Isaiah 6:1-13

Isaiah 6:1-13

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to 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 were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “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 my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell 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 shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, The Lord has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:1-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Kings of Judah in the Time of Isaiah

Isaiah prophesied “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (1:1).

Kings of Judah Years of Reign

Uzziah (Azariah) 767–740 B.C.

Jotham 750–735

Ahaz 735–715

Hezekiah 715–686

Datable Events in the Book of Isaiah

Uzziah’s death; Isaiah’s call ch. 6 740 B.C.

Days of Ahaz ch. 7 c. 735

Assyrian invasion chs. 36–38 701

Sennacherib’s death 37:38 681

Babylonians will destroy Jerusalem 39:6–8 586

Israel will return from Babylonian exile chs. 40–48 53

Author and Date

Isaiah was called to his prophetic ministry “in the year that King Uzziah died” (6:1), around 740 B.C. He lived long enough to record the death of Sennacherib (37:38), in 681. However, most of the book can be dated only in very general terms because few specific dates are given.

“Valenton declares, ‘Never perhaps has there been another prophet like Isaiah, who stood with his head in the clouds and his feet on the solid earth, with his heart in the things of eternity and with mouth and hand in the things of time, with his spirit in the eternal counsel of God, and his body in a very definite moment of history.’”  - Panosian

“Augustine of Hippo declared, ‘Methinks Isaiah wrote not a prophecy but a gospel.’” - Panosian

“He was the son of Amoz (1:1) and traditionally said to be of royal extraction—the brother of King Amaziah, grandson of King Joachim.  The traditional dates for his ministry are c. 750-680 B.C.”. Unger

“Amoz, Isaiah’s father, according to Jewish tradition, was a brother of King Amaziah, which would make Isaiah a cousin to King Uzziah.”  Freeman

“Isaiah was married, and his wife was called a ‘prophetess’ (8:3).”  Freeman

Isaiah

The book of Isaiah reveals few details about the prophet himself. We know that he was the son of Amoz, that he was a husband and a father, and that at God’s command he used some rather unusual methods of getting his point across (20:2–6)! With the exception of a few details such as these, the Bible focuses exclusively on the prophet’s message. God called Isaiah to be a prophet in a time when the people of Judah were no longer faithful to the covenant. The nation’s disobedience meant that their prospects for the future involved God’s judgment rather than his blessing. Isaiah denounced the people’s hypocrisy, greed, and idolatry. The heart of his message, however, is found in the meaning of his name: “Yahweh is salvation.” Isaiah’s vision is ultimately a message of hope for sinners through the coming Messiah. (Isaiah 6:8–13). ESV notes

“Isaiah was called to God’s special service in a dark day.  Politically and militarily, the nation was rapidly disintegrating.  The ominous shadow of Assyria was falling across the land of Judah’s neighbor, and idolatrous Israel was less than a generation away from destruction and captivity.  In Judah itself the deliverances and blessings of God had been swallowed up by the death of an arrogant monarch; and within a short time the southern kingdom would reel under the iniquities of King Ahaz and the scourge of his alliance with Assyria.  When God called Isaiah to preach the Truth, there was no earthly hope of Judah’s political or military success.  The nation was on the verge of ruin.”  Anderson

“There are two principal themes in the book: judgment (chaps. 1-39) and redemption (chaps. 40-66).”  Freeman

“The book of Isaiah abounds with Messianic prophecies concerning the Messiah’s person, work, and kingdom, especially in its millennial aspect.  Isaiah predicts His virgin birth (7:14); His deity and eternal kingdom (9:1-7); His humanity (a branch of the root of Jesse, 11:1) and righteous reign (11:2-5); and His vicarious suffering and death (52:13–53:12).”  Freeman

“The historical background for the period of Isaiah is set forth in II Kings 15-21 and II Chronicles 26-33.”  Freeman

Isaiah is outside, near the altar in front of the temple.  The doors are supposed to open, and the veil hiding the Holy of holies to be withdrawn, unfolding to his view a vision of God, represented as an Eastern monarch, attended by seraphim as His ministers of state (I Ki. xxii. 19) and with a robe and flowing train (a badge of dignity in the East) which filled the temple.”  JFB

Note:  Similarities between Isaiah’s day and our day - chapter 1 - (rebellion); (despising God); (like Sodom and Gomorrah); (outwardly religious); (guilty of blood); (materialistic); (filled with pride and haughtiness); (drunkenness); (call evil good and good evil).

“Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭16:49‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I.  The Tragedy of the Past. vs. 1

Let us learn from the tragedies of the past so that we do not repeat the same in our own lives.

“Uzziah’s death in 740 B.C.  marked the passing of a golden age of spiritual vigor in Judah (at least until the king’s sin of presumption ten years before his decease); and his ungodly grandson, Ahaz, was perhaps already exerting an influence in Jotham’s government.”  Archer, WBC”

“Chronologically, as well as logically, the Book of Isaiah begins with this chapter, which constitutes the crisis in the life of Isaiah and brings him into the prophets office.”  McGee

A.  Learning From the Past.  vs. 1a

“In the year that king Uzziah died”

Note:  Example of Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress putting up signs to warn others of pitfalls along the way.

1.  Uzziah began well.  II Chron. 26:5,15

“Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory took place at the close of an illustrious era.  It came in 758 B.C., ‘the year that king Uzziah died’ (v. 1), at the end of what might well have been the most privileged and successful reign of any of the post-Solomonic kings.  II Chronicles 26 summarises the amazing history of this man who saw the meaning of his name, ‘the LORD has helped,’ literally fulfilled upon the kingdom he ruled for more than fifty years.  Acclaimed king of Judah at age sixteen, Uzziah (or Azariah) reclaimed and rebuilt the port city of Eloth (which Solomon had established on the Gulf of Aqaba to open up the trade routes to the south and east); he defeated his enemies in battle (subduing the Philistines, Arabians, Mehunims, and Ammonites—apparently all the major kingdoms to the west, south, and east of Judah); he fortified Jerusalem and built garrisons in other key areas; he led in the development of the nation’s agricultural potential; he developed an army of more than 300,000 men ‘that made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy’; he supplied the host with many different weapons and made new types of war instruments for defense.  It was a time of great economic and military blessing.”  Anderson

Uzziah - “The LORD has helped.”

Uzziah or Azariah

“Army of 300,000”     - Anderson

“economic and military blessing”   - Anderson

He reigned for 52 years.  He died in 758 B.C.

II Chron. 26:1-16

Note:  II Chron. 26:5,15

vs. 5 - And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.  KJV

vs. 15b - And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.   KJV

2.  Uzziah ended badly.  II Chron. 26:16

II Chron. 26:16 - But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

“Led by the high priest Azariah, eighty ‘men of the ephod’ withstood the king and courageously told him to get out of the holy place (cf. II Chron. 26:19-21).  Anderson

“It is well to note that this occurred while he was attempting to perform religious service.  Satan’s most clever deceptions and man’s worst rebellions have been in the realm of religion.”  Anderson

Note:  Examples of Samson, Saul, Demas.  Cp. I Cor. 9:24

I Cor. 9:24 - Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9:24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Many believers today are becoming castaways (or disqualified), because their lives have become spiritual tragedies.  They start off well - but they falter and give into some sin and by and by are controlled by that sin.  As a result, they become unusable in the service of God.

“Satan’s most clever deceptions and man’s worst rebellions have been in the realm of religion.”  Anderson

“It is the belief of many that he was the last great king of the southern kingdom of Judah and that after his death the glory of the Lord was no longer to be seen.  I am not sure but what that is true.  Uzziah brought the Philistines, the Arabians, and the Ammonites into subjection.”  McGee

“As F. Delitzsh says, ‘the national glory of Israel died out with King Uzziah and has never been recovered to this day.”  McGee

B.  Living Not in the Past.  vs. 1b

vs. 1b - “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”

“I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:1‬b NKJV‬‬

“train” - robe

“Lord”  - Adonai

1.  One’s eye’s must not be on man’s failure.  Phil. 3:13

Phil. 3:13 - Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

Note:  Modern Progressive Movement:  (1) focuses on past mistakes (slavery, racisms etc); (2) seeks to remove history; (3) no place for redemption.

2.  One’s eyes must be on God.

vs. 1b - “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”

“I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:1‬b NKJV‬‬

“not only above other thrones, as it transcends them, but over other thrones, as it rules and commands them.”  Henry

Note:  the LORD is unmovable, exalted, still on the Throne,and is to fill our lives.

Note:  it is not a time to be pessimistic.

a.  The LORD is immovable.

“sitting upon a throne”

b.  The LORD is exalted.

“high and lifted up”

c.  The LORD is to fill our lives.

It is important that we learn from experience, even from the tragic experiences of when we have failed or others have failed.  At times we must mourn as David when from a broken heart he the uttered the words, “How are the mighty fallen.”  And yet we must ever turn our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ and keep them upon Him who is high and lifted up.  He who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Note:  Our hope is not in earthly rulers, but in the Heavenly Ruler.

II.  The Vision of the Prophet.  vv. 2-8

“Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to 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 were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “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 my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:2-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“This might be called ‘the Old Testament transfiguration of Christ,”    - Anderson

“Although God’s judgment made impossible Uzziah’s physical entry into the nation’s earthly temple, His mercy made possible Isaiah’s spiritual entry into the LORD’s heavenly sanctuary.”  Anderson

“This assertion that he had seen God was, according to tradition the pretext for sawing him asunder in Manasseh’s reign (Heb. Xi. 37).”  JFB

A.  The Response of the Seraphim.  vv. 2-4

“Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to 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 were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:2-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“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.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:2-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

1.  The character of the Seraphim.  vs 2

“Above it stood the seraphim;”  NKJV

“Above him stood the seraphim.”  ESV

“Seraph means ‘to burn.’”  McGee

“burning ones”

“the seraphim. Fiery angelic beings (the Hebrew word means “flames”). six wings . . . he covered. Even a perfect, superhuman creature humbles himself before the all-holy God.”  ESV notes

“Apparently the seraphim are in contrast to the cherubim.  The seraphim search out sin, and the cherubim protect the holiness of God.”  McGee

In Ezekiel’s vision the four living creatures had:  four different faces (a human face; a face of a lion; a face of an ox; a face of an eagle) and four wings.  They had human hands under their wings on their four sides.

In John’s vision the four living creatures had:  four different faces (a human face; a face of a lion; a face of an ox; a face of an eagle); and six wings.

Only Michael is mentioned as an archangel in Scripture although some think Gabriel may also be an archangel.

Perhaps Satan may have been an archangel before his fall.

Note:  John was said to be “a burning and a shining light” by our Lord.

Matt. 5:14 - Ye are the light of the world.

“no life is complete that does not feel upon it some great compulsion, driving it.”  - Morgan

2.  The covering of the Seraphim.  vs. 2

“Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet,”  NKJV

“Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet,”   ESV

Note:  Humility and reverence.

“That minister serves God best who is most in the attitude of waiting on the Lord.”  JFB

“They also serve Him best who only watch and wait.”  Milton

3.  The compulsion of the Seraphim.  vs. 2

“and with two he flew.”

“In our services of God we should imitate the humility of the Seraphim, who marked their sense of their own vast inferiority by veiling their faces with two of their wings, the lower parts of their persons with two of their wings, and with the two remaining wings stood ready instantly to fly at God’s command.  That minister serves God best who is most in the attitude of waiting on the Lord.”  JFB

4.  The cry of the Seraphim.  vv. 3-4

“And one cried to 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 were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”     NKJV

“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.”  Holy, holy, holy. Holiness implies absolute moral purity and absolute uniqueness. Repeating the term three times emphasizes these qualities (compare Rev. 4:8).”

“In his book, Isaiah refers to God as ‘the Holy One (of Israel)’ 30 times, demonstrating the enduring impression this vision made on his soul.  The title is used only eleven other times in the rest of the Old Testament.”   Anderson

“‘the whole earth is full of his glory.’—‘The Hebrew more emphatically, the fullness of the whole earth is His glory (Ps. Xxii. 1; lxxii..19)’”.   JFB

“Glory is a technical term for God’s self-displayed presence with his people, which took various forms. God’s glory was seen in the cloud in the wilderness (Ex. 16:7, 10), and it filled 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). This glory was also present in Jesus (John 1:14).”   ESV Notes

posts - “thresholds”   - Anderson

“‘the voice of him that cried’ is the voice of the seraphim as they proclaim God’s holiness.”  McGee

“was filled with smoke”  - “the shekinah cloud, the symbol of ‘the glory of the Lord’ (I Ki. viii. 10; Ezek.  x. 4).”  JFB

“Immortal, invisible, God only wise

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days

Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;

All praise we would render; O help us to see

‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.”

- W.C. Smith

“He is holy, thrice holy, infinitely holy, originally, perfectly, and eternally so.”  Henry

B.  The Response of the Prophet.  vv. 5-8

“So I said: “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 my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:5-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“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!” Then 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.” 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 ‭6:5-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

1.  Concerned of inward corruption.  vs. 5

So I said: “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 my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”  NKJV

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!”   ESV

“Appropriate to the context, which describes the antiphonal praises of the lips, sung in alternate responses (Ex. 15:20,21; v 3) by the Seraphim: also appropriate to the office to which Isaiah is now specially being called—that of speaking as the prophet of God.”  JFB

“‘mine eyes have seen the King’—‘—not strictly Jehovah Himself (John 1:18; I Tim. vi. 16), but the symbol of His presence.”  JFB

A proper view of God’s holiness always reveals our own unholiness

Note:  Ex. of Job - “I abhor myself”

Ex of John - “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead . . . “  Rev. 1:17

2.  He was in need of inward cleansing.  vv. 6-7

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:6-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then 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.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:6-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“‘a live coal’—‘Lit., a hot stone (rizpah) used, as in some countries in our days, to roast meat with; e.g. the meat of the sacrifices.  Fire was a symbol of purification, as it takes the dross out of metals (Mal. 3:2,3).’”  JFB

“In the earthly tabernacle (or temple), the coals that burned the incense in the sanctuary were taken from the altar of burnt offering (brazen altar) which was in the outer court (Lev. 16:12-13; Num. 16:46).  Any deviation from this divine requirement meant death to the priest (cf. Lev. 10:1-3).  The LORD was showing the people through this that the privileges of prayer and praise were available only through sacrifice.”  Anderson

“This living coal represents the cleansing blood of Christ that keeps on cleansing us from all sin.”   McGee

“I take it that this act of putting the coal on his lips was just an external manifestation of what happened in the inner man.  It is what proceeds out of the heart of a man that goes through the lips; and, when the lips are cleansed, it means that the heart is cleansed also”. McGee

“the altar”  - “of burnt offering, in the court of priests before the temple”. JFB

“purged” - “lit, covered” - JFB

“‘thy sin purged’ - lit., covered; i.e., expiated, not by any physical effect of fire to cleanse from sin, but in relation to the altar - sacrifices, of which Messiah, who here commissions Isaiah, was in His death to be the antitype; it is implied hereby that it is only by sacrifice sin can be pardoned.”   JFB

“But God’s redeeming grace hastened to meet his need, applying to his lips a coal from the incense altar (originally from the altar of blood sacrifice; cf. Lev 16:12).  Isaiah was thus cleansed and equipped for praise, intercessory prayer, and the proclamation of God’s word.”  Archer, WBC

“It is integral to Isaiah’s message that his words will be those of a forgiven man, himself as guilty as those to whom he will offer life or death.”  GMSW

“Fellowship with the great sacrifice, the application of one of the coals which consumed the ever blessed Jesus is the way to make our lips ready for preaching.”

- Spurgeon

3.  He was in need of outward consecration.  vs. 8

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

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“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.”  KJV

“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 ‭6:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“us” - “The change of number indicates the Trinity (cf. Gen. 1:26; xi.7).  Though not a sure argument for the doctrine, for the plural may indicate merely majesty, it accords with that truth proved elsewhere.”  JFB

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Compare “let us make man” (Gen. 1:26). God could be addressing himself, as one God existing in three Persons (the Christian doctrine of the Trinity; see note on Gen. 1:26), or he could be addressing his heavenly court. This second interpretation is less likely, since God alone is doing the sending here.  ESV Notes

III.  The Commission for the Future.  vv. 9-13

“And He said, “Go, and tell 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 shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, The Lord has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:9-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“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.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:9-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Note:  The call comes after the cleansing.

A.   Required Obedience.  vs. 9a

vs. 9a - “And He said, ‘Go, and tell this people:’”  NKJV

1.  Obedience in going.

2.  Obedience in speaking.

B.  Required Courage.  vv. 9b-13; Cp.  Mt. 28:19,20

1.  A message rejected by the majority.

vv. 9b-10 - Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.  KJV

“‘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 shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“‘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.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:9-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Note:  “Render this, Keep on hearing and keep on seeing, as the Hebrew syntax demands.”  - Archer, WBC

“The words of v. 10 are attributed by St. Paul (Acts xxviii. 25,26) to the Holy Ghost.  Thus the Trinity in unity is implied; as also by the thrice ‘Holy’ (v.3).”

“Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12:39-41‬ ‭ESV‬

“The decree of hardening, quoted in full or in part at least six times in the NT (e.g. Mt. 13:14f.;Acts 28:26f.), should be read through to its conclusion in vv. 11-13, where the judgment is seen to clear the ground for new growth.”  GMSW

Note:  McGee’s illustration of coal miner in accident - “Let me illustrate this same thought with another story.  Years ago there was a big explosion in a mine in West Virginia, and many men were blocked off in the mine because of the cave-ins.  After several days a rescue party dug through to the trapped men.  And one of the first things they managed to get through to them was a light.  After the light came on a fine young miner said, ‘Why doesn’t someone turn on a light?’  The other miners looked at him startled, suddenly realizing that he had been blinded by the explosion.  But it took a light to reveal that he was blind.  God blinds nobody.  He hardens no heart.  When the light shines in it reveals what an individual is and that is what Isaiah means.  That is exactly why the Lord Jesus Christ quoted this passage.”  McGee

Note:  McGee’s illustration of milking his cow - the rats reaction and the birds reaction to the light.

Note:  Cp. Romans 1:18-32 - (1) suppress the truth; (2) turn to idolatry; (3) sexual immorality; (3) given up to their sin

“Isaiah’s job was to take a message of light to the people.  Light merely reveals the blindness of the people.”  McGee

2.  A message received by a minority.  vv. 11-13

vv. 11-13 -  “Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered:”Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, The Lord has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:11-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:11-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

“rather, ‘and if in it (the land) there still be a tenth,’ it shall be again given to be consumed:’ if even a tenth survive the first destruction, it shall be destroyed by a second . . . (Maurer and Hurley).”   JFB

“That is, a remnant would return to Palestine in faith, trusting in God’s promises to establish them there.  Nevertheless, even this remnant would be consumed by invasion and warfare (notably in the time of Antiochus IV of Syria).  Israel would

be perpetuated only by the faithfulness of a still smaller remnant, the holy seed, who was to spring out of the stump of the felled tree of Judah.  (The terebinth and oak are especially prone to produce such shoots from their stumps.)”    - Archer, WBC

“But this prospect of death has a promise of life attached; for the figure presented is of the teil (terebinth) and oak trees—each of which, although only a root-stump is left behind, is particularly capable of again sending out shoots to form a new tree.”  Anderson

The next chapter speaks of a son Isaiah named Shear-jeshub - “a remnant shall return.”