God's Mandate For Mission

ISAIAH 6:1-7

Isaiah’s purpose apparently is first to present the heart of his message, and only then to relate the account of his own prophetic call. To accomplish this end he places at the head of all his prophecies a general introduction (chapter 1) in which he sets forth in germ form the themes which he is later to develop. From this he plunges immediately into his message, beginning with a note of hope (2:2–4) and concluding on the same note (4:2–6). In this first utterance he announced the sinful depravity of the nation and the certainty of coming judgment. From this judgment the only refuge was to be found in God and His redeeming grace. In order to reinforce the message a picture of the loving care of God in the choice of Israel and in the gifts which He gave to her is found in chapter 5, a chapter which leaves no doubt as to the justice of God in sending judgment upon sin. It is only after this initial proclamation that the prophet is ready to relate the call to the prophetic office, an account which reinforces what he has already proclaimed.

Summary

The revelation of the glory of the LORD was the foundation; it led to a response of confession, which brought cleansing, which in turn enabled him to hear the Word of God, which carried a commission to preach the message.

Surely the question is, how can this Israel become that Israel? How can a senseless, rebellious, arrogant, unjust people ever become a holy, submissive bearer of God’s revelation to the world? Although the answer to that question is not a central part of this article, let me not leave you in the dark about what I think it is. I believe Isaiah’s answer to the question he has prompted us to ask is found in chap. 6. When the nation of unclean lips has undergone the experience of the man of unclean lips, then the nation will be empowered to bear a message to the world as the man was empowered to bear a message to the nation. This is why chap. 6 occupies the place in the book it does, I believe.

THE SOVEREIGN GLORY OF GOD

1. The Human King

a. King Uzziah

The reference: “in the year that king Uzziah died…” [6:1].

§ This was approximately 739 BC to 740BC.

§ Uzziah was just sixteen years old when he began to reign.

b. King Uzziah’s Reign

Judah had known no king like King Uzziah since the time of Solomon: “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” [2Chr.26:5].

§ His reign had been a time of international stability, agricultural development, military success and construction work [2Chr.26:6-15],

§ Uzziah enjoyed military success: “God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians…” [2Chr.26:7].

§ Jerusalem enjoyed economic prosperity: “Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem…he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skilful men…” [2Chr.26:9-15].

c. King Uzziah’s End

King Uzziah’s reign ended with the King under divine curse, separated from human contact and afflicted.

§ Uzziah’s heart was lifted up with pride: “when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; for he transgressed against the Lord…” [2Chr.26:16].

§ Uzziah was punished by God for usurping the priest’s office: “the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests…” [2Chr.26:19].

§ The end: “Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death…” [2Chr.26:21].

Application

Thus Uzziah, as the darkness of death closed in upon him, was symbolic of Isaiah’s view of the nation, its plight and its problem.

§ At this juncture, when the affairs of the land and of the nations were in turmoil, the prophet is reminded of who is in control. There is going to be a significant change in divine attitude towards the people.

§ The era when, through peace and prosperity, Yahweh had pleaded with them to return to him – “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord…” [1:18] - has come to an end. Now there is nothing to hold back the imposition of his judgement.

2. The Vision of the Heavenly Sanctuary

a. The Sovereign Lord

Isaiah saw the absolute overlord of all the earth: “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne…” [6:1].

§ וָאֶרְאֶ֧ה - “saw” [6:1], ‘to view’; ‘to see a vision’;

§ אֲדֹנָ֛י - “Lord” [6:1], ‘the sovereign’; ‘the God who is able to carry out his purposes’;

§ ‘A title of the true God with a focus on the authority and majesty of a ruler’: “And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me…” [Gen.15:2]; “Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent…” [Exo.4:10].

b. The Throne

The enthroned Sovereign: “sitting upon a throne…” [6:1].

§ יֹשֵׁ֥ב - “sitting” [6:1], qal participle, ‘inhabiting’; ‘dwelling’;

§ כִּסֵּ֖א - “throne” [6:1], ‘piece of furniture on which ruler sat’;

§ רָ֣ם - “high” [6:1], qal participle, ‘have an object in higher elevation’;

§ וְנִשָּׂ֑א - “lifted up” [6:1], niphal participle, ‘to cause or lift up an object to higher elevation’; Solomon’s throne: “the throne had six steps…” [1Kgs.10:19].

§ “Behold, my servant…shall be exalted and extolled and be very high” [52:13]; “the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy…” [57:15].

c. The Description

i. The Royal Robe

The royal robe: “his train filled…” [6:1].

§ וְשׁוּלָ֖יו - “train” [6:1], ‘hem’; ‘the long flowing part of a robe that drags behind the person wearing it’; indicative of ‘majesty and splendour’;

§ מְלֵאִ֥ים - “filled” [6:1], qal participle, ‘have a quantity of space filled with a mass or collection’;

ii. The Temple Filled

The temple filled: “his train filled the temple” [6:1].

§ הַהֵיכָֽל - “temple” [6:1], ‘sanctuary’; ‘worship complex’; ‘the dwelling place of God’: “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple…” [2Sam.22:7]; “the house, that is, the temple before it…” [1Kgs.6:17].

d. The Temple Significance

The temple was the one place on earth where earthly and heavenly reality intersected, and it was the prophet’s privilege that his inner eye was enabled to see beyond earthly symbols to the transcendent world they represented, and that the barrier to direct communication with that realm was removed.

i. The Design of Solomon’s Temple

The holy place: “the temple Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high…” [1Kgs.6;2].

§ The porch: “the portico at the front of the main hall…” [1Kgs.6:3].

§ The most holy place: “Solomon partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple…the most holy place” [1Kgs.6:16]; “prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there” [1Kgs.6:19].

§ The courtyard: “Solomon built the inner courtyard…” [1Kgs.6:36]; “he made the courtyard of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court…” [2Chr.4:9].

ii. The Cosmic Temple

By its implicit and explicit cosmology, the sanctuary taught the absolute sovereignty of God over the created world, symbolising simultaneously his headship over Israel.

The three parts of Israel’s temple represented the three parts of the cosmos: the outer court symbolised the visible earth; the holy place primarily represented the visible heavens; the holy of holies stood for the invisible heavenly dimension of the cosmos where God dwelt.
This understanding of the temple as a small model of the entire cosmos is part of a larger perspective in which the temple pointed forward to a huge worldwide sanctuary in which God’s presence would dwell in every part of the cosmos. John later pictures the entire new heavens and new earth to be one mammoth temple in which God dwells as he had formerly dwelt in the holy of holies. [Beale, 48].
The significance of Isaiah’s vision of the luminescent smoke filling the temple [6:4] is explained by the seraphim to mean that the whole world manifests Yahweh’s cultic heavenly glory that has unique correspondence in the earthly temple.
In the same way that God’s glory filled both the tabernacle and the temple at the conclusion of their construction, 6:3 affirms with the same terms that God’s glory fills the entire cosmos [Beale 49].

Summary

Evidently, the veil had been removed and there, where the ark should be, is a great throne.

The phrase “filled the temple” expresses the general truth that God is present in all his majesty at the centre of people’s life.
The temple is no mere symbol of his indwelling presence; it is the reality of it.
But there is also the specific truth that in the temple the Lord meets with his people on the basis of sacrifice. This in particular is the point where heaven touches earth.
“The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven…” [Psa.11:4];

3. The Attendants

a. The Seraphim

The presence of the seraphim: “above it stood the seraphim…” [6:2].

§ מִמַּ֙עַל֙ - “above it” [6:2], ‘servants standing and waiting on a seated master’;

§ עֹמְדִ֤ים - “stood” [6:2], qal participle, ‘present’; ‘stand in front of a superior’; ‘ready to serve’;

§ שְׂרָפִ֨ים - “seraphim” [6:2], ‘the burning ones’; ‘these angelic beings were brilliant as flaming fire, symbolic of the purity and power of the heavenly court’; ‘perhaps their incessantly moving wings resembled the flickering of flames’; not to be mistaken with the cherubim.

§ The “living creatures” of Revelation 4 combine elements of Isa 6 and Ezekiel 1’.

b. The Servants

i. The Worship

They worshipped the King: “with two he covered his face…” [6:2].

§ יְכַסֶּ֣ה - “covered” [6:2], piel imperfect, ‘to cover’; ‘to hide from’;

§ By covering their faces the seraphim avoided being overwhelmed by the presence of the Supreme Being and showed their respect of him.

§ They covered their eyes, not their ears, for their task was to receive what the Lord would say, not to pry into what he was like…

ii. The Readiness to Obey

They waited for the King’s command: “with two he covered his feet…” [6:2].

§ יְכַסֶּ֣ה - “covered” [6:2], piel imperfect, ‘to cover’; ‘to hide from’;

§ By covering their feet they acknowledged their unworthiness to appear in the presence of the Supreme Being;

§ While they were untiringly ready to carry out whatever was required of them; they disavowed any intention to choose their own path.

iii. The Ceaseless Dynamism

The ceaseless dynamism: “with two they did fly…” [6:2].

§ יְעוֹפֵֽף - “fly” [6:2], polel imperfect, ‘linear movement through the air’;

§ The scene is one of intense and ceaseless dynamism, focussed round the one on the throne;

Application

The “seraphim” were examples of what the sinful nation should be doing.

4. The Description of God

They announced that His presence and His importance filled the whole earth:

a. The Seraphim’s Hymn

The seraphim’s hymn asserts the Lord’s holiness: “one cried to another…” [6:3].

§ וְקָרָ֨א - “cried” [6:3], ‘to call, summon’;

§ “one to another”; it seems likely that there were two heavenly choirs engaged in continuous antiphonal singing in which “one would call out to another”;

b. The Incomparable God

They announced the incomparable God: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts…” [6:3].

§ קָד֧וֹשׁ - “holy” [6:3], ‘separate’; ‘set apart’; ‘consecrated’;

§ ‘as a result of sin, holiness goes beyond pointing to the transcendence of God over against the finitude of creation; it also expresses divine separation from all that pollutes and degrades;

§ יְהוָ֣ה - “Lord” [6:3], ‘Yahweh of the covenant salvation’ [Exo.3:14];

§ צְבָא֑וֹת - “Hosts” [6:3], ‘hosts of all that exists’; “Therefore says the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel…” [1:24];

§ There is no being or force in heaven or earth that does not depend on him and whose destiny is not determined by him’;

i. Isaiah’s God

Isaiah’s message reflects that no man before had caught the impact of God’s holiness quite as he did. Isaiah uses the title repeatedly: “the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy…” [57:15].

§ The Lawgiver: “they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel…” [5:24].

§ The Saviour: “Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee” [12:6]; “For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour…” [43:3].

§ The Sovereign Creator: “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One” [40:25];

c. The Revelation of God

The seraphim’s hymn defines the Lord’s glory, at least indicates what it is that makes this glory evident: “the whole earth is full of his glory” [6:3].

§ כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ - “whole earth” [6:3], ‘all of creation’;

§ מְלֹ֥א - “full” [6:3], ‘to fill a space completely’;

§ כְּבוֹדֹֽו - “glory” [6:3], ‘to be heavy’; ‘splendour, honour’; ‘visible manifestation of the character and splendour of God, the external splendour that is evidence of his holiness’;

§ Literally: ‘that which fills the whole earth constitutes his glory’.

i. The Glory of God

The word “glory” comes from a root meaning ‘to be solid, heavy’:

The basic idea of this word has to do with “weight, being heavy”; metaphorically this becomes “be important.
To describe God as glorious, if I may run the risk of oversimplification again, means that ‘He is the most important person in the universe’ [A P Ross].
This is ‘an expression of his stunning importance and reality’.

Application

Holiness is God’s hidden glory; glory is God’s all-present holiness.

Note the possible link: “his train filled the temple” [1:1] and “whole earth is full of his glory” [1:3];
The hymn stresses both the mysterious and the displayed nature of the being of the Lord.
We might add: ‘God’s glory is His uncovered holiness, even as his holiness is his inner glory’. ***

5. The Structural Description

a. The Temple Doorposts

The next verse describes what happened on this specific occasion: “the posts of the door moved…” [6:4].

§ הַסִּפִּ֔ים - “posts” [6:4], ‘door frame’; ‘threshold’;

§ וַיָּנֻ֙עוּ֙ - “moved” [6:4], ‘shake, tremble, sway’; “the whole mount quaked greatly” [Exo.19:18];

b. The Voice

The divine speech: “at the voice of him that cried…” [6:4].

§ מִקּ֖וֹל - “voice” [6:4], ‘any type of noise which breaks the sound waves’;

§ הַקּוֹרֵ֑א - “cried” [6:4], qal participle, ‘to call, summon’;

c. The House

i. The Temple

The appearance of the house: “the house was filled with smoke” [6:4].

§ וְהַבַּ֖יִת - “house” [6:4], ‘dwelling place’;

§ יִמָּלֵ֥א - “filled” [6:4], ‘to fill a space completely’;

§ עָשָֽׁן - “smoke” [6:4], ‘a marked attendant to theophanies’:

ii. The Smoke

The “smoke” may be understood in one of two ways:

§ That which surrounds the divine presence: “a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces…” [Gen.15:17]; “mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire…” [Exo.19:18];

§ Here the smoke may be linked with the altar [6:6], most probably the incense altar. Clouds of incense shrouded the presence of God when the high priest entered the innermost chamber of the tabernacle: “he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony, that he die not” [Lev.16:13].

Application

At this point the prophet’s vantage point in the vision seems to be the entrance to the throne-room, looking inwards;

Compare “his train filled the temple” [6:1] with “the whole earth is filled with his glory” [6:3] and “the house was filled with smoke” [6:4].
Isaiah had come seeking God but God was everywhere to those who had eyes to see him.

THE CONFESSION

The revelation of the glory of the Lord uncovers sinfulness.

1. The Source

a. The Vision

The vision of the King: “for my eyes have seen the King…” [6:5].

§ רָא֥וּ - “seen” [6:5], qal perfect, ‘use perception of sight’;

§ הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ - “King” [6:5], ‘royal ruler’; ‘governmental head’;

§ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת - “Lord of Hosts” [6:5],

b. The Unseen God

There is the horror of seeing the living God: “Go down, charge the people, lest they break through to the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish” [Exo.19:21].

Moses’ request: “you cannot see my face: for there shall no man see me and live” [Exo.33:20].

c. The Pre-incarnate Christ

Isaiah saw the glory of the pre-incarnate Christ: “they could not believe because Isaiah had said again…” [Joh.12:39].

The pre-incarnate Christ: “Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s glory, and spoke about him…” [Joh.12:41].
The ultimate expression of God’s glory is Christ: “no one has seen God at any time…” [Joh.1:14].

Application

John: “we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father…” [Joh.1:14].

Transfiguration: “He was transfigured before them, and his face did shine as the sun…” [Mat.17:2].

2. The Judgement of God

a. The Sense of the Holy

Isaiah’s first utterance draws attention to the effect: “then I said, Woe is me! For I am…” [6:5].

§ אֽוֹי־לִ֣י - “woe is me” [6:5], ‘state of intense hardship and distress’; “woe unto their soul…” [3:9].

§ נִדְמֵ֗יתִי - “undone” [6:5], niphal perfect, ‘to perish’; ‘to be destroyed’;

i. The Silence

The idea of being “undone” is derived from the verb ‘to be silent’, which is used of ‘the silence following disaster or death’; ‘being put out of existence, being made utterly to perish’; ‘like a dead man, he could speak no longer’;

§ “silenced” would be telling in this context, i.e., excluded from the heavenly choir, forbidden even to join from afar in adoration, but the silence of death must be included too.

§ Implying that the experience of seeing God was so devastating that he was already as good as dead: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” [Hos.4:6].

b. The Confession

i. The Personal

Isaiah is rendered unfit to join in the chorus of the heavenly choir: “I am a man of unclean lips…” [6:5].

§ טְמֵֽא - “unclean” [6:5], ‘defiled’; ‘ceremonially impure’; to be “unclean” need not mean “sinful”; but it does mean off limits, out of bounds, unacceptable in the presence of God because of physical, earthy nature and contaminations.

§ שְׂפָתַ֙יִם֙ - “lips” [6:5], ‘organ which forms words’;

§ Arises from Isaiah’s awareness and sense of sinful contamination which renders him unfit to join in the chorus of the heavenly choir.

ii. The National

Isaiah was not alone in being disqualified in this way: “in the midst of a people…” [6:5].

§ יוֹשֵׁ֑ב - “dwell” [6:5], qal participle, ‘to inhabit, settle’;

§ עַם - “people” [6:5], ‘a very large kinship group, regarded as related biologically as well as language and other cultural common features’;

§ Sin affected the whole nation, and they were, one and all, polluted like their king who had died that year, with the result that they were condemned and debarred from genuine fellowship with, and praise of, the holy God.

Application

For Isaiah 6 I could certainly include instructions to spend time in studying the Scriptures that portray the glorious Christ, to respond with conviction and humility to the revelation of God (never suppress the proper response to God’s revelation) to confess sinfulness and maintain an ongoing sanctification, and then to obey the commands of God to proclaim Him, whether the message is popular or not.

One polluted by sin and an unworthy intruder into a realm where he did not belong.
At this point he may have lain on the ground crushed in contrition.
One of the best passages, however, is 2 Corinthians 3 and 4. It is about Paul’s ministry, how he was able to endure a difficult ministry with all kinds of troubles and persecutions. At the heart of it is his statement that when we see Christ in the Word of God, as in a mirror, we are transformed into that same glory, by the power of the Spirit.

Isaiah is faced with the darkness of his guilt being shown for what it is in the light of God’s awesome holiness.

THE FORGIVENESS

The acknowledgement of sinfulness brings forgiveness.

1. The Grace of God

Isaiah was met with God’s mercy and forgiveness…

a. The Seraphim

The obedient service of the seraphim: “then flew one of the seraphim…” [6:6].

§ וַיָּ֣עָף - “flew” [6:6], ‘make linear movement through the air’;

§ הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים - “seraphim” [6:6],

§ The seraphim flew at God’s command: “with two they covered their feet” [6:2].

§ The initiative has been heaven’s all along – revealing [2-3], excluding and condemning [4-5], and now sending the seraph to the one chosen to save.

b. The Grace of God

i. The Live Coal

The fire of God: “having a live coal in his hand…” [6:6].

§ רִצְפָּ֑ה - “live coal” [6:6], ‘glowing stone’; ‘hot coal’; ‘live ember’; ‘very hot, glowing, piece of burning carbon material’;

§ The use if what was called a ‘fire stone’ was common in the ANE; such stones were heated by the fire and then could be carried wherever needed to transfer heat.

ii. The Fiery Judgement of God

The idea of “hot coal” is appropriate as an image of God’s judgement and cleansing:

§ The fire of God can destroy: “our God is a consuming fire…” [Deu.4:24]; “the sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” [33:14].

§ This idea of judgement is present in the second half of the Chapter: “until the cities be wasted without inhabitant…” [6:11-12].

§ The “fire” of God also has cleansing power: “I will bring the third part through the fire…” [Zec.13:9]; “he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…” [Mal.3:2-3].

§ The judgment of God: “By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin…” [Isa.27:9].

iii. The Fire of the Altar

The source of the hot coal: “taken with the tongs from off the altar…” [6:6].

§ לָקַ֖ח - “taken” [6:6], qal perfect, ‘to grasp, obtain’;

§ בְּמֶ֨לְקַחַ֔יִם - “tongs” [6:6], ‘pair of tongs’;

§ הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ - “altar” [6:6], ‘construction for the placing of gifts or sacrifices in a ritual to a deity’;

§ It would seem that the altar referred to is the incense altar, and that the stone or charcoal came from it.

iv. The Two Altars

The two earthly altars jointly represent the spiritual dimension of how God might acceptably be approached.

§ On the one, the altar of burnt-offering, substitutionary sacrifice was made to expiate sin: “he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make an atonement for him” [Lev.1:4].

§ The sin-offering: “the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense…shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt-offering” [Lev.4:7]; “take the fat…burn it upon the altar of burnt-offering” [Lev.4:8-10].

§ From that altar fire was carried to the incense altar – “he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil…” [Lev.16:12; Num.16:46], indicating that prayer could be presented to Yahweh only on the basis of right relationship established by sacrifice.

§ The perpetual fire on the altar – “the fire on the altar shall be burning in it, it shall not be put out…” [Lev.6:12-13] – went beyond symbolising divine wrath, for the altar was the place where the holy God accepted and was satisfied by blood sacrifice [Lev.17:11].

c. The Grace of God & Jehovah’s Servant

It holds together the ideas of atonement, propitiation and satisfaction required by God and the forgiveness, cleansing and reconciliation needed by his people. All this is achieved through substitutionary sacrifice and brought to Isaiah, encapsulated in the single symbol of the live coal…

§ The decisive removal of God’s judgement: “when you shall make his soul an offering for sin…” [53:10].

§ The fiery judgement of God: “it pleased the Lord to bruise him…” [53:10].

§ The cross: “we have an altar, whereof they have no right…” [Heb.13:10].

Application

It is altar symbolism that portrays God’s provision of cleansing and purifying to sinners as a consequence of his acceptance of the sacrifice that has been made.

§ The burning purging of the coal at the very least reveals that the forgiveness of sin is never accomplished painlessly.

2. The Explanation

a. The Application

The “seraphim” acts like a priest in bringing the token of divine favour to the prophet: “he laid it upon my mouth…” [6:7].

וַיַּגַּ֣ע - “laid” [6:7], hiphil imperfect, ‘to make contact with any part of the body’;
פִּ֔י - “mouth” [6:7], ‘opening’; ‘entrance of the body for ingestion’;
The point of Isaiah’s confessed need: “I am a man of unclean lips…” [6:5].

b. The Explanation

i. Communication

The word of explanation: “this has touched your lips…” [6:7].

נָגַ֥ע - “touched” [6:7], qal perfect, ‘to make contact with any part of the body’; ‘signifies the communication of what had been accomplished by the sacrifice on the altar’;
שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ - “lips” [6:7], ‘organ which forms words’;

ii. Forgiveness

The forgiveness: “you iniquity is taken away…” [6:7].

עֲוֹנֶ֔ךָ - “iniquity” [6:7], ‘to bend, twist, deviate from the way’; ‘inward corruption of his nature and the guilt arising from it’; “a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord…” [1:4];
וְסָ֣ר - “taken away” [6:7], qal perfect, ‘to turn aside’; ‘linear movement of an object to another place’;
Coordinate perfects: as soon as the one happened so did the other;

iii. Atonement

The atonement: “your sin is purged” [6:7].

וְחַטָּאתְךָ֖ - “sin” [6:7], ‘to miss a mark or a way’; ‘specific acts of wrongdoing’;
תְּכֻפָּֽר - “purged” [6:7], pual imperfect, ‘coat, cover’; “shalt pitch it within and without with pitch…” [Gen.6:14];
The noun is the ‘ransom price’ or the ‘price which justice requires’: “When thou take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD…” [Exo.30:12]; “And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls” [Exo.30:16].

iv. The Sin Offering

The sin-offering makes atonement: “thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it…” [Exo.29:36].

§ The high priest: “Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements…” [Exo.30:10].

§ The day of atonement: “But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him…” [Lev.16:10];

c. A Sacramental Action

In that respect the seraphim’s action was sacramental: a physical action signifying a spiritual reality.

§ It is significant therefore that the prophet was not left to work out for himself how the ritual was to be interpreted.

§ The word of institution accompanied and explained the action performed [cf. 1Cor.11:23-26].

Application

The seraph explains that through the sacrificial offering the prophet’s uncleanness and unfitness to approach the King have been dealt with, and the symbolism of this ritual should confirm to him the spiritual realities that underlie the outward action.

The parallel drawn by the prophet between his own uncleanness and that of his contemporaries urges them to come to a similar verdict regarding what the reality and judgement of heaven exposed in their case also.
The sacrificial language of altar and atonement cannot be adequately understood apart from Jesus Christ.
The ultimate sacrifice of the “righteous for the unrighteous” brings us to God [1Pet.3:18].
What is ultimately pointed to was the “blood of Jesus which cleanses from all sin” [1Joh.1:7].

H.H Rowley: ‘he who a moment before felt that in the presence of the Holy God sin could not exist, and that therefore he must perish with his sin, now felt that he was separated from his sin so that it alone might perish and he might live’.

Romans 12:2 implies that the “burning coals” image refers to an “overcoming” of evil. How is the evil of the enemy overcome? Help in answering this question comes from both biblical (internal) and nonbiblical (external) sources. In the narrative of the prophet Isaiah’s call (Is 6), the recognition of his sinfulness receives a divine response of purging and purification. A burning coal is taken from the altar and applied to his mouth, with the assurance that “your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven” (Is 6:7 RSV). This connection between burning coals and repentance and cleansing is also present (though not as directly) in Malachi’s picture of God as one who is “like a refiner’s fire” (Mal 3:2). As fire refines silver and gold to purify it, so God will “purify the sons of Levi … till they present right offerings to the Lord” (Mal 3:3 RSV). The point of this passage is that Israel’s sin and disobedience shall be separated out through the refining process of God’s judgment.[1]

Perhaps the most dynamic usage of the term as coverage and removal in forgiveness, strongly picturing atonement as coming from God, is Isa. 6:7. The invalidation of sin has its source at the altar, the seat of the divine. One could not desire a stronger connection of the cult with the spiritual and ethical. [2]

6:1–13. The Essentials of Worship. As Isaiah receives his call to preach, he participates ideally in worship. Let us note the major emphasis in the chapter.

(1) The center of worship (1–4). It is God rather than the altar, angels, choirs, or preacher. The God who is exalted is a thrice holy God who is both to be distinguished from man and identified with him. He is the Holy One of Israel, not just the Holy One.

(2) The initial response of the worshippers (5–7). There is first a conviction of sin which is openly confessed. This is followed by an assurance of forgiveness, accomplished without animal sacrifice by God himself.

(3) The Word of God (8a). The vision of God is followed by a word from him. In worship people should not only see God but hear his challenging word, his call to service.

(4) The surrender to the will of God (8b). It should be noted that Isaiah submitted to the call to service before he knew what it was. This is basic to any real guidance in discovering God’s will.

(5) The task (9–12). After the surrender, Isaiah is told what he is to do—a discouraging task. If he had known this, he might never

RevExp 65:4 (Fall 1968) p. 473

had committed himself. Many a young person has given himself to the exciting adventure of serving God only to discover that his service is measured out in the dull routine of enduring the resistance of his congregation. Yet God sees him through it all. However, at first his faith might not be strong enough to face that arduous journey. From day to day he receives the strength to go on.

(6) The promise (13). It may be necessary to cut down the tree, but from the stump will come the new people of God. Is that not the hope of all of us who wrestle with a declining church?

[3]

But as important as the book’s concept of judgment is, it is apparent that judgment is never an end in itself. This is made plain in the introductory and concluding chapters and especially in chapter 6. God has no satisfaction in reducing Isaiah to a gibbering mound of flesh on the floor. Bringing him to the point of realizing that he cannot even exist in the presence of God is not the purpose of the vision. Rather, that horrible realization is designed to prepare Isaiah to receive the purifying fire on his lips, which is in turn designed to prepare him for his mission. So it is with Israel, the nation of unclean lips; they undergo the fire not merely so that God’s just wrath may be propitiated, but so that they may declare to the world that the glory which fills all Creation is nothing other than the glory of the Holy One of Israel.

This latter point is of great importance. For just as judgment is not an end in itself in Isaiah, neither is salvation. God’s purpose is that the world might know him, and while the saved might legitimately glory in their salvation, they may not use that salvation as a justification for drawing into themselves in “holy” pride (56:3–8). It is when the world sees the glory of God in and through Israel that their salvation will have reached its intended fruition (60:1–3).

[4]

The Purpose of Isaiah 6

Isaiah’s call and responsibilities in ministry are explained in chapter 6 of Isaiah. The call narrative in verses 1–8 sets into motion the themes of the entire book and gives ultimate shape to Isaiah’s ministry. First, the prophetic call appoints Isaiah to preach a hardening word to the people as a proleptic judgment (6:9ff)5. Second, it shows the people that God’s nature and actions would be consistent with God’s nature and actions during Uzziah’s reign.6 Third, the place of the call narrative in the context of Isaiah as a whole shows a significance of these verses which transcend the historical particularity of eighth-century Judaism.7 Isaiah’s mission demonstrates a continual divine offer of hope for the covenant people, based on Yahweh’s desire for repentance and restoration.

The Context of Verses 1–8

The significance of verses 1–8 lies in the centrality of Yahweh in the call of the prophet and its resulting action upon the hearts of the people. Isaiah 6 is a testimony to the power of the word of God, whether experienced in the prophetic call or in the transmission of the words themselves. Childs asserts, “The Old Testament is not about divine acts in history as such, but about the power of the word of God.”8 If that is the case, in Isaiah 6 God is acting to call out and purify a new prophet to proclaim His message of redemption. God’s ethical righteousness demands the purity of both the prophet and the chosen people.9

Isaiah’s role in the entire process of call is subsumed under Yahweh’s presence. The intentional lack of information about the mind or character of the prophet in the text reinforces the evidence that the prophet is simply responding to the word of God—much like the people to whom he would be preaching.10

The Use of Verses 9 and 10

Isaiah’s call purposes to intensify the obduracy of the people, an obduracy created because of the overwhelming power of the word of God. Israel had seen that power displayed already in their deliverance from Egypt. A message that previously brought light and hope now will deliver judgment. “It was not darkness and a famine of hearing the word of God that would destroy the nation; it was light, too much light. It was this very light which would blind the people.”11

The complexities of this passage present two primary struggles in interpretation: (1) Is Isaiah’s call completely to this pessimistic mission? And (2) how is the hardening accomplished: that is, is Yahweh the hardener or do the people bring the hardening upon themselves?

The first question is addressed by Hans Wildberger who interprets Isaiah’s call as one primarily of faithfulness, not of message:

RevExp 94:2 (Spring 1997) p. 261

Isaiah is not a prophet of doom, but he had to learn that there was nothing else to do but announce the judgment, making it publicly known that Israel was ripe for judgment, was indeed, putting its own judgment in effect… . Precisely in this way, he would be a faithful servant of Yahweh.12

Therefore, the question is not whether Isaiah would be called to a pessimistic mission but whether he would faithfully carry out God’s word. Isaiah understands that his message brings doom for the people, but as R. E. Clements proposes, the irony of the passage is found in the sincere desire of Isaiah for the people to turn and repent.13

The second question, whether the obduracy was wrought by God, was evidently a concern for the translators of the Septuagint. The Septuagint translates shama’ in verse 9 as a future verb, so that instead of, “Keep on listening, but do not perceive,” the Septuagint has, “You shall indeed hear but never understand,” implying that when the people heard, (at some point in the future) they would not understand.14 Craig Evans notes, “At issue was the disturbing notion that the God who had given this people Torah would ever intentionally harden his people.”15 John Watts notes that the pattern in chapter 6 follows a hardening-seeing-understanding-knowing motif that runs from 1:3–42:20 in the book.16 In other passages besides 6:9–10, the people play a greater role in their own hardening. In 29:9, 20 people do not worship with their hearts; in 42:18–20, there is a hidden promise the people cannot see because of their own idol worship; 43:8 is a trial oracle of hardening; 44:18 taunts makers of idols who cause hardening; and 63:17 is a lament of the hardening.17

Is it possible to find a clear understanding of the nature of obduracy within the Isaiah texts? The passages cited above indicate a continual attempt on the part of the writer to maintain a paradox between the role of Yahweh and the role of the people in the hardening. Interpretations of these troubling texts should maintain the paradox of Yahweh’s hardening of the people, and the people’s own cognizant rejection of Yahweh’s message through Isaiah.18 Chapter 6, however, certainly amplifies Yahweh’s role (but not Isaiah’s) in carrying out the judgment.

[5]

Surely the question is, how can this Israel become that Israel? How can a senseless, rebellious, arrogant, unjust people ever become a holy, submissive bearer of God’s revelation to the world? Although the answer to that question is not a central part of this article, let me not leave you in the dark about what I think it is. I believe Isaiah’s answer to the question he has prompted us to ask is found in chap. 6. When the nation of unclean lips has undergone the experience of the man of unclean lips, then the nation will be empowered to bear a message to the world as the man was empowered to bear a message to the nation. This is why chap. 6 occupies the place in the book it does, I believe.[6]

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RSV Revised Standard Version

[1]Kaiser, Walter C.: Hard Sayings of the Bible. Downers Grove, Il : InterVarsity, 1997, c1996, S. 573

[2]Review and Expositor: Review and Expositor Volume 59. Review and Expositor, 1962; 2008, S. vnp.59.1.19

[3]Review and Expositor: Review and Expositor Volume 65. Review and Expositor, 1968; 2008, S. vnp.65.4.472-65.4.473

[4]Review and Expositor: Review and Expositor Volume 88. Review and Expositor, 1991; 2004, S. vnp.88.2.153

5 5. Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979), 331.

6 6. John D.W. Watts, Isaiah 1–33, in Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1985), 73.

7 7. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament, 325.

8 8. Ibid., 337.

9 9. Hans Wildberger, Isaiah 1–12, trans. Thomas H. Trapp, in Biblischer Kommentar (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991), 276, 277.

10 10. Christopher Seitz, Isaiah 1–39, in Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993), 56–7.

11 11. Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, vol. 1 in New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), 257.

12 12. Wildberger, Isaiah 1–12, 273.

13 13. R.E. Clements, Isaiah 1–39, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 77.

14 14. Craig A. Evans, To See and Not Perceive (Sheffield: Academic Press, 1989), 62–64.

15 15. Ibid., 68.

16 16. Watts, Isaiah 1–33, 75.

17 17. Evans, To See and Not Perceive, 43–45.

18 18. Watts, Isaiah 1–33, 75.

[5]Review and Expositor: Review and Expositor Volume 94. Review and Expositor, 1997; 2004, S. vnp.94.2.260-94.2.261

[6]Trinity Evangelical Divinity School: Trinity Journal Volume 17. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1996; 2002, S. 17:195