I. Introduction
This was written in the year King Uzziah died, which is 740 BC. King Uzziah had leprosy as he entered into the temple to burn incense against the warnings of the priests. God is sitting on a throne and "lifted" up, to signify His unassailable position and authority, and to that everyone must obey without doubt.
II. Isaiah’s vision of the land (1-5)
We never hear the word "woe is me" any more. If it comes back in popularity, it would probably be used to exclaim a a good thing, like how "wicked", "sick" and "bad" became is used nowadays.
But it would be cool to hear the Y generation say "woe is me, man!" to his friends, referring to something great that had suddenly happened to him.
The old English word for woe is "wā."
That's why the Singaporean Chinese is more progressive. We say "wa, I win Toto!"
2700 years ago, Isaiah said: "Wā 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!” (6:5)
I'm sure Isaiah was not using the word "woe" for anything good. "Wicked" and "bad" were also used in the Bible for what it is meant to be.
We are all impressed with Isaiah's righteousness. It puzzles me why he said to himself "woe to me".
I think what Isaiah saw was so awesome in it's majesty (v1-2), the same feeling as when you first look into the Grand Canyon. It makes you want to praise God. But more than that, I think he could feel the Holiness of God.
The three times "Holy, holy, holy" is a superlative in Hebrew to emphasize the holiness of God.
Even the Seraphim covered this face and feet in the presence of God. The feet usually refers to sin, as in, the life we walk. The head is the glory of the creature. Even for an angel, their holiness and glory pale before the almighty Creator. When the angel spoke and praised God, it must have been so loud that the foundations shook.
Some people think that if Jesus were to come again, they will rush up to Him and hug him and give him a high-5. But I think all of us will fall prostrate before him and cry our eyes out for regret of our sins.
That's what Isaiah was doing, and he was a lot more faithful and dedicated to God's work than most of us. Yet, he confessed not only his own sins but even for associating with a sinful community. That would be equivalent to the "worldliness" in us, which we underestimate.
So I think "Woe is me!" should be a phrase we use more often, when we go to God to pray, and even when we see the beauty of nature that declares the perfection and holiness of our God.
III. The consecration of the prophet (6-7)
We all know that when Isaiah said he was a man of unclean lips, he was being symbolic. It doesn't mean that his only sin is what he said.
A burning coal that touches his mouth should not be able to forgive his sins. This to is symbolic. But symbolic of what?
Malachi 3:2-3 says, “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
It's apparent that the burning coal symbolises Christ. He is the true refiner's fire, like the coals that are used to refine gold. But He took upon himself the sin of Isaiah and the whole world and put on himself. Then he took on God's wrath for us.
God gave Isaiah an IOU with the symbolic coal, that one day the branch will truly take away his sins after he is dead. The Lord Jesus saves man from the past, present and future from their sins past, present and future.
So where did Isaiah go after he died? He couldn't go to heaven as the IOU hasn't come. I believe he went to Hades, the good part, that is, where Abraham was. (Luke 16:22-26) Isaiah and the old testament saints waited there until the Lord resurrected. Then they we're taken into heaven.
We also know that the fiery part of Hades is still filled with the unsaved. They will be there until the end of the the future millennium. (Rev. 20:5)
IV. The prophet’s commission from Jehovah (8-13)
I have two thoughts about the passage from v8 to v13. First, it's about the sadness that some people "keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive."(v9).
Isaiah had a lot of friends and relatives who disbelieved his warnings. Until the day came when they were killed or exiled by the Babylonians.
How sad this is, if the same refers to our friends and family members. What if week after week, year after year, we share with them the good news; we invite them to church and we gave good Christian examples. They heard and saw, but refused to understand.
We ask "How long, O Lord" (v11) and the Lord did not answer, because the Bible already said that the last hour is here, and is now the last minutes of his coming, and the judgement of the whole world will come.
We can't tell how long they will remain deaf and blind. We can only ask ourselves if we are willing to say "Here I am, send me." (v8)
The second thought I have is on verse 13 "the holy seed is it's stump". The passage says that only 10% of the people will remain (from Babylonian attack), and yet will be burned again and only the holy seed will remain.
I am wondering if the second burning refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70AD, which Jesus predicted (Mat 24). If so, the "holy seed" would mean the Jewish Christians, who would go all over Asia and Europe to tell the good news.
Jesus said: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man." (Matt 13:37)
And Peter said: "since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;" (1 Pet 1:23.
It's because of these holy seed that we are saved today. Praise to God for not forgetting us!
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