Grace Institute: Isaiah: The Humility of Isaiah

The Humility of Isaiah Isaiah 6 Fall 2008

The Setting (Isaiah 6:1–4)

“I Saw the Lord”

In chapters 1—5, Isaiah pleads with the nation of Judah to give up their pride and arrogance and humbly repent before God. He tells them that they have nothing of which to be proud in comparison to the glory of God.

Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness. (Isaiah 5:15-16 ESV)

When we get to chapter 6, we discover that this truth is not just a hypothetical theological discussion for Isaiah. Isaiah has experienced this first hand. He is a man who is humbled and brought low, having been confronted with the exalted Lord who shows himself holy.

“In the year that King Uzziah died”

This vision of the Lord takes place in the same year that King Uzziah died. This would have been a time of great uncertainty, both for the kingdom of Judah and for Isaiah personally.

For the nation, Uzziah had been king for 52 years, reigning over a time of relative peace and prosperity. With his death, the kingdom must have worried about what would come next. In the northern kingdom, after the 41 year reign of King Jeroboam II, that kingdom went into a long period of political instability as one military coup after another seized power. Would Judah suffer the same fate now that the lengthy reign of Uzziah was over?

For Isaiah, the death was more personal. Isaiah had served as the official court biographer for Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:22). Isaiah was a young man serving in the court, and very likely looked up to the man who to this point had been the subject of his writings. As happens when you lose a mentor and someone you admire, Isaiah was probably wondering how he now fit in the world.

“Sitting upon a throne”

He would get his answer, as he is transported into the throne room of God. There is much conjecture as to whether this was a vision of the heavenly temple or if this scene took place in the earthly temple in Jerusalem. My inclination is to see this as a vision of the heavenly throne room of God. However, it is really an irrelevant question, as it is not the location of the throne but the one sitting upon the throne that matters.

In our English translations, the word “Lord“ is used for two different Hebrew names for God. When the word is presented in all caps (“ Lord ”), it is a translation of the personal, covenantal name, Yahweh. However, when not in caps (“Lord”), it means master or sovereign. In verse 1, Isaiah says he sees the Lord, the master or sovereign, seated upon the throne.

This name for God is presented in contrast to the death of King Uzziah. Now that Uzziah is dead, who will reign over Judah? Who will sit on the throne over the people? It is the Lord. Isaiah has come to realize that Uzziah is not the ultimate king of Judah. His son Jotham is not the lord of Judah. No, God is the king. He is the one seated on the throne.

“…my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:5b ESV)

Yahweh of hosts is the king. He was always to be the true king of Israel. The descendents of David were merely vassals of the true king, reigning under the authority of the sovereign Lord.

Might it be that Isaiah had placed too much faith in the great King Uzziah? Uzziah was not a perfect king. He mostly followed after God. However, he never did eliminate the temples to pagan gods. Late in life, he arrogantly made a temple sacrifice that was only to be performed by a priest. For this failure, he was struck down with leprosy. Had Isaiah been trusting in this imperfect earthly king more than he was trusting in the ultimate king of Judah?

Often, we too, put too much of our hope in imperfect political leaders. When we come into an election season, as we are now, so often we become so invested in our causes and in our candidates that we lose sight of who the real sovereign is. We paint gloom and doom scenarios if the opposition gets into power. However, we must never lose sight of the fact that all earthly rulers are merely servants of the Sovereign Lord. It is he:

…who brings princes to nothing,
And makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.” (Isaiah 40:23 ESV)

No matter who is in power, God is the ultimate ruler, and He is in control of earthly politics. Be it Obama or McCain, or even Jim Torrey or Kitty Piercy, none of them will take office except that God has placed them there (Romans 13:1b). Therefore, we need not despair if our favorite candidate loses. God is still in control, and the Lord is still seated upon the throne.

“The Whole Earth is Full of His Glory”

When we encounter the throne room of God with Isaiah, we discover it is a loud and violent place. Too often, our picture of heaven is a peaceful place with pudgy angels floating on clouds playing their harps. Isaiah paints a very different portrait. This is a scene of awesome terror. The glory of God does not make Isaiah feel warm and fuzzy, but rather, in fear for his life.

The temple is filled with smoke, and the hem of God's robe extends out from the throne and fills the entire room. Above the throne are odd-looking creatures, called seraphim who are shouting out to one another in praise of God's glory. The word seraphim literally means “the burning ones.” They are bright fiery creatures with six wings. They cover their faces and their feet with their wings. Even these glorious creatures cover themselves in the presence of God.

The shouting of the seraphim as they proclaim God's holiness is so loud that the very foundations of the temple shake. I have attended rock concerts where the noise is so loud that the auditorium seems to rattle the building. I've sat in the balcony of MacArthur Court where the University of Oregon plays basketball where the crowd is shouting so loudly that the very balcony is vibrating. This is louder than that. This is not a shaking balcony at a basketball arena. This is the foundation of the temple of the Lord that is shaking.

Jesus is the Glory of God

Often people perceive the God of the Old Testament differently than the God of the New Testament. It is commonly held that the God of the Old Testament is the holy, wrathful God. The picture of God in Isaiah 6, with his glory shaking the foundations of the temple would be the stereotypical picture of this Old Testament God.

However, according to the apostle John, when Isaiah saw the glory of God in this chapter, what he saw was the glory of Jesus.

Isaiah said these things because he saw his (Jesus) glory and spoke of him. (John 12:41 ESV)

The person Isaiah saw sitting on the throne in glory, was our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Too often Jesus is portrayed as a peace-loving guru who just wanted everyone to love each other. However, Jesus is not some hippy who just wanders around speaking of peace and love. Jesus is the awesome God on the throne, whose glory shakes the foundation of the temple. Jesus is the glory of God made flesh (John 1:14).

“Holy, holy, holy”

Causing all this noise in the throne room are the seraphim, who are crying out to one another:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of his glory
(Isaiah 6:3 ESV)

Importance of Holiness

You will note what the seraphim sing is “holy, holy, holy.” It is not just “holy.” It is not even “holy, holy.” They proclaim “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.” They do not sing, “Love, Love, Love, is the Lord of hosts,” even though we know that God is Love. They do not sing, “Justice, Justice, Justice, is the Lord of hosts,” even though we know that God is Just. Instead, they sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Sproul 40) .

From this we can surmise that holiness is the attribute with which God wants to be primarily identified. It is the characteristic shouted in the throne room of God. That being the case, we should take God's holiness seriously. We should take the time to understand what it means that God is Holy.

Through this experience, Isaiah comes to understand this importance of God's holiness. This is demonstrated throughout his writings, as his favorite title for God is “the Holy One of Israel.”

We see glimpses into the throne room of God in two occasions: Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4:8. In both cases, the attribute of God proclaimed in the throne room is God's holiness.

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8 ESV)

Given that holiness is the attribute shouted by the angels in the throne room of heaven, we should take God's holiness very seriously.

Holiness Defined

So what is Holiness? Outside of church, the only times a modern speaker would use the word would be to say something like, "Holy Cow," or "Holy Smokes," or my personal favorite, "Holy moley." But what is holiness? Holiness is one of those religious terms we hear all the time but sometimes struggle to define. We can use synonyms such as sacred, consecrated, and hallowed. However, these terms have the same stuffy anachronistic feeling as word holy. Holiness, as amplified in scripture, seems to encompass three things:

1. Holiness Means to Be Set Apart

God is unique. He has no rivals or competition (Deffinbaugh) . He is unsearchable, incomprehensible, incomparable, great, wonderful, and exalted (Watts) .

"Who is like you, O Lord , among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11 ESV)

In our house, we have a Red Plate. Around the outside of the plate are the words, "You Are Special Today." In our house, on a special occasion, or after someone has done something important, they get to eat off the Red Plate at dinner. For birthdays, Mother's Day, or some other special day, we dig out the Red Plate. We do not use it every day. It is reserved, set apart, for special occasions. Because of its specialness, we keep it in a different cabinet than the rest of the dishes. We do not run it through the dishwasher, but we wash it by hand. It is a special plate. To the extent that holiness means that something is set apart, our Red Plate is holy. It is set apart, different from the rest of the dishes.

When we say that God is holy, we are saying he is set apart, different, and more special than anything else is.

At the gate to Arlington National Cemetery the cemetery, there is a sign that says, “This is Hallowed Ground, our Nation's most sacred shrine.” That sign is saying that Arlington Cemetery is holy. There was something different about visiting Arlington. In Washington D.C., all the museums, the monuments, are filled with busy places and people talking and running around. However, at Arlington, people are silent or whispering. People stand in front of the graves and were respectful. Why? This cemetery is hallowed. It was not an ordinary place. It is not a park or a shopping mall. It is special, a place to be honored.

When the angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy, they mean God is special. God is not just like any other being. God is set apart. He is holy. He is not to be treated like just anyone else or to be thought of in “everyday” terms. He is holy.

2. Holiness Means To be morally pure

God's holiness is more than just being separate and without comparison. It also encompasses the idea of purity. Holy things are pure and clean. There is no evil or wickedness.

Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? ….You…are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong. (Habakkuk 1:12-13 ESV)

To say that God is pure and perfect means does not merely mean that God does not have any imperfections. In the same way that being healthy is not merely the absence of illness, God's purity is not just the absence of imperfection. Holiness means that God is perfect.

God's holiness means God is righteousness. However, righteousness does not merely mean that God does what is right. Rather, righteousness means that whatever God does is right. Righteousness itself is defined by God's character. He is the standard of all that is good and right.

If righteousness were defined by anything other than God's character, then God would be subject to a standard outside himself. If God were subject to a standard outside himself, then he would not be that set apart, special being. He would not then be holy.

When the angels sing Holy, Holy, Holy, we mean that God is pure and that all righteousness is defined by who God is.

3. Holiness amplifies all of the other attributes of God

Finally, holiness is not merely just another attribute in a long list of attributes. It is the attribute proclaimed by the Seraphim in heaven. As such, holiness becomes a synonym for God himself.

It is the attribute by which all His other attributes are qualified. God's love is a holy love. God's justice is a holy justice. His mercy is a holy mercy. His power is a holy power. His Spirit is the Holy Spirit (Deffinbaugh) .

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.

The Sin (Isaiah 6:5—7)

“Woe is me”

When we contemplate God's holiness, what should our response be? Isaiah's response is a good example of what our response will be if we truly understand and truly experience His holiness.

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!" (Isaiah 6:5 ESV)

Isaiah became aware of His own sinfulness, especially related to his speech. When confronted with the transcendent purity of God, his impurity was readily apparent. Furthermore, he became aware of His people's sinfulness. Mostly, he became aware of his fate. He understood that his lack of holiness doomed him (“Woe is me, for I am lost!”).

(Isaiah) was not impressed with his "significance." His "self-esteem" was not enhanced. Just the opposite took place. His vision of the holiness of God caused Isaiah to lament his utter sinfulness. If God was holy, Isaiah saw he was not (Deffinbaugh)

When confronted with God's holiness, our response will be humility. If we struggle with pride, it is because we do not understand the holiness of God. Humility is seeing God for who He is. It is also seeing ourselves for who we are. If we truly understand God, and therefore understand ourselves, we will be humble people.

Humility is the foundational character trait of the Christian. To become a Christian, it requires that we first humble ourselves and admit our need for a savior. It is the first step to finding salvation. If you do not think you are guilty, then you have no need for a savior.

One of the largest roadblocks many people face with placing their faith in Christ is that they do not see their need. In an effort to boost self-esteem, society has taught a generation that they are not bad people. While people might think Jesus was an important religious figure, they do not perceive him as a savior and redeemer who has come to rescue them from their plight.

Jesus saves? Saves what? Years ago, there was a popular bumper sticker that said, “Jesus saves… green stamps.”

If that is your picture of Jesus, then you have not encountered the holiness of God. When are confronted with His holiness you are fully aware of your sinful state. You are fully aware of the fact that you are doomed. You are fully aware of the fact that you are in desperate need of a savior.

This attitude of humility should be a trait that becomes more and more evident the closer we are to God. I have become convinced that spiritual maturity is not so much that we sin less and less, but rather that we become more and more aware of how sinful we really are.

Humility and repentance are an on-going characteristic of the Christian. We have not just been saved in the past, but each day we are being saved by Jesus from our sins. We are still people in need of a savior. John's first epistle says it this way.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9 ESV)

“I am a Man of Unclean Lips”

As Isaiah is confronted with his own woeful state, he become primarily aware of his sinful lips.

“I am a man of unclean lips…”

Why does Isaiah focus so clearly on this speech and his language as the center of his sinfulness?

It could be related to his vocation. Isaiah is a writer by profession. He chronicled King Uzziah's life, and even his prophetic books contain some of the most beautiful poetry ever written. It could be that, as a writer, Isaiah's whole being is best expressed in words that come from his lips.

However, even for those who are not professional writers, our words betray our inner being. Jesus himself said,

“It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." (Matthew 15:11 ESV)

In his warning to teachers that they have a greater accountability, James says,

The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. (James 3:6 ESV)

The lips and the tongue are where our sinfulness can most readily be seen. Our speech reveals who we really are inside. When we curse men and bless God with the same mouth, it reveals our hypocrisy and sinfulness in a way that we must confront.

“I Dwell in the Midst of a People of Unclean Lips”

Isaiah is struck not only by his own guilt, but also by the guilt of his people.

“I come from a people of unclean lips.”

Isaiah has recognized that part of his guilt before the Holy God is guilt brought on by his citizenship in Judah. Even if Isaiah himself were not directly guilty, the fact that he was part of a nation of people who were guilty before God made him unworthy to stand in the presence of a holy God.

In our individualistic culture, we do not understand or want to deal with the concept of national guilt. Our guilt or innocence is our own. We consider “guilt by association” to be unfair.

Yet, scripture consistently shows that even those who are right with God have some connection to the sin of those around us and the sin of our nation. We, as Christians, still bear the guilt of our nation.

The prophet Daniel, in chapter 9 of his book, confesses all the sins of Israel and Judah that led up to their exile. He does not say, “They sinned.” He says, “We sinned.” Daniel was a righteous man. Yet he still considered himself guilty because he was part of a guilty nation. Daniel took on the guilt of his nation, so that he could ask for the redemption of his people.

But we still protest. Why should I be associated with the guilt of others? However, that is exactly what Jesus does. He takes on our guilt. He became associated with our sins (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus sets the example when he took our sin and our shame on the cross.

Furthermore, if the people of God do not confess the sins of the nation, who will? If we do not humble ourselves and bear the guilt of those around us, how do we think redemption will ever happen? It will not happen by us pointing fingers at the guilty and declaring judgment on the sinful. It will happen only when we ourselves accept responsibility for the guilt of our nation, our city, and even our families.

The Sending (Isaiah 6:8—13)

“Your Guilt is Taken Away”

God does not leave Isaiah in his doomed, woeful state. God, in his holiness, takes the initiative to forgive, to purify, and purge Isaiah of his sin so that he can be a used by Him.

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)

The burning one brings a burning coal, and with this provides for atonement for Isaiah's sins. Isaiah does not have to do anything to atone for his sins. There is no penance required. There are no works he must attain to offset his guilt. The forgiveness of Isaiah's sin comes through the grace of God. All that is required of Isaiah is that he admits that he needs God's grace.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 ESV)

“Here am I, Send Me”

Having been forgiven, God calls Isaiah to a new vocation.

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 ESV)

The order of events here reminds us of an important principle. Ministry and service must come out of humility and in recognition of our place before God. We cannot serve God if we think we are important or necessary to God. Only when we have humbled ourselves and are thus forgiven can we begin to be used by God. If we think we have something to offer Him, we are not ready to be called by Him. Our calling comes out of an admission that we are worthless before a holy God.

“How Long, O Lord?”

Isaiah is now ready to become God's prophet, proclaiming his message to the nation. However, God warns him that the message would not be well received.

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." (Isaiah 6:9-10 ESV)

Isaiah would proclaim his message to a people who would not listen. He will prophesy, but his prophecy will bear no fruit.

However, having seen the awesome glory of God will give Isaiah the strength to endure when he is being rejected by the people. Having encountered the throne room of God, Isaiah knows that the fear of God and His holiness was greater than the fear of men and their rejection of him.

Success is not dependent upon response

This warning to Isaiah is evidence that success in ministry is not dependent upon the response of the people to us. It is dependent upon our response to God. We cannot measure the success of a ministry by the numbers of people involved. Just because someone has a large church does not mean that that pastor is necessarily right with God. Likewise, just because people are not flocking to a church in droves does not mean that pastor is not being faithful to their call.

The prophet Jeremiah was one of the most faithful prophets of the Old Testament. He proclaimed the Word of God day and night in the midst of great persecution. Yet Jeremiah saw very few people repent. The people of Judah ignored him and persecuted him and he died in Egypt in exile.

Meanwhile, the prophet Jonah ministered out of bad motives and with a bad attitude. He whined at God, complained about his calling, and then protested when God rescued the very people to whom he was sent to preach. Yet Jonah saw the entire pagan city of Nineveh repent and turn to God.

Which prophet was more successful? Isaiah is being told up front that this is what he should expect. It is because he has seen the greatness of God that he can be sure of his calling.

Success comes from seeking God's glory

If we struggle to continue to be faithful in light of persecution, it is because we have not seen God in his full holiness. When we feel like giving up, what we need is a clearer picture of the greatness and the holiness of our God.

In John 12:41, the apostle John told us that Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus, and it was because of this that he was able to continue to prophesy in the midst of rejection.

In contrast to this, however, John tells us of many leaders among the Jews who believed in Jesus, but because of the fear of excommunication, they did not openly confess their belief in Jesus (John 12:42).

…for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (John 12:43 ESV)

I do not think Isaiah can imagine loving the glory of man more than the glory of God. Having encountered Jesus on his throne, the glory of man pales in comparison.

Whose glory do we seek? If we are more worried about what men think, then we need a fresh encounter with the holiness of God. However, if we have encountered the Holy One of Israel, we will seek the glory God rather than men.