Isaiah 6:1–13 and Meaning
Isaiah 6:1–13 (ESV)
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 And I said: "Woe 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 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me."
9 And he said, "Go, and say to this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
11 Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste.
12 And the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump."
Meaning
Isaiah 6:1–13 describes the profound vision of the prophet Isaiah, who encounters the holiness of God. This vision occurs in the year that King Uzziah died, marking a time of political turmoil. Isaiah sees the Lord seated on His throne, surrounded by seraphim proclaiming His holiness. The repetition of "holy" underscores God's absolute purity.
Isaiah’s response reveals his awareness of his sinfulness and that of his people. He recognizes his unworthiness in the presence of a holy God. The seraphim touch his lips with a burning coal, symbolizing purification and the removal of guilt. God then calls for a messenger, and Isaiah responds willingly.
However, the message Isaiah is to deliver is one of judgment. God informs him that the people will hear but not understand, indicating their spiritual blindness. This sets the stage for the impending desolation of the land, although a remnant will survive as a "holy seed."
Moral Lesson
The moral lesson emphasizes humility, the recognition of sin, and the readiness to respond to God's call. Isaiah’s acknowledgment of his unworthiness highlights the importance of humility in approaching God. The passage teaches that even in the face of difficult assignments, believers should be willing to respond affirmatively to God's call.
This passage encourages individuals to seek purification through God's grace and to live a life that reflects His holiness. It serves as a reminder of the transformative power of God's presence in the lives of those He calls, urging believers to uphold truth and righteousness even amidst a world of spiritual blindness and moral decay.
