiness is changed by the work of Christ. What are we to do about the holiness of God?
Declaration
Declaration
God is holy. We know that from this passage. What are we to do about our own unholiness? We see here three effects of God’s holiness.
What is Holiness?
What is Holiness?
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:
The whole earth is full of his glory.
First, we must see the characters in this passage.
Who was Isaiah, the writer of this book? He was a prophet that preached the words that God gave him. His name means “the salvation of Yahweh”. He likely preached for 60 years under multiple kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. It is also likely that he was martyred under Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, but that is not known for sure.
He wrote down his preaching by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in this book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah is very important as can be seen by the fact that it is quoted second most in the New Testament, second only to the book of Psalms. It is alluded to at least 348 times which is the most of any book as well. We see the importance of Isaiah through his opportunity to see this vision of God.
Who was Uzziah, the king in verse one? Uzziah was a king of Judah. Uzziah died sometime between 742 and 735 BC. The book of Second Kings records that Uzziah did right in the sight of the Lord. This continued until one day something changed. The people in the land during his reign were disobedient and were not led to worship God only.
In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
The obedience of Uzziah changed to disobedience when he believed that he was important enough to offer a offering in the place of the priest. His pride resulted in leprosy for the rest of his life. Uzziah died as we have lived without Christ, unclean and separated from righteousness. Uzziah died a leper. His sin was seen by all who came into the king’s presence. Once the sin of the leader was out of the picture, God was able to work in His people again!
The third set of characters is the Seraphim. We see them around this throne. They are beings that inhabit heaven and are only mentioned here in the Bible. With their wings folded as we see here, they might have looked like flames surrounding the throne of God. Fire is closely associated in Scripture with the presence of God. We see it when the presence of God comes to Sinai. We see it on Mount Carmel with Elijah. The presence of smoke reinforces this presence of flame. Some commentators say that these could be serpents with wings. This word is translated as serpents elsewhere. However they look, they proclaim the holiness of God.
And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
What do the seraphim say? They say God is holy, holy, holy. This word carries much depth in its meaning and usage in the Bible. It shows that God is different and deserves respect. It shows that God is separate from the mankind due to our sin. The word holy shows us that God is above, beyond, and apart from us. The three times show the super-superlative nature of God’s holiness. The statement shows the Trinity of God. God is shown here as holy and as the Yahweh of armies fighting for Israel. We sing the song of the Seraphs in a hymn by Reginald Heber. In verse 2, we see a reference to Revelation 4 where this same song is sung in the throne room of God.
Logos Digital Hymnal Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
Author: Bishop Reginald Heber
Composer: Rev. John B. Dykes
Tune: Nicaea (Dykes)
Scripture: Rev. 4:8–11; Is 6:1–8
1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
2 Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
3 Holy, holy, holy! tho’ the darkness hide Thee
Tho’ the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
For thus saith the high and lofty One
That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
The final character is God Himself. God is called “Lord” here. He is the Master of heaven and the ruler of the earth. He is seated on a throne to show His authority. The word for throne here is an honorable seat. It shows that there is a respect here for the One seated. The throne of God is at the top of steps. The room is filled with His garment. The central character of this passage, as in all of the Bible, is God Himself. Who we are talking about this morning is God.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, thou art very great;
Thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
The temple is the house built for the presence of God. The room that Isaiah is in during this passage reflects the centrality of worship that God expects. Here the entire room reflects the holiness of God.
But the Lord is in his holy temple:
Let all the earth keep silence before him.
One theologian had this to say,
“An analogy may help in understanding this concept of holiness. What does it mean to be healthy? It means more than not being sick. Likewise, holiness is more than absence of sin; it is a positive, healthy state of being right. This what John meant when he said that God is light (1 Jn 1:5).” - Charles Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine, pg 19
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Holiness was not possessed by Isaiah. It does not describe Uzziah. It is not even true of the seraphim supremely. Holiness is only true of God Himself!
What are the three effects of God’s holiness?
1. Through Holiness, We See God’s power
1. Through Holiness, We See God’s power
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
The posts were thresholds or potions of the foundation of the throne room. They could be referring to part of the hinges on the doors. The holiness of God described by the Seraphim shakes the very doors of the throne room. God’s power is heaven-shaking.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Have you seen ever seen God? Has anyone? The answer is that no one has truly. God clothes Himself in smoke. This shows that He is too holy for man to see.
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
The power of God is seen in how He has ordained only one way into his presence. That way is through the way of His Son Jesus. No other path leads to the presence of the Holy and powerful God.
Through Holiness, we see God’s power.
2. Apart from Holiness, We are Revealed as Sinners
2. Apart from Holiness, We are Revealed as Sinners
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
When Isaiah sees the throne and the Seraphs, when he hears the their cries about the throne, as he sees the shaking of the very foundations of heaven, Isaiah says that he is ruined. Literally, He is now destroyed. He is destined for a violent end that will result in complete quiet. Because of the sight of the holy, he is forced into silence in the presence of God. Peter knew what this was like when he saw the power of God on the Sea of Galilee.
And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
As he continues to take in all that was occuring in the throne room, Isaiah goes a step further. He acknowledges that he is not ceremonially able to enter into this holy presence of God. He is impure and unable to make the sacrifice expected of a priest in the Holy of Holies. Only a perfect person could stand there in the presence of God without a profound realization of the truth of his sinfulness.
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save;
Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,
And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
When you see God for who He really is, you will see yourself as you have chosen to be, a sinner! Isaiah saw God and that is what changed how he viewed himself.
God is not unaware of this truth. He knows our sinful condition. In fact, this was something that God knew before any of us were born. He knew we would need help to change our sinful condition.
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And canst not look on iniquity:
Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously,
And holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
God was waiting until the time that there would be a perfect way.
Through Holiness, we see God’s power.
Apart from Holiness, we are revealed as sinners.
3. By Holiness, We Receive Redemption
3. By Holiness, We Receive Redemption
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Only a Holy God could give holiness to one who does not deserve it. God chose to send someone to change the sinful condition of Isaiah. There was nothing that Isaiah could do about his sin on his own. He could not make himself ceremonially righteous. He could not make himself pure. He could not do anything that would allow him to stay in the presence of the Holy God!
Holiness is the standard, the “what” as love is the “how”.
- Elmer L. Towns pg 84, What the Faith is All About
The seraph brings a coal off of the altar in the presence of God and places it on Isaiah’s lips. The coal literally touches Isaiah’s lips. The holiness of God came into contact with the sinfulness of man. A life-changing event took place that removed the sin and gave righteousness. When we allow God to work, we come into contact with the holiness of God!
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
We have received the atonement! We see the picture of Christ’s death here in the action and pronouncement of the sin and iniquity removed. Only God can remove sin. We see these two parts of Isaiah’s life here that are affected by the action of the seraph.
One is called iniquity. This is the mistakes or perverse decisions we have made because of our fallen nature.
The other is called sin. These are the actions that required an offering because of their commission.
David cries out to God in Ps 51,
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
Ultimately, what is the result of the coal on the altar for Isaiah? What is the change that is brought about by Christ’s Sacrifice for us? Our iniquity and sin are purged! They have been covered. They are removed. There is atonement here. There is forgiveness. We have been given a means of reconciliation. We are no longer responsible to suffer for our sin for all eternity.
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
The Cross shows how much God loves holiness. The Cross stands for God’s holiness before even His love. For Christ died not merely for our sins, but in order that He might provide us with that righteousness of life which God loves.
-William Evans pg 40, The Great Doctrines of the Bible
Conclusion
Conclusion
For the first time God speaks in verse 8,
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
The final verse shows that God will give the person who responds to the call for atonement an opportunity for service. God is sending out messages by the hand of those who will carry them. They tell others that God is a God who will save those who come to Him. Are you able to be sent? Are you willing to be sent?
But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Atonement comes from realizing God's holiness. Atonement leads to obedience to God's call to preach the good news. God is searching. Are we there to be found?
Are you able to stand in the presence of God because of His Holiness? The truth is that none of us can but the by purging of Christ’s blood. The Bible tells us that one day we will all stand before God. Whether to give an answer for our sin or for our works, we will all one day stand in the throne room of the Holy God. What will be your condition? What will be your position? What will be your choice? Take the free gift of Christ’s holiness today!
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.