Isaiah 6
Today's Passage: Isaiah 6
What do you think Heaven will be like?
Whatever words one might use to describe eternity, the word “fun” probably won’t top that list. Not that I think eternity won’t be fun, but that “fun” falls short to describe what we will experience.
Think of breathtaking moments in God’s Creation—looking out at the Grand Canyon, seeing the peaks of the Rockies, stepping into the vastness of the ocean. Is seeing the Grand Canyon fun? I guess. But more than that, it’s awesome to behold. It’s jaw-dropping. And, if we have an awareness of the danger presented by these areas, maybe even terrifying.
Isaiah 6 is one of the most famous passages in the whole Bible. We get a first-hand view into God’s throne room. Isaiah witnesses strange and wonderful creatures worshipping God with the eternal chorus—“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
It’s mentioned often but worth repeating, the Hebrew writers used/understood repetition for emphasis. Notably, the number three often represents perfection in Scripture such that God isn’t just holy, He’s perfectly holy.
It’s very hard for us to put ourselves in Isaiah’s sandals in terms of what he witnessed. The only thing we can judge is his response—terror. So much of our lives is determined by what we love and what we fear. These things determine what we’re running from and what we’re running to. Too many times our fears are misplaced. We fear loneliness, destitution, uncertainty, etc. So, we overvalue relationship, money, or control.
In this moment, Isaiah discovered there is only one fearful thing, the Lord’s power. What he witnessed was awesome beyond description. Nothing we’ve experienced in all of Creation (as great as it may be) compares to the majesty and awesomeness of the Lord in splendor. In our fallenness, proximity to God’s holiness brings destruction.
Notice the effect of the coal on Isaiah’s lips. In the Law of Moses, defilement corrupts holiness. In God’s throne room, holiness purifies the defiled. Then we see Isaiah’s bold statement, “Here I am! Send me.”
“Holy” means to be “set apart.” It’s something different, uncommon, and intended for a particular use. When Isaiah responds to God’s missional call, Isaiah was “set-apart.” He had been purified and he had been given a purpose.
In Jesus, the righteousness of God was made manifest. On this side of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, our defilement can be purified through faith in Christ—just like Isaiah with the coal. Not only are we purified, but we receive purpose and mission.
In Christ, we have the opportunity to bring the message of restoration to a broken world. We are made holy with the mission to spread God’s holiness in the world.
To learn more about God’s holiness check out this 6 minute video.
https://youtu.be/l9vn5UvsHvM
Written By: Tyler Short
What do you think Heaven will be like?
Whatever words one might use to describe eternity, the word “fun” probably won’t top that list. Not that I think eternity won’t be fun, but that “fun” falls short to describe what we will experience.
Think of breathtaking moments in God’s Creation—looking out at the Grand Canyon, seeing the peaks of the Rockies, stepping into the vastness of the ocean. Is seeing the Grand Canyon fun? I guess. But more than that, it’s awesome to behold. It’s jaw-dropping. And, if we have an awareness of the danger presented by these areas, maybe even terrifying.
Isaiah 6 is one of the most famous passages in the whole Bible. We get a first-hand view into God’s throne room. Isaiah witnesses strange and wonderful creatures worshipping God with the eternal chorus—“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
It’s mentioned often but worth repeating, the Hebrew writers used/understood repetition for emphasis. Notably, the number three often represents perfection in Scripture such that God isn’t just holy, He’s perfectly holy.
It’s very hard for us to put ourselves in Isaiah’s sandals in terms of what he witnessed. The only thing we can judge is his response—terror. So much of our lives is determined by what we love and what we fear. These things determine what we’re running from and what we’re running to. Too many times our fears are misplaced. We fear loneliness, destitution, uncertainty, etc. So, we overvalue relationship, money, or control.
In this moment, Isaiah discovered there is only one fearful thing, the Lord’s power. What he witnessed was awesome beyond description. Nothing we’ve experienced in all of Creation (as great as it may be) compares to the majesty and awesomeness of the Lord in splendor. In our fallenness, proximity to God’s holiness brings destruction.
Notice the effect of the coal on Isaiah’s lips. In the Law of Moses, defilement corrupts holiness. In God’s throne room, holiness purifies the defiled. Then we see Isaiah’s bold statement, “Here I am! Send me.”
“Holy” means to be “set apart.” It’s something different, uncommon, and intended for a particular use. When Isaiah responds to God’s missional call, Isaiah was “set-apart.” He had been purified and he had been given a purpose.
In Jesus, the righteousness of God was made manifest. On this side of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, our defilement can be purified through faith in Christ—just like Isaiah with the coal. Not only are we purified, but we receive purpose and mission.
In Christ, we have the opportunity to bring the message of restoration to a broken world. We are made holy with the mission to spread God’s holiness in the world.
To learn more about God’s holiness check out this 6 minute video.
https://youtu.be/l9vn5UvsHvM
Written By: Tyler Short
1 Comment
Thanks, Tyler. Really good commentary and video on God's holiness.