Isaiah 6:1-8 Part 2
III. SCRIPTURE
A. Read Isaiah 6:1-4
1. Isaiah tells us he had a vision of God in heaven.
a. He doesn’t say it was a dream, but a vision—something likely experienced
during the waking hours of the day.
b. Where was he when the vision occurred? (the text doesn’t say)
- Some have speculated that he was in the
service there.
- Others have suggested it came to him during his own private devotional
time, possibly in the
of his beloved king, Uzziah.
2. His vision and the images he describes are quite explicit with interesting details.
a. His vision involves at least 4 of our 5 physical senses.
- He sees God in all His glory.
- He hears the voices of God and the heavenly beings.
- He feels the shaking of the doorposts and thresholds.
- He probably used his sense of smell to confirm that the substance filling
the temple was smoke and not fog or clouds.
b. Isaiah’s description suggests that his vision was not some psychological
or meditative thought process.
- It had a certain level of physical reality to it because it involved so many
physical senses.
3. Who are these heavenly beings called “seraphs”?
a. “Seraph” is a Hebrew word meaning “fiery one” or “burning one”.
- It may come from the idea that these beings had a shining appearance or
possibly from the fiery imagery associated with the presence of God.
b. The English translation for more than one of these beings is “seraphs”, while
the plural in Hebrew is the more familiar “seraphim” that we hear in hymns.
c. These beings have wings, they can speak and they serve God—are they angels?
- Ideas about angels were not well developed at this time.
- The Bible doesn’t call these beings “angels”, but later on, during the
intertestamental period, a complex system of angels was developed and
seraphs were linked with cherubs as high orders of angels.
- The primary purpose of seraphs seems to be to sing God’s praises and to
carry out various tasks for Him.
4. Who else in the Bible had a vision of heaven with God on a throne?
a. Ezekiel – also saw heavenly beings that are believed to be cherubs (Ezekiel 1)
b. Daniel – saw creatures that resembled a lion, a bear, a leopard and some
sort of horned beast (Daniel 7)
c. John in Revelation 4 – saw creatures resembling a lion, an ox, a man and an
eagle.
- Like the seraphs in Isaiah’s vision, the creatures in John’s vision have 6
wings and are repeating a message very similar to what Isaiah heard:
Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.
5. What does it mean to say God is “holy”?
a. In Hebrew the word “holy” comes from a root word that means “separate from”
or “other than”.
- Lesson writer: to say God is “holy” means that God is distinct and different
from the physical world of creation.
- We sometimes talk about this difference as the “transcendence” of God.
b. Notice that the seraphs repeated the word “holy” three times in their description
of God.
- In the Hebrew language, repetition is sometimes used to express the idea of
“better than”.
- e.g., in the OT when an item is described as being made of highly refined
gold, the English translation might read “pure gold”, but the actual Hebrew
reads “gold gold”.
- So to emphasize the highest degree of holiness, the seraphs describe God
as holy raised to the 3rd power.
- In the Hebrew scriptures this taking of an adjective to the 3rd power is done
only when describing God’s holiness.
c. We often like to remember that Genesis says we humans were created in
God’s image, and that Jesus was “Emmanuel”, i.e., God taking on human
form and living among us.
- But in their visions, both Isaiah and John saw that God is very different from
us—He is holy, transcendent and “other” than what we know.
- What is your image of God?
- Do you prefer a God more like Jesus, a friend, a “buddy” to help us along the way?
- Do you ever see God as Isaiah did, holy, separate, mysterious and different?
d. Verse 4 speaks of tremors and smoke in God’s presence.
- Where else in the OT do you read about tremors and smoke associated with
God’s presence?
(Exodus 19 when God makes a covenant with the Israelites at
- If we go to a worship service and don’t see any smoke or feel any tremors,
does that mean God isn’t there?
(No, recall Elijah’s experience: God was not in the earthquake, wind or fire,
but in the still small voice or silence that Elijah encountered.)
B. Read verse 5
1. Now that Isaiah has seen the incredible holiness of God, he is suddenly very
much aware of his sinfulness.
a. Do you think he might also be concerned about his own survival?
- Recall the Jewish belief that no one could look upon the face of God and live.
- Yet Isaiah seems to have done so and lived—at least in a vision.
b. Now Isaiah was not a pagan, he was an Israelite, one of God’s chosen people
and supposedly already participating in a covenant relationship with God.
- Furthermore, he was believed to have been a “good” person, possibly even
serving as a priest.
- But look at how he describes himself after viewing God’s holiness.
- Do you see this as Isaiah’s way of emphasizing the holiness of God (even
a “good” man cannot measure up to the holiness of God), or does it indicate
some problem in Isaiah’s covenant relationship with God?
- Did Isaiah need a revival, a renewal of his commitment to God?
- Had he strayed from God’s ways like his beloved Uzziah?
- Was he practicing empty rituals in the
practicing, injustice and oppression in his life outside the
2. In the 2nd part of this verse we see that Isaiah was aware of the shortcomings
of his people in the southern
a. Now the people of
the northern kingdom (
the way
-
compared themselves only to
b. But in his vision, Isaiah saw that God would judge the nation not according
to the behavior of others, but according to the holiness established by God.
(God does not grade on the curve!)
3. To his credit, after recognizing how far short he is of God’s standards, like David
before him, Isaiah confesses his sinfulness.
C. Read verses 6-7
1. In the OT flames and fire are often used as symbols for God’s judgment and
cleansing power.
a. In these verses, Isaiah is not only forgiven, but also “cleansed” of his sin.
b. Does this action by the seraph suggest that redemption of sinners involves
more than God simply saying, “I forgive you”?
- Does the image of lips being burned by a hot coal indicate that redemption
of a sinner involves suffering, that there is no painless cure for sin?
c. How do you see this image—is it merely a symbol of sin and guilt being taken
away by the hand of God? …or do you see a message about suffering here?
2. Notice that the atonement for Isaiah was not some routine punishment designed
to inflict pain (like 40 lashes with a whip).
a. Instead, it was a corrective action that symbolically removed the damage
caused by sin and made Isaiah not only acceptable to a holy God, but ready
for service as well.
b. What about our own redemption?
- Does Jesus’ atonement on the cross for our sins take care of all the suffering
involved with our redemption? (Yes)
- Does Jesus’ atonement eliminate all the consequences of our sins?
(No, recall King David still had to deal with all the consequences his sins
had set in motion.)
- Does Jesus’ atonement shield us from any suffering that may come as a
result of our trying to serve God?
(No, in Mark 8 He invited us to take up our own cross and follow Him as a
suffering servant.)
D. Read verse 8
1. A part of Isaiah’s preparation for an authentic relationship with God included
recognizing his people’s sinfulness as well as his own.
a. And now, in this new relationship with God, Isaiah is able to hear God issue
a call for someone to carry His message to those sinful people.
b. In his old relationship with God, Isaiah probably would not have heard the call.
- And if he did, he would have rejected it saying he was inadequate to speak
for God.
- But now Isaiah is properly prepared for service and he gives the model
response to God’s call, “Here am I. Send me!”
2. Why does Isaiah offer to go on mission for God instead of simply sitting back
and basking in this new found relationship with God?
a. First, because now, properly prepared, he can go, he is “qualified” to go.
- he had been allowed to see the holy God he is asked to describe…
- he had recognized and confessed his own sinfulness along with that of his
people…
- he was forgiven and cleansed for a new relationship with a holy God…
- and out of his experience of recognition, forgiveness and a new relationship
came the message he would deliver to the people.
b. Secondly, he does so out of gratitude.
- He understands that it was God himself who forgave him, cleansed him and
made it possible for him to enjoy a new relationship with a holy God.
- Because of this, Isaiah is willing to give his life to God’s message.
- He wants to share his own experience with other people even at the risk
of losing his aristocratic life of comfort, privilege and safety.
| Contact: - Search - Log On | Copyright © 2010, Temple Baptist Church |  |
