This favorite Old Testament passage calls everyone today to understand the fullness of God’s holiness whereby He is absolutely separate from sin and exalted above all the affairs of this world. Be transformed by it like Isaiah was!
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The Holiness of God
Isaiah 6:1-7
Outline
I. God’s Holiness before Your Eyes (vv. 1-2)
A. The challenge of even looking at God.
Let’s look at the first way you can experience God’s holiness – before your eyes, in your sight. In Isaiah 6:1-2 Isaiah writes
“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord..”
You need to understand this verse from a Jewish perspective. From a modern, western, American mindset being able to see God would be really neat! Not so for the Jew. In the Mosaic writing of Exodus 33:20, God says to Moses, “you cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Much of this ingrained holy fear stems from the scene of Mount Sinai where both people and animals were not so much allowed to even touch the mountain inhabited by the Majestic One, lest they be struck down dead.
Thankfully Isaiah’s life is spared. We know this because he writes more about what he saw…
B. What Isaiah saw.
Getting past the challenge of even looking at God, we now look at the halo effect around the Almighty. Pause for a moment and think about this.
I don’t know if you’ve been to England before. There are many ways I could think of criticizing this postmodern nation in her sad departure from Christianity. But on a positive note, I can say, one thing that England does very well is the royal procession. When the Queen of England comes over for a cup of tea, she doesn’t just come for a cup of tea…she COMES FOR A CUP OF TEA. This isn’t your Starbuck’s experience in blue jeans. No. First there is the secret police…then royal guard in uniform follow in red, black and gold…then there are hoards of media…then horses come hither…and then the carriage…the carriage door opens…the audience knows automatically how to hush…a pause… “Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you Her Majesty the Queen” (followed by gushing applause).
What I just described to you is a very basic example of the halo effect that surrounds someone of great importance and respect.
That earthly example pales in comparison to Isaiah’s vision.
There are three parts of the halo effect that our prophet speaks of on his heavenly plane: (1) an exalted throne, (2) a grand temple enclosure and (3) reverent angels in flight on all sides.
(1) An exalted throne.
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Now lift up your eyes and gaze deeply! You’re looking up, and then down as you see His royal robe dominate the floor of the holy temple.
What is this vision telling us? I’ll tell you what I believe it is telling us: God is King.
There are two ways of we can approach the exciting visions in Scripture. Let me explain what I mean. One way – is, say, when you expend yourself long and hard doing the work of ministry – you get a reward for your toil…a glimpse of Christ in his glorified state (I think of the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos). But there is another way we can approach the quest for vision. Not after the work is done but before it starts. Look at Isaiah; he’s about land on hard soil in his entering the ministry. People will turn a deaf ear to his preaching left and right. What will keep him going? I’ll tell you what will keep him going: verse one “I saw the Lord…enthroned.” God is still King even when the people harden their hearts and don’t applause. And God wants you to know in December 2013, Northern California, Rancho Cordova, God is still King.
(2) A grand temple enclosure.
Big enough to allow for flying angels…think aircraft hangar. We don’t know exactly what this temple looks like. In other places of Scripture we’re introduced to gold-embroiled enclosures that made you stop and wonder in awe. I find it interesting that throughout Scripture, from Exodus to Revelation God’s holy temple seems to progressively grow in size and grandeur (compare the Tabernacle, to Solomon’s Temple, to Ezekiel’s more expansive Temple, to the great New Jerusalem of Revelation 21-22; in the latter instance, God finally ‘becomes’ the temple).
(3) Reverent angels on all sides.
As we are about to see, not only did the angels proclaim God’s holiness, they showed it in their demeanor. By the way, angels are not these naked babies with tiny wings and blonde hair you see on the cover of Hallmark cards. That really is a romanticized misrepresentation. When angels appear before people in the Bible they have to precede their words with “do not fear” or “get up from off the ground.” The angels of the Bible were fierce, and often portrayed as warriors.
Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
The demeanor or posture of these angels was altogether full of reverence and devoted worship. “Seraphim” were fiery winged human-like creatures. Literally in the Hebrew they were “burning ones” which flew. Four of their six wings were used to cover themselves before the holy one they proclaimed.
Now here’s the Jewish irony that I see coming out here (note Hebrew writing excels at jagged contrasts put there to make you think): on one hand these were radiant creatures, dazzling in appearance…if they’re “fiery” you can imagine yourself having to put your hand over your eyes when encountering one. And there’s the contrast. Amazingly, these “burning ones” have to cover themselves from God’s ultra-radiant, blazing, infinite glory.
II. God’s Holiness in Your Ears (v. 3)
A. What Isaiah heard.
And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory.”
B. The Meaning of “Holy.”
“Holy” (Qa-thosh) in Hebrew, means totally set apart for a higher sacred position.
Wayne Grudem defines it this way:
God’s holiness means that he is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor.” –Systematic Theology, p. 202.
In evangelism we often hear excuses or counterpoints to God’s holiness where people want to ask God why he allows sin, broken relationships, disease and death. In response, for we who are giving the gospel message, the temptation is almost, always, to indulge their line of argumentation and end up making wimpy excuses for God. I want to suggest to you who find yourself in that temptation to pause at this very moment and look upon the exaltation of the Holy God.
Listen to God’s Holy word to Job in the Book of Job, chapter 38:1-4, “The the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now gird up you loins like a man, And I will ask you and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know…’.”
Job is stumped. He must admit that he simply doesn’t know everything. God is bigger than him and he must humbly find his place in that.
To the enlightened heckler at the light rail station, I want to ask, “Sir, can you describe a color you’ve never seen before? [No.] Sir, can you describe all the galaxies in the universe? [No.] Sir, can you explain how your brain works in generating the first thought? [No.]”
“It seems, sir or ma’am, that God is above you in this. It would seem the Almighty has the upper hand.”
And that is what the angels are saying in Isaiah 6. God is Holy. He is, in his own essence, literally, above it all. The whole earth testifies to His otherness, and His exaltation. We dare not demand that the Almighty stoop down to our limited way of thinking.
This is a proclamation, not a discussion…in fact, it is a global declaration.
III. God’s Holiness under Your Feet (v. 4)
A. Earthquake.
And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
Not only do the great angels have to reverence Him, but the great architecture as well. I remember that last earthquake I experienced in Southern California in 1994. That was a very memorable, traumatic, time in which my parent’s suburban house appeared to come alive with moving walls and shifting doorways. Was the house coming alive? Not really. The ground beneath us, on which the house rests, was literally moving.
B. God is bigger than the Temple.
I believe that is what our text is saying to us. Even the tall pillars of the temple must ‘bend the knee’ to Him and acknowledge that He far more magnificent that they.
IV. God’s Holiness on Your Lips (vv. 5-7)
Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips: For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
And here we have more Hebrew irony. Initially you won’t see it (unless you’ve read the whole book before). Here again, we have to take a few steps backwards before we go forward.
What did Isaiah sound like when he preached to the people of Israel? Looking back in chapter 5 we see him say “woe” to them half a dozen times in one chapter:
(5:11) “Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink.” (5:18) “Woe to those who drag iniquity with cords of falsehood..” (5:20) “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…” (5:21) “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes..” (5:22) “Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine..”
[by the way, “Woe” basically means “you’re doomed!” The New English Translation uses the expression “good as dead”]
Isaiah sounds like some kind of street preacher who’s not afraid to stand up and call sin, “sin.” This is the man with the poster sign that says “repent now — judgment is coming.” This is the fundamentalist who goes straight into the crowd, holding the commonwealth of the land to God’s exact high standard without compromise.
But what happens when Isaiah comes face to face with the Holy One. What does he say then? “Woe is ME…”
The table has turned and Isaiah must take his seat with the whole lot of misfits of Israel. What does Isaiah’s startling response tell you now?
I have two observations that I can think of:
Observation #1: There’s no pecking order of holy ones in comparison to the Almighty. This is entirely unlike the Olympics where you have three levels of winners –the Gold, the Silver and the Bronze. No, sir. When the glory of God’s holiness arises we all have to sit on the bench, bury our head in our hands with the “agony of defeat” reruns replaying in our minds.
Observation #2: This scene of Isaiah’s sober realization may help us accept the doctrine of hell. Usually, I think, when we think of terms like “righteousness”, “blamelessness” or “above reproach” we are quick to put ourselves somewhere in that rank knowing that there are real baddies out there to make us look not so bad in comparison. We begin to wear ‘rose-colored glasses’ where, perhaps, most people aren’t so bad after all. We don’t deserve hell. We just need a bit of improvement.
But when the shining holiness of God appears all the roaches run for cover, myself included. We see the world in a new light – God’s light. Our rose-colored glasses shatter. And Dante’s Inferno begins to make sense.
Some might may be inclined to say that’s an overstatement. What if Isaiah’s “Woe is me…etc…” is only a gesture of respect or humility. Something like, “I’m not worthy.” He’s not that bad, so one might say…
And then come the “burning coals.”
That’s right. One of the angels confirms, in fact, that our righteous prophet (one of the most quoted OT authors in the NT, I might add) had a sin problem. Perhaps he was a slanderer, or someone who would bend the truth, or an angry reviler…what the sin was we really don’t know. Thankfully there is a measure of relief for the young Isaiah ahead. The next part of chapter 6 is Isaiah’s commissioning. However, it didn’t come to him based on his merits. It came to him after forgiveness had been granted to him.
Isaiah 6:7 closes our passage:
He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”
For the remainder of our time in God’s Word I want to explore a way to apply our passage in light of New Testament revelation.
Question: Does the New Testament relate to Isaiah 6 in any particular way? Is there a New Testament author who helps us relate this passage to our current context?
I believe the answer to that pressing question is found in the writings of the Apostle John.
1. The Apostle John unravels the challenge of Isaiah seeing God when Exodus 33:20 says no one shall see His face and live.
John 1:17-18 says,
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He [Christ] has explained Him [God].
2. The resolve: Isaiah saw Christ
John 12:41-42 says,
These things Isaiah said [quoting Isaiah 6] because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him….
Today we looked at four ways to experience God’s divine holiness so that it causes you to grow in the church body.
That last part may throw you for a curve. So let me take it in stages…
Question: What is the spiritual fruit of beholding God’s holy presence? How do we respond to it?
Application
1. Proclaim it (God’s blamelessness, total otherness, centrality, universal expanse).
1 John 1:5 says,
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
2. Be crushed by it (contrast your failure…even the failure of noteworthy saints that you look up to).
1 John 1:6 says,
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
3. Be restored by it, in Christ’s imputed righteousness.
1 John 2:1 says,
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
4. Let it make you cherish your atonement, if you have in fact placed all your trust in Jesus. Isaiah, who was a missionary and most likely martyred for his obedience, needed atonement. You, sir or ma’am, need atonement.
1 John 4:10 and 17 says,
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins..By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment…
5. Let it draw you to growth in the church body.
Ephesians 2:19-22 says,
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Conclusion
For the one who overcomes and perseveres in this, another church letter, from Revelation 3:20-21, says this:
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
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