Isaiah 6

What’s Happening?

In the opening chapters of the Bible, we learn that God’s people were meant to be a beacon of God’s justice, beauty, and goodness to the world (Genesis 12:1-3). God told both the first humans and Abraham that through their “seed” or children, the world would be blessed and know peace (Genesis 3:16, 12:7). But Abraham’s children have filled Israel with rebellion, evil, and corruption (Isaiah 1:1-5). By Isaiah’s day, the impurity and uncleanliness of Israel are so advanced God says Israel and its people must be destroyed and exiled (Isaiah 2:1-5, 4:2-4). However, through exile, Israel will be cleansed of its evil and recover its mission to the world. 

Israel’s king has just died, ending his 52-year rule. As Israel’s throne is vacant, the prophet Isaiah is granted a vision of God, the true King of Israel, in his throne room (Isaiah 6:1). The vision is overwhelming for Isaiah. God is surrounded by spiritual beings who are all singing that God is “holy” and declaring that his presence covers the whole earth (Isaiah 6:2-3). Here, the word “holy” likely refers to God’s moral perfection and the purity of his justice. God’s holiness stands in sharp contrast to the evil and corruption of Israel. In response to the beings’ declaration that God is holy, Isaiah falls to the ground. In the presence of God’s moral purity and perfect justice, he recognizes that he is an unclean man from an unclean people and declares that he should die (Isaiah 6:4-5). Isaiah’s fate is entirely in God’s hands, just as the fate of kingless Israel rests in God’s hand. But God does not destroy Isaiah. Instead, one of the spiritual beings grabs a lump of coal from an altar used for sacrifice and places it on Isaiah’s lips. The spiritual being then declares that through the burning of the coal, Isaiah’s guilt has been taken away and that his uncleanliness has been washed away (Isaiah 6:6).

Then, for the first time, God speaks. God asks those assembled who would be willing to be sent out into Israel on a mission (Isaiah 6:8). Isaiah immediately volunteers. God says Isaiah will be his mouthpiece to unclean Israel, but his preaching ministry would deafen ears, blind eyes, and harden hearts (Isaiah 6:9-10). Overwhelmed by this commission, Isaiah asks for how long he must preach like this. God’s answer isn’t comforting. Isaiah must continue to preach until Israel’s cities are destroyed and its people are exiled (Isaiah 6:11-12). Only once Israel becomes like a burned-down forest will there be cleansing and healing. Only after this burning will a “holy seed” sprout from the ground, and the restoration of God’s people will begin (Isaiah 6:13).

Where is the Gospel?

Israel must follow Isaiah’s example. Isaiah was confronted with a holy God; he recognized his uncleanliness in his presence, was purified through burning, and was sent out on his mission. Heartbreakingly, Israel must first become even more deaf, blind, and hardened so that their cities will be burned down and their people exiled. But just like Isaiah was commissioned after his burning, Israel will be recommissioned after theirs. After exile, a seed that has been made holy, just, and pure, like their God, will sprout, and a new era for God’s people will begin. The royal seed of Isaiah’s prophecies is Jesus (Matthew 1:1). 

The purifying power of Jesus was evident throughout his life. When Jesus touched lepers, they were cleansed, and when he touched the dead, they were raised (Matthew 8:1-4; 9:18-36). When Jesus touched those afflicted by chronic diseases, they walked away purified (Luke 8:4:3-48). And even the morally corrupt and spiritually proud were forgiven and promised a place in God’s Kingdom. Many of those he purified and healed immediately began to proclaim (as Israel was meant to) that God’s justice, beauty, and goodness had finally arrived and that all people should follow Jesus (Luke 8:26-39). Like the coal that purified Isaiah, Jesus purified those around him.

But Jesus’ ultimate act of purification happened at his death. The coal in Isaiah’s vision was not just any coal; it was taken from the altar of sacrifice. Isaiah’s purity was not simply granted; it came at a cost. Isaiah never mentions what was sacrificed for his purity, but we know that Jesus was sacrificed for ours (1 John 1:7-9). Through his destruction, we are all purified of our evil and restored to our calling. 

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who purifies his people. And may you see Jesus as the one who has died as our sacrifice to make us holy.