Thursday, February 28, 2013
Eager Expectation
Eagerly, yet patiently awaiting the arrival of Spring---when all is new again. Reminds me of the Apostle Paul's consideration of the matter regarding the future glory to come in his letter to the Romans...see Romans chapter 8 verses 18-25.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
....wow....it's been so long that I forgot that I started this blog years ago....was reminded by replying to my daughter's post.....you may see her blog here: audreykorea.blogspot.com . After quickly reviewing my last few posts I realized that I was rather long-winded so long ago, but I was really excited about studying Isaiah. It took about 5 years to go through Isaiah week by week in Sunday school. Now we are studying the first letter of Peter....I won't go into detail here, but I welcome any questions and will reply to you---just email me at jemauro@gmail.com .
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Advent
Tonight we light the fifth Advent candle---the candle of the Christ child. Over the last four Sunday mornings we have heard Him praised through the words of the angels, the words of the shepherds, the words of the magi, and the words of His mother Mary. In their own ways, they each praised Him. Tonight, on this eve of the celebration of His birth, we also, praise Him for all that He has done. We proclaim the miracle of His birth to a virgin maiden; but more than that, we, with thankful hearts and with deep gratitude, embrace His work of saving grace. We do not wait for a promised Messiah, as did the prophets and people of old; no; we wait for His return to consummate the work He began at His birth---a work begun before eternity. Therefore the fifth Advent candle is not only the candle of the Christ child, but is also the symbol of our eager expectation of the return of our King. The apostle Paul has said, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Have you received the gift of God? Then you can truly exclaim, “Jesus is worthy of praise!” Have you received the gift of God? Then let us praise Him with all of our heart, soul, and strength. Yes, Jesus is worthy of praise. (Revelation 5:13) “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Isaiah study, chapter 6
Isaiah 6:1-5
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
Review of the preceding text:
To this point we’ve seen from chapter 1 through chapter 5, the word of God given by this prophet. Most of it has been harsh rebuke, promising judgment and giving much detail of both the sins condemned and the sentence defined, or punishment, for the crimes committed. (Only 17 of 115 verses spoke of any hope; 1:9, 18-19, 26-27, 2:1-5, 3:10, 4:2-6, and 5:17). Surely destruction and exile were at hand. (Do we need to read through the first 5 chapters again?).
Now we come to chapter 6 and immediately notice an abrupt change in pace, a change in style, and a change in focus. At first glance we wonder at such an abrupt change: what are we to make of this? Remember the abrupt change in chapter 2:1-5 and chapter 4:2-6? These were given as a bit of hope for the remnant, in the midst of multiple judgments and condemnations. But, at the outset of chapter 6 we do not readily see hope for the remnant as we did in chapter 2 and chapter 4, rather, we see an immediate focus on God and his glory. Is this, in some sense, another form of hope given to the remnant or of more condemnation to come? Again, what are we to make of this?
A few points from the NIV Study Bible and Ed Young’s commentary:
King Uzziah died in 739 or 740 B.C.; our God works in and through history.
Isaiah wrote a history of King Uzziah’s reign; see 2 Chronicles 26:22.
Isaiah’s ministry began in the same year of the king’s death, but whether before or after the king’s death is uncertain.
It is believed that this account in chapter 6 is Isaiah’s inauguration, or calling, into prophetic ministry.
Chapter 6 contains a vision and a message.
Back to the text:
Isaiah 6:1-5 The Vision
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
The question still stands: what are we to make of this? What is going on here?
Isaiah is not only describing the vision he saw, but in doing so he also declares his credentials as a prophet (whether intentional or not). Supernatural validation, remember Paul’s many defenses of his office; his experiences validated his ministry. (Acts 22, for example).
Although Isaiah is giving this account, it is God who has chosen the man and given this vision and message to tell: it is God’s revelation, not Isaiah’s.
Credentials aren’t the only things validated here; Isaiah’s prophecies from beginning to end are validated also. It is the word of God he speaks through prophecy (see 6:9).
Why does this vision, or supernatural validation appear here, rather than at the beginning of the book? Does it really matter? The validation reinforces the message wherever it is inserted. In other words, whether at the beginning, middle or end it is proof that this man is not speaking on his own, but is telling what he has been told to say (again see 6:9).
Now therefore, the question of authority is no longer a question. He spoke with authority because he had been given the words of the supreme Author. Remember the astonishment of those who heard Christ? After giving the sermon on the mount and elaborating on it through chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew’s gospel, we read these words (Matthew 7:28): "28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."
Again, with respect to the question of placement of this vision here after chapter 5, perhaps this is not a strange thing at all. But you ask, "where is the segway or transition from chapter 5 to chapter 6. Consider this, the segway is an idea: Isaiah had been speaking of destruction, exile, and death and at the end of chapter 5, darkness and distress (silenced/day of wrath and oppressive/tumult/terror respectively). The idea goes like this: "Oh, and speaking of distress, let me tell you what happened to me in the year that King Uzziah died. I saw the LORD and he gave me this message." Note the terror in verse 5.
We therefore see the reason behind the prophet’s passion for his ministry and his compassion for his people in that he identifies with them. See verse 5: "Woe to me! I cried. For I am a man of unclean lips, and live among a people of unclean lips, and I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." He is saying, "The LORD gave to me this message, and as one of you I am bringing this message to you; I am compelled to do so, I can do nothing more nor nothing less." Remember the same kind of passion and compassion Paul exhibits in 2 Corinthians 5: 10-14: 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died........20bWe implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Therefore chapter 6 serves as a summation and conclusion of the entire matter (from chapter 1 through chapter 5): It explains and validates Isaiah’s ministry and message; it repeats and reinforces the same message of chapters 1-5 (see verses 9-13, judgment and remnant).
Back to the text:
A look at the details in verses 1-4 compared to John’s vision in Revelation 4
Isaiah 6:1-4
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Revelation 4
1After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God. 6Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
List of similarities:
A throne: the seat of authority only because of the One who is seated there. (If the Lord sat on a tree stump it would become the throne).
One was seated on the throne.
Seraphs: six-winged creatures
The "trisagion" (Greek for thrice holy; also known in Latin as the tersanctus). "Holy, holy, holy": may refer to the trinity, but is not a proof of such; most likely the repetition is indicative of the utmost holiness of God.
List of differences:
The [train of his] robe (Isa. 6:1) is not mentioned in Revelation 4.
The appearance of the One seated (Rev. 4:3) is not given in Isaiah.
The rainbow is not seen in Isaiah (Rev. 4:3).
The 24 elders are not mentioned in Isaiah (Rev. 4:4).
There is no lightning and thunder in Isaiah’s vision (Rev. 4:5).
The seven lamps are not mentioned in Isaiah (Rev. 4: 5).
The "Sea of Glass" is not mentioned in Isaiah (Rev. 6:6).
The description of the seraphs in Revelation has much more detail than given by Isaiah (Rev. 6: 6b-8).
The trisagion is changed in John’s description (Rev. 4:9).
The shaking of the doorposts and thresholds (Isa. 6:4), and the smoke is not seen in Revelation 4.
Notice that we have more differences than similarities here. How can we account for these differences? Are these two accounts contradictory? Is this merely an example of progressive revelation (that is, did God not reveal himself in as great detail to Isaiah as he did to John)?
The only way we could conclude that these two accounts are contradictory is if they claimed to account for the same occurrence (which they do not). We could say that this is an example of progressive revelation since more detail is given to John than was given to Isaiah. However, the reason for the progression follows the change in setting. Therefore these are two separate accounts of witnessing the presence of God, but in two different settings. Isaiah’s account occurs at the temple, and John’s account occurs in heaven (see "temple" in Isa. 1, "doorposts and thresholds" and "temple" in Isa. 4; see "heaven" in Rev. 4:1). Some observations further support this assertion:
In Isaiah’s account, the seated Lord and the seraphs appear in the temple and a robe veils God’s full glory. It is as if the temple needed God to be veiled.
In John’s account there is no robe, and so we see the description of God in Rev. 4:3; only heaven can host the presence of the unveiled God.
That there is no lightning and thunder coming from the throne in Isaiah’s vision would also be reasonable since God’s full glory was veiled.
If the 24 elders represent the completed church, then it is reasonable that they do not appear in Isaiah’s vision.
The trisagion is changed in John’s vision. Although God "was, and is, and is to come" forever, in Isaiah’s vision "the whole earth is full of his glory" upon his visitation in the temple. (The earth is in one sense full of his glory as seen in the creation, but is full in the ultimate sense when he manifests his presence there).
Now let’s compare Isaiah 6:5-7 with Revelation 1:17-18, the reaction of each man.
Isaiah 6:5-7
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Revelation 1:17-18 (1:9-18)
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
In these two passages we see the response of man when confronted with the holiness of God. Do we respond the same way today?
We also see the gracious intervention of God for each man: a live coal for Isaiah, and the right hand for John.
Notice how the intervention fits the calamity of each man: unclean lips touched by the live coal; the dead man consoled by the One who holds the keys of death and Hades.
Next we see the commission given to each; Isaiah 6:8-9 and Revelation 1:19
Isaiah 6:8-9
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
Revelation 1:19
19"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
Finally, each one is given a message to deliver: Isaiah 6: 9-13 and Revelation 1: 20 to end.
Back to the text
Isaiah 6: 9-13 The Message
9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. [a] Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
Footnotes:
Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint 'You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' / 10 This people's heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes
Points to consider:
Isaiah 6:9-10
9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. [a] Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
See Jeremiah 5:20-31:
20 "Announce this to the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
22 Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.'
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.
26 "Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men.
27 Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful
28 and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor.
29 Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
30 "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
See also Isaiah 1:2-3
2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."
See also Matthew 13:
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'[a] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Back to the text
Isaiah 6:11-12
11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.
Verse 11: "For how long, O Lord?" What is Isaiah asking here? 1) How long was the hardness of the people going to last? How long would they be blind, deaf, and ignorant? Can you see a hint of begging for mercy here? (O Lord) Can you see in this question the compassion for his people and at the same time the concern for God’s holiness and righteousness? 2) Isaiah may also have been expressing exasperation: "How long must I contend with these people?" Compare with Revelation 6:9-10; see also Psalm 79:
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.
4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.
5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;
7 for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.
9 Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.
10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Continuing:
"How long?" The Lord answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
Isaiah was to prophesy until the end, until it was finished. (Notice how Messiah also prophesied to the end in Matthew 27:46, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?")
Just as they had crushed his people and ground the faces of the poor (see 3:15), now God would crush and grind them, adding insult to injury by Isaiah’s continuous preaching and prophecy to the end.
Remember the judgment, death, destruction and exile of the first five chapters and the history lesson in 2 Chronicles 36, 2 Kings 24 and 25, and Jeremiah 52. See 2Chronicles 36:15-21 and Leviticus 26:27-45:
2Chronicles 36:15-21
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, [a] who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.
Leviticus 26:27-45 (See verses 14, 18, 21, and 23)
27 " 'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, 28 then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. 31 I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. 32 I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. 34 Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. 35 All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
36 " 'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. 37 They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. 38 You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you. 39 Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sins they will waste away.
40 " 'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, 41 which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. 44 Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. 45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.' "
Back to the text:
Verse 13:
13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
Again the promise of the remnant, which goes back to Leviticus 26!! It was built into the "punishment for disobedience" approximately 700 years earlier (Leviticus 26:44-45)
Remnant: see Isa. 1:9 and 10:20-22
"Laid waste", see Isa. 5:6 (Again, this goes back to the Leviticus 26:31-32)
"Laid waste again", see history in 2 Kings 24 and 25, read/scan the text.
"stumps" and "holy seed", see Isaiah 4:2-3 and Job 14:7-9
Isaiah 4:2-3
2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
Job 14:7-9
7 "At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
Concluding Remarks
At the outset of this study of chapter six, we noted the abrupt change in style and focus. The question posed was "What are we to make of this?" We noted that in Isaiah’s description of the vision, several things were established: his credentials as a prophet, the words he spoke were God’s words, his authority, and his passion for his ministry and compassion for his people. We have also seen the message that accompanied his vision, a message that summed up the entire matter from chapter 1 through chapter 5. We also see that God keeps his promises, whether they be blessing or curse.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
Review of the preceding text:
To this point we’ve seen from chapter 1 through chapter 5, the word of God given by this prophet. Most of it has been harsh rebuke, promising judgment and giving much detail of both the sins condemned and the sentence defined, or punishment, for the crimes committed. (Only 17 of 115 verses spoke of any hope; 1:9, 18-19, 26-27, 2:1-5, 3:10, 4:2-6, and 5:17). Surely destruction and exile were at hand. (Do we need to read through the first 5 chapters again?).
Now we come to chapter 6 and immediately notice an abrupt change in pace, a change in style, and a change in focus. At first glance we wonder at such an abrupt change: what are we to make of this? Remember the abrupt change in chapter 2:1-5 and chapter 4:2-6? These were given as a bit of hope for the remnant, in the midst of multiple judgments and condemnations. But, at the outset of chapter 6 we do not readily see hope for the remnant as we did in chapter 2 and chapter 4, rather, we see an immediate focus on God and his glory. Is this, in some sense, another form of hope given to the remnant or of more condemnation to come? Again, what are we to make of this?
A few points from the NIV Study Bible and Ed Young’s commentary:
King Uzziah died in 739 or 740 B.C.; our God works in and through history.
Isaiah wrote a history of King Uzziah’s reign; see 2 Chronicles 26:22.
Isaiah’s ministry began in the same year of the king’s death, but whether before or after the king’s death is uncertain.
It is believed that this account in chapter 6 is Isaiah’s inauguration, or calling, into prophetic ministry.
Chapter 6 contains a vision and a message.
Back to the text:
Isaiah 6:1-5 The Vision
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
The question still stands: what are we to make of this? What is going on here?
Isaiah is not only describing the vision he saw, but in doing so he also declares his credentials as a prophet (whether intentional or not). Supernatural validation, remember Paul’s many defenses of his office; his experiences validated his ministry. (Acts 22, for example).
Although Isaiah is giving this account, it is God who has chosen the man and given this vision and message to tell: it is God’s revelation, not Isaiah’s.
Credentials aren’t the only things validated here; Isaiah’s prophecies from beginning to end are validated also. It is the word of God he speaks through prophecy (see 6:9).
Why does this vision, or supernatural validation appear here, rather than at the beginning of the book? Does it really matter? The validation reinforces the message wherever it is inserted. In other words, whether at the beginning, middle or end it is proof that this man is not speaking on his own, but is telling what he has been told to say (again see 6:9).
Now therefore, the question of authority is no longer a question. He spoke with authority because he had been given the words of the supreme Author. Remember the astonishment of those who heard Christ? After giving the sermon on the mount and elaborating on it through chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew’s gospel, we read these words (Matthew 7:28): "28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."
Again, with respect to the question of placement of this vision here after chapter 5, perhaps this is not a strange thing at all. But you ask, "where is the segway or transition from chapter 5 to chapter 6. Consider this, the segway is an idea: Isaiah had been speaking of destruction, exile, and death and at the end of chapter 5, darkness and distress (silenced/day of wrath and oppressive/tumult/terror respectively). The idea goes like this: "Oh, and speaking of distress, let me tell you what happened to me in the year that King Uzziah died. I saw the LORD and he gave me this message." Note the terror in verse 5.
We therefore see the reason behind the prophet’s passion for his ministry and his compassion for his people in that he identifies with them. See verse 5: "Woe to me! I cried. For I am a man of unclean lips, and live among a people of unclean lips, and I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." He is saying, "The LORD gave to me this message, and as one of you I am bringing this message to you; I am compelled to do so, I can do nothing more nor nothing less." Remember the same kind of passion and compassion Paul exhibits in 2 Corinthians 5: 10-14: 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died........20bWe implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Therefore chapter 6 serves as a summation and conclusion of the entire matter (from chapter 1 through chapter 5): It explains and validates Isaiah’s ministry and message; it repeats and reinforces the same message of chapters 1-5 (see verses 9-13, judgment and remnant).
Back to the text:
A look at the details in verses 1-4 compared to John’s vision in Revelation 4
Isaiah 6:1-4
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Revelation 4
1After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God. 6Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
List of similarities:
A throne: the seat of authority only because of the One who is seated there. (If the Lord sat on a tree stump it would become the throne).
One was seated on the throne.
Seraphs: six-winged creatures
The "trisagion" (Greek for thrice holy; also known in Latin as the tersanctus). "Holy, holy, holy": may refer to the trinity, but is not a proof of such; most likely the repetition is indicative of the utmost holiness of God.
List of differences:
The [train of his] robe (Isa. 6:1) is not mentioned in Revelation 4.
The appearance of the One seated (Rev. 4:3) is not given in Isaiah.
The rainbow is not seen in Isaiah (Rev. 4:3).
The 24 elders are not mentioned in Isaiah (Rev. 4:4).
There is no lightning and thunder in Isaiah’s vision (Rev. 4:5).
The seven lamps are not mentioned in Isaiah (Rev. 4: 5).
The "Sea of Glass" is not mentioned in Isaiah (Rev. 6:6).
The description of the seraphs in Revelation has much more detail than given by Isaiah (Rev. 6: 6b-8).
The trisagion is changed in John’s description (Rev. 4:9).
The shaking of the doorposts and thresholds (Isa. 6:4), and the smoke is not seen in Revelation 4.
Notice that we have more differences than similarities here. How can we account for these differences? Are these two accounts contradictory? Is this merely an example of progressive revelation (that is, did God not reveal himself in as great detail to Isaiah as he did to John)?
The only way we could conclude that these two accounts are contradictory is if they claimed to account for the same occurrence (which they do not). We could say that this is an example of progressive revelation since more detail is given to John than was given to Isaiah. However, the reason for the progression follows the change in setting. Therefore these are two separate accounts of witnessing the presence of God, but in two different settings. Isaiah’s account occurs at the temple, and John’s account occurs in heaven (see "temple" in Isa. 1, "doorposts and thresholds" and "temple" in Isa. 4; see "heaven" in Rev. 4:1). Some observations further support this assertion:
In Isaiah’s account, the seated Lord and the seraphs appear in the temple and a robe veils God’s full glory. It is as if the temple needed God to be veiled.
In John’s account there is no robe, and so we see the description of God in Rev. 4:3; only heaven can host the presence of the unveiled God.
That there is no lightning and thunder coming from the throne in Isaiah’s vision would also be reasonable since God’s full glory was veiled.
If the 24 elders represent the completed church, then it is reasonable that they do not appear in Isaiah’s vision.
The trisagion is changed in John’s vision. Although God "was, and is, and is to come" forever, in Isaiah’s vision "the whole earth is full of his glory" upon his visitation in the temple. (The earth is in one sense full of his glory as seen in the creation, but is full in the ultimate sense when he manifests his presence there).
Now let’s compare Isaiah 6:5-7 with Revelation 1:17-18, the reaction of each man.
Isaiah 6:5-7
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Revelation 1:17-18 (1:9-18)
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
In these two passages we see the response of man when confronted with the holiness of God. Do we respond the same way today?
We also see the gracious intervention of God for each man: a live coal for Isaiah, and the right hand for John.
Notice how the intervention fits the calamity of each man: unclean lips touched by the live coal; the dead man consoled by the One who holds the keys of death and Hades.
Next we see the commission given to each; Isaiah 6:8-9 and Revelation 1:19
Isaiah 6:8-9
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
Revelation 1:19
19"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
Finally, each one is given a message to deliver: Isaiah 6: 9-13 and Revelation 1: 20 to end.
Back to the text
Isaiah 6: 9-13 The Message
9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. [a] Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
Footnotes:
Isaiah 6:10 Hebrew; Septuagint 'You will be ever hearing, but never understanding; / you will be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' / 10 This people's heart has become calloused; / they hardly hear with their ears, / and they have closed their eyes
Points to consider:
Isaiah 6:9-10
9 He said, "Go and tell this people: " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. [a] Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
See Jeremiah 5:20-31:
20 "Announce this to the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
22 Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.'
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.
26 "Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men.
27 Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful
28 and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor.
29 Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
30 "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
See also Isaiah 1:2-3
2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."
See also Matthew 13:
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'[a] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Back to the text
Isaiah 6:11-12
11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" And he answered: "Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.
Verse 11: "For how long, O Lord?" What is Isaiah asking here? 1) How long was the hardness of the people going to last? How long would they be blind, deaf, and ignorant? Can you see a hint of begging for mercy here? (O Lord) Can you see in this question the compassion for his people and at the same time the concern for God’s holiness and righteousness? 2) Isaiah may also have been expressing exasperation: "How long must I contend with these people?" Compare with Revelation 6:9-10; see also Psalm 79:
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.
4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.
5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name;
7 for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.
9 Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.
10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Continuing:
"How long?" The Lord answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12until the Lord has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
Isaiah was to prophesy until the end, until it was finished. (Notice how Messiah also prophesied to the end in Matthew 27:46, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?")
Just as they had crushed his people and ground the faces of the poor (see 3:15), now God would crush and grind them, adding insult to injury by Isaiah’s continuous preaching and prophecy to the end.
Remember the judgment, death, destruction and exile of the first five chapters and the history lesson in 2 Chronicles 36, 2 Kings 24 and 25, and Jeremiah 52. See 2Chronicles 36:15-21 and Leviticus 26:27-45:
2Chronicles 36:15-21
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, [a] who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.
Leviticus 26:27-45 (See verses 14, 18, 21, and 23)
27 " 'If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, 28 then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. 31 I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. 32 I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. 34 Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. 35 All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
36 " 'As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. 37 They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. 38 You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you. 39 Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sins they will waste away.
40 " 'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, 41 which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. 44 Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. 45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.' "
Back to the text:
Verse 13:
13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
Again the promise of the remnant, which goes back to Leviticus 26!! It was built into the "punishment for disobedience" approximately 700 years earlier (Leviticus 26:44-45)
Remnant: see Isa. 1:9 and 10:20-22
"Laid waste", see Isa. 5:6 (Again, this goes back to the Leviticus 26:31-32)
"Laid waste again", see history in 2 Kings 24 and 25, read/scan the text.
"stumps" and "holy seed", see Isaiah 4:2-3 and Job 14:7-9
Isaiah 4:2-3
2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
Job 14:7-9
7 "At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
Concluding Remarks
At the outset of this study of chapter six, we noted the abrupt change in style and focus. The question posed was "What are we to make of this?" We noted that in Isaiah’s description of the vision, several things were established: his credentials as a prophet, the words he spoke were God’s words, his authority, and his passion for his ministry and compassion for his people. We have also seen the message that accompanied his vision, a message that summed up the entire matter from chapter 1 through chapter 5. We also see that God keeps his promises, whether they be blessing or curse.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Just an Average Day
It's been quite a while since I last posted. Much goes on in the day to day life.....and that's the problem with life....indeed it is so daily (can't remember where I heard this, but there is a ring of truth in it). Of course what is meant by this is that there is so much to occupy our time that life itself seems somehow to be an exercise in the mundane. But the mundane is what we see if our focus is inward, narrow, and forgetful.....we forget that even the mundane is a work of God in our lives, that we take the ordinary or stability of everyday life for granted. Maybe this is why we are confounded by the abrupt occurrances in life, until we are brought round about again to the One who ordains all things. We are transformed when the "non-ordinary" things cause us to seek the One who surgically places them into our lives. Indeed we are creatures of habit, and perhaps that is why we view the common everyday experiences as ho-hum, rather than to see them as a gift of God, each day a new opportunity for being thankful. Not only should we be thankful in these "daily" things, but thankful that our God continually calls us back to His reality, that is, that when we need Him most, He lets us know it by interrupting our complaints about the mundane to remind us that there is ultimately nothing ordinary about the ordinary. After all, the words "ordinary" and "ordain" share the same root.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Links Added
I've added a few links to my blog tonight. It was easier than actually writing a new blog. Sometimes I'm a bit lazy......perhaps a good reason to add these links. We all tend to be a bit lazy at times, especially when it comes to exploring theological issues. Anyway, I hope these links will be a help to you......maybe they will encourage you to dig deeper than you have before. Just scroll down.
Saturday, December 9, 2006
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