Sermon Tone Analysis

! The Throne, the Altar and Council of Yahweh of Hosts

 

*The Flow of Isaiah 6*

 

1.

(vss.

1-4) The Hall of the Lord, Heavenly King

2. (vss.

5-7) The Purging of the Prophet

3. (vss.8-10)

The Task (for “This People”)

4. (vs.

11) The Time Frame (“How long?”)

5. (vss.

12-13) The Remnant (“If some survive and return –what of them?”)

 

*“In the year that King Uzziah died…”  *

 

This is not a “call narrative”.

Its position in the book marks the end of the Uzziah section.

The time clause “in the year of Uzziah’s death” points backward, making this a closing scene.

Its purpose is to show that the nature of God’s actions toward Israel and Judah which had emerged during Uzziah’s reign would remain the same until complete destruction would come (i.e.

Samaria in 721 B.C.) leading to the captivity of both Israel and Judah.

Isaiah 6 is the culmination scene for what was decided in the Hall of the Heavenly King and decreed in chapters 1-5.

(The Hebrew word for “send” is never used for a “call”, but rather denotes one sent to fulfill a particular task and bring a certain message.)

The nearest parallel account would be Micaiah’s prophecy in I Kings 22 which also involves kings of Israel and Judah and specifically with the fate of the king of Israel.

This passage deals with prophecy which is intended to manipulate what God intends to execute.

*Isaiah’s Authenticating Vision*

 

There are basically two types of narratives that relate to the call of God.

One is found in the stories of Moses, Gideon, Saul and Jeremiah.

Reluctance and excuses must be overcome and, “Do not be afraid!” is a reoccurring theme.

In the second type, the vision plays a greater role.

We hear Micaiah exclaim, “I saw Yahweh” and Isaiah, “I saw the Lord”.

The person is drawn into the midst of the Divine Council and observes the glory of the King.

The prophet, like the serving spirits about the King, is prepared to do the King’s will.

He becomes a part of God’s plan and His work.

The telling of the vision authenticates him as a genuine messenger for God.  (For a parallel, see Paul’s vision in Acts 9:3-6; 22:6-11; 26:12-18.)

“In all these cases in which the prophet is allowed to be present through visionary experience during discussions or decisions in the throne room of God, and thus know the ‘knowledge of God,’ and thus know the ‘knowledge of the Almighty’…he is empowered to make an unusual and overwhelming proclamation-unusual in its shocking harshness as in its great expectation” (Horst).

The purpose of this vision then is clear-it authenticates the prophet Isaiah, who “stood before the Lord,” who saw God and lived, to speak and act with divine authority to complete the task at hand.

* *

*The Heavenly Council*

 

The setting here in Isaiah 6 is similar to other passages such as I Kings 22:17-23; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6 and Zechariah 3:1-5.

Also consider the vision of John in the book of Revelation (Rev.

4-5).

#.

The frame of Isaiah 6 is composed of a /Heavenly Throne Room/ /Scene/ (vss.

1-2) and is rich in detail and description as in the passages noted above.

The names and descriptions of the King’s servants vary, but they are always there.

No description of the heavenly throne room is found in Isaiah, but the King is central in every scene while speakers move around His room as they do in chapter 6.

So then, the throne room, the place of God’s heavenly council, must be considered to be in the background for all the rest of the scenes where God is the center of discussion and drama, (such as chapters 1-5 and 40-59).

God is clearly the Heavenly King, exalted upon His throne.

His glorious presence dominates the scene as His robes fill the hall.

The seraphs minister to God’s every need.

Other throne room scenes describe the heavenly host but use different words.

In Gen. 3:24, they are called “cherubs”.

Often they are referred to as “messengers”.

2 Kings 22:21 calls them “spirits”.

Job 1:6, refers to them as “sons of God” even identifying one as “the adversary”.

Ezekiel’s vision sees them as integrated into God’s portable throne.

In the Bible they are more generally called “angels”.

Here in Isaiah, only two wings are used to fly.

Two more cover their eyes in deference to God’s glory.

The remaining two cover their feet.

This could refer to covering of the lower extremities or to the ancient oriental custom that forbids showing the soles of the feet in public.

2.

The next element (vss.

3-4) describes the /Seraph’s/ /Proclamation of Praise/ in the throne room.

Notice that there is no discussion leading to a decision – the discussion and this decision have already been made and have already been described in chapter 1.

The seraphim support the decision with a chorus of praises for the holiness and glory of God.

Praise like this is fitting any time, but the dating of the passage suggests a timely meaning here as does the shaking of the threshold and the smoke of incense.

It suggests the approval of God’s decision to destroy Israel and to purge Jerusalem that was reached in chapters 1-5.

The seraphs loudly proclaim a three-fold praise of Yahweh for the revelation of His essential being.

God is by definition “holy”.

The praise is directed to Him as “Yahweh of Hosts,” the name used in the Jerusalem Temple.

“Yahweh” had been used for worship around the ark from the beginning of Israel’s existence.

Exodus records the revelation of that name to Moses (3:14; 6:2).

Yet the seraphs proclaim His glory to be the fullness of the earth.

Holiness is God’s innermost nature, while His glory describes the appearance of His being, the display of His work through His decisions and acts.

3.

This brings us to the third element which reflects /Isaiah’s Three Cries of Response/.

First the cry of woe in vs. 5 - could it be that Isaiah recognizes that his very existence is threatened?

Isaiah’s cry may very well have been for his own funeral.

Isaiah exclaimed as he was overwhelmed by all he saw, “I am ruined!”

This could be translated, “I am lost,’ but even better is “I am silent.”

The prophet’s heart compelled him to join the praise, but he dares not.

His own nature (unclean lips) as well as that of his own people does not allow him to speak in the heavenly assembly.

Isaiah’s cry is taken as a deep confession of sin which is promptly purged (vs.

7) that gives him the right to speak!  (This act of cleansing parallels the sacrifices that were needed to enter the temple.)

!!! Isaiah’s Commission and Task

 

Heaven had decided and the decree given.

The Lord calls for a messenger to put it into effect.

Isaiah then cries, “Send me!”

The Lord said, “Go!

And you shall say to this people…”  Here the call for a messenger and a commission are similar in the OT passages noted before.

The usual messenger would be one of the heavenly host, a “spirit”, or in one case, even the adversary himself.

Yet, only in Isaiah 6 is any other than the heavenly court sent on such a mission!

The commission itself is not directed so much toward the message, but /a task/ to fulfill.

What was Isaiah’s task?

He said, "Go and tell this people: `Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

Isaiah 6:9-10

!!! Hearing – Understanding; Seeing - Knowing

 

This is a theme that runs from Isaiah 1:3 - 42:16-20 in which Israel is called “blind” and “deaf”.

The LXX picks this up as well:  “You shall indeed hear, but not understand…the heart of this people became dull.”

So Isaiah’s commission was to testify to an existing condition~/tradition which prevents repentance.

Yet the prophet seems to play an active part in hardening and dulling the hearts of the people of Israel so that repentance does not take place, now that the decision to destroy and send the covenant people into captivity has been made.

Compare this to the task of the spirit in 1 Kings 22:20-23 and see an even greater parallel in the “hardening of Pharaoh’s heart” in Exodus 8:11, 15, 28, 32; 9:7, 34.

This is not a one-sided action – Israel’s heart is hard and the Lord has made it so must be given equality.

We can say then that Isaiah received a commission, but not to bring in a harvest!