Isa 6:6 | KingComments | STEP | While matter moves as the glory of God is revealed, the hearts of God’s people remain hard and motionless. But not Isaiah’s heart. The vision causes him to fall down before the LORD. The LORD is “a consuming fire” ( ; ). In this overwhelming light he sees himself as being just as doom worthy as the people. He is going to realize that his fate does not depend on an earthly king ( ), but on the LORD, the heavenly King, the three times holy God. That is why, after the six woes over the people in the previous chapter, he pronounces a “woe” for the seventh time, this time over himself ( ). It is the ‘woe me’ of a believer who learns to see himself in God’s presence. It is not about certain sins, as with the people, but about his sinfulness. That is a deeper work. Peter also comes to the conviction of his sinfulness in the presence of the Lord ( ). We also see it with Abraham who feels like this in God’s presence when he intercedes for Sodom for the sake of Lot ( ; cf. ). We see the same with Ezekiel when he is called ( ), with John on Patmos ( ) and with Saul when he is on his way to Damascus ( ) when they come face to face with the Lord Jesus in His glory. In each of them their further service is characterized by this appearance and encounter. We do not get these visions, but have them in the Word. By reading the Word we will have the same experience. We will behold the glory of the Lord with the eyes of our hearts and be changed into that image, just as they have been changed by it. We will be overwhelmed by the reading of God’s Word in the same way as Isaiah and the others. With the exclamation “woe is me” Isaiah makes himself one with the sinful people. He feels unclean in the presence of the LORD. He knows himself spiritually in the same unclean condition of leprosy as in which King Uzziah, mentioned in , ended up through pride ( ; ). By acknowledging the judgment that he is worth, Isaiah escapes the judgment that God must bring on the whole people. Self-judgment is always the way to personally escape the judgment with which God must strike the whole. For God is always ready to grant salvation. Isaiah now participates in the assurance of forgiveness. In this he is a type of the believing remnant in the future. This is how it should always be with us. The more we understand the characteristics of Christ’s atoning work and the glories of His Person, the more we will become aware of our sinfulness. The closer we are to the Lord, the greater the awareness of our unworthiness will be. Therefore, we will learn to identify ourselves with the condition in which our fellow-members of the body of Christ have come if they have become unfaithful and go a sinful way. We will learn to confess their sins as ours. Ezra and Daniel have learned and done this ( ; ; cf. ). Only in this way we can, like Isaiah here, be called and used by the Lord as a true blessing for others. For a contrite heart there is immediate grace (cf. ). A seraph brings Isaiah into contact with what lies on the altar ( ). Because of what the altar represents – Christ, Who offers Himself to God, which gives God the opportunity to offer forgiveness ( ) – Isaiah is assured of the forgiveness of his sins ( ). Through the application of a coal from the altar of incense, he is made fit for his service. He can now go out, surrounded by the aroma of the altar of incense (cf. ). In this section we find both a throne and an (incense) altar. This refers to the glory of the Lord Jesus as King and Priest. In Israel king and priest are always separated. When king Uzziah asserts himself to fulfill a priestly task, he becomes leprous ( ). Only the Lord Jesus, like Melchizedek, can be both King and Priest.

‏ Isaiah 6:6

Sinfulness and Forgiveness

While matter moves as the glory of God is revealed, the hearts of God’s people remain hard and motionless. But not Isaiah’s heart. The vision causes him to fall down before the LORD. The LORD is “a consuming fire” (Isa 33:14; Heb 12:29). In this overwhelming light he sees himself as being just as doom worthy as the people.

He is going to realize that his fate does not depend on an earthly king (Isa 6:1), but on the LORD, the heavenly King, the three times holy God. That is why, after the six woes over the people in the previous chapter, he pronounces a “woe” for the seventh time, this time over himself (Isa 6:5).

It is the ‘woe me’ of a believer who learns to see himself in God’s presence. It is not about certain sins, as with the people, but about his sinfulness. That is a deeper work. Peter also comes to the conviction of his sinfulness in the presence of the Lord (Lk 5:8). We also see it with Abraham who feels like this in God’s presence when he intercedes for Sodom for the sake of Lot (Gen 18:27; cf. Job 42:6). We see the same with Ezekiel when he is called (Eze 1:28), with John on Patmos (Rev 1:17) and with Saul when he is on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:3-4) when they come face to face with the Lord Jesus in His glory.

In each of them their further service is characterized by this appearance and encounter. We do not get these visions, but have them in the Word. By reading the Word we will have the same experience. We will behold the glory of the Lord with the eyes of our hearts and be changed into that image, just as they have been changed by it. We will be overwhelmed by the reading of God’s Word in the same way as Isaiah and the others.

With the exclamation “woe is me” Isaiah makes himself one with the sinful people. He feels unclean in the presence of the LORD. He knows himself spiritually in the same unclean condition of leprosy as in which King Uzziah, mentioned in Isa 6:1, ended up through pride (2Chr 26:19-21; Lev 13:45). By acknowledging the judgment that he is worth, Isaiah escapes the judgment that God must bring on the whole people. Self-judgment is always the way to personally escape the judgment with which God must strike the whole. For God is always ready to grant salvation. Isaiah now participates in the assurance of forgiveness. In this he is a type of the believing remnant in the future.

This is how it should always be with us. The more we understand the characteristics of Christ’s atoning work and the glories of His Person, the more we will become aware of our sinfulness. The closer we are to the Lord, the greater the awareness of our unworthiness will be. Therefore, we will learn to identify ourselves with the condition in which our fellow-members of the body of Christ have come if they have become unfaithful and go a sinful way. We will learn to confess their sins as ours. Ezra and Daniel have learned and done this (Ezra 9:1-15; Dan 9:3-23; cf. Neh 9:16-37). Only in this way we can, like Isaiah here, be called and used by the Lord as a true blessing for others.

For a contrite heart there is immediate grace (cf. Isa 57:15). A seraph brings Isaiah into contact with what lies on the altar (Isa 6:6). Because of what the altar represents – Christ, Who offers Himself to God, which gives God the opportunity to offer forgiveness (2Cor 5:20-21) – Isaiah is assured of the forgiveness of his sins (Isa 6:7). Through the application of a coal from the altar of incense, he is made fit for his service. He can now go out, surrounded by the aroma of the altar of incense (cf. 2Cor 2:14-16).

In this section we find both a throne and an (incense) altar. This refers to the glory of the Lord Jesus as King and Priest. In Israel king and priest are always separated. When king Uzziah asserts himself to fulfill a priestly task, he becomes leprous (2Chr 26:19). Only the Lord Jesus, like Melchizedek, can be both King and Priest.