LIBERTY UNIVERSITY LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

THE HOLINESS OF GOD AN EXEGETICAL LOOK AT ISAIAH 6:1-13

A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. LEO PERCER IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE NBST 652

BY ELKE SPELIOPOULOS

DOWNINGTOWN, PA SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THESIS AND OUTLINE................................................................................................................1 THESIS........................................................................................................................................1 OUTLINE....................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2 CONTEXT.......................................................................................................................................3 HISTORICAL CONTEXT..........................................................................................................3 SCRIPTURAL CONTEXT.........................................................................................................4 ISAIAHS VISION OF THE LORD...............................................................................................5 A VISION OF GOD IN THE TEMPLE (6:1-3).........................................................................5 VISION OF SELF (6:5-7).........................................................................................................10 ISAIAHS COMMISSION FROM THE LORD...........................................................................12 A VISION OF SERVICE TO THE LORD (6:8-13).................................................................12 THE REMNANT (IS. 6:13)......................................................................................................14 CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15 APPLICATION.............................................................................................................................15 BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................................................................17 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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THESIS AND OUTLINE THESIS Isaiah is allowed into the presence of God, immediately perceives his sinfulness in the presence of such holiness, receives remission of his sin through one act of sovereign grace and readily and gratefully receives a commission from God to become His prophet and to go preach to His obstinate covenant people. OUTLINE A. Isaiahs Vision of the LORD (Is 6:1-7)1. Isaiah is allowed to see God in a vision (v.1-4) 2. Isaiah realizes his own sinfulness before a holy God and is cleansed of his sin (v.5-7)

B. Isaiahs Commission from the LORD (Is 6:8-13)1. The LORD issues a call, and Isaiah responds (v. 8) 2. God gives Isaiah a commission. (v.9-12) a. They will not understand or perceive (v. 9b) b.The peoples hearts will be dull, their ears heavy and their eyes blind, so they cannot hear the message (v.10). 3. The length of this commission (v. 11-13) a. Isaiah inquires of the length of this commission (v. 11a) b.God responds by describing the desolation in the land (v. 11b-12) c. God continues to describe the punishment (v. 13a) d.God speaks of a remainder (v.13b)

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INTRODUCTION What does it mean to worship a holy God? Jesus calls us friend, but what does the average believer understand this to mean as to who God is. Can He be the same as a close buddy? Or is He, on the opposite end of the spectrum, an aloof God who demands complete obedience? Isaiahs call is defined in one single moment when he steps into the unspeakable presence of the Lord. In a vision, Isaiah sees the glory of God and immediately realizes his own sinfulness. Yet in Gods infinite grace, Isaiahs sinfulness is taken away, and he responds with great excitement and urgency to set out to do the work of God. This passage shows the consequences of the disobedience perpetrated by the people of Israel, but even more so the immeasurable grace offered by God to allow His people to come back into fellowship with Him again after they have strayed. As Hustad describes, this sets forth the dramatic experiences of true worship.1 In its simplest description, the reader of the sixth chapter of Isaiah sees a depiction of the one true and holy God, whom Isaiah calls the Holy One of Israel in many passages in the book named after him, but refers to Him here as ( yhwh sbt, Lord of hosts) in Isaiah 6:3. This holy God is He who through His simple presence causes instant recognition within Isaiah of his own sinfulness and that of his people, yet who allows the cleansing regeneration of Isaiah by His grace and offers an ensuing call of obedient service to Him to a willing Isaiah.2 Isaiah rejoices over the restored relationship with his Lord, yet he immediately realizes what it entails. He knows it will not be an easy task to pronounce judgment on his own people, yet Isaiah understands that obedience is what God demands, and so Isaiah responds and goes.1. Donald P. Hustad, A Spiritual Ministry of Music: Part III: Music for Worship, Evangelism, and Christian Education, Bibliotheca Sacra 117 (1960; 2002), under "117:302." 2. Ibid.

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CONTEXT HISTORICAL CONTEXT With King Uzziahs death, either in 739 or 740 B.C., an extended period of living in prosperity and expanding the kingdom comes to an end for Judah. 3 While King Uzziahs reign had been a rather long one beginning at age 16 and spanning fifty-two years, towards the end of his leading Judah, trouble was brewing on the international scene with the coming to power of Tiglath-Pileser III as king in the Assyrian kingdom in 745 B.C. Building his empire, he fought ruthless battles, eventually threatening the sovereignty of both Israel and Judah.4 With Tiglath-Pileser driving his first campaign towards the west, a significant military danger had arisen. Based on his victories in kingdoms to the east and north of the Israelite states, the kings of Israel and Judah faced a great threat, one which would ultimately result in the collapse of the northern kingdom under the onslaught of the Assyrian troops. In addition, Tiglath-Pilesers troops conquered the capital of Samaria. As a war strategy, large portions of the residents of these areas were deported.5 It is during this phase that Isaiah received the call to his prophetic ministry. Unlike other prophets, who began their letters with their call (e.g. Jeremiah 1), Isaiah did not place this calling until chapter 6. In addition, he is the only prophet to date his calling by a kings death. But in Isaiahs thinking, this was a critical event in history, and God was using it to speak to his people. Isaiah had observed the years during which King Uzziah was living in a separated and alienated state from God, during which Gods displeasure was becoming visible. From Isaiahs vantage

3. Robert B. Hughes, and J. Carl Laney, Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary, Rev. Ed. of: New Bible Companion. 1990; Includes Index., The Tyndale reference library ed. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 260. 4. J. A. Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1993), under "Is 6:1." 5. Victor Harold Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas and John H. Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, electronic Ed. ((Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), under "Is 6:1."

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point, Uzziah remained uncleansed and had become a symbol to Isaiah of the state of the nation and its problems.6 SCRIPTURAL CONTEXT Since the early days of the Christian church, the book of Isaiah has been known as The Fifth Gospel due to its high content of messianic prophecies.7 Within the direct context of Isaiah, chapter six arrives on the heels of Isaiah 1-5, which contain Gods judgment against all the proud and lofty men and women, humbling them so that the Lord alone will be exalted, contrasting the coming doom and destruction with the surpassing future glory of Mt. Zion.8 In Isaiah 6, Isaiah encountered the Lord and was both cleansed and commissioned as the mouth piece of the Lord to prophecy to his people. As Schultz describes, Isaiah then followed up with the prophecies of three tests, which begin following in chapter seven. These are King Ahaz test with the object of trust being the oncoming Assyrian assault (Isaiah 7-11), an unnamed king with the object of trust being the danger posed by Egypt (Isaiah 28-33), and finally King Hezekiahs test of placing his trust in God (Isaiah 36-39). Briefly, though not exhaustively, the rest of the book provides a change in chapter forty paralleling the one in chapter six, with Isaiah being commissioned afresh to pronounce Gods comfort to His people. The Servant Songs of Isaiah pronounce further insights into future salvation coming through the hand of God. As Schultz writes, the book develops along a redemptive-historical trajectory, beginning with a portrait of Zion in Isaiahs day as it weathers several political-military crises. Then it moves ahead through the Babylonian exile and restoration under Cyrus to the renewal and glorification of Zion in the context of the new heaven and the new earth.9

6. Motyer, Is 6:1. 7. Richard L. Schultz, Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Survey, ed. Kevin J. Hoozer, Craig G. Bartholomew, and Daniel J. Treier (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005, 2008), 194. 8. Ibid., 199. 9. Ibid., 204.

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ISAIAHS VISION OF THE LORD A VISION OF GOD IN THE TEMPLE (6:1-3) Isaiah saw the Lord; indeed he himself stated this in the very first verse of chapter six. In other words, Isaiah experienced a theophany. Buksbazen defines a theophany as Gods manifestation of Himself to man, a voluntary limitation on the part of God of His divine nature in order that men might be able to experience His awesome presence without perishing. In this case, according to Buksbazen, God chose to reveal Himself to Isaiah in such a way that he could recognize Him.10 Isaiah saw the Lord, and ultimately the Lord commissioned him as His prophet and as a voice to pronounce impending doom. There is some debate among scholars whether Isaiah experienced his original call as a prophet in the sixth chapter of Isaiah or whether this represented a commissioning of a prophet already working in his ministry. According to Buksbazen, this cannot be answered with certainty, however most commentators agree that this is Isaiahs initial call. He believes that the first five chapters serve as an introduction to the book as well as a retelling of Isaiahs early prophetic messages while Uzziah and Jotham reign, dating them to about 740-735 B.C.11 Isaiahs vision, according to the Gospel of John, was one that showed him Jesus glory. In John 12:41, John wrote: Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him (ESV). The referent here is Jesus, as becomes clear from the preceding verses.12 John cited Isaiah 6:10 in John 12:40, the second quote from Isaiah by John as he closed the first part of his Gospel. Isaiah thus became the tool, which John used to pronounce a verdict on his fellow Jews for their

10. Victor Buksbazen, The Prophet Isaiah: A Commentary (Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 2008), 135. 11. Ibid.,136. 12. James E. Smith, The Major Prophets (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1992), under "Is 6:1-3."

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rejection of Jesus as both Messiah and Gods Son. John tried to show that the willful conduct of the Jews actually brought about the fulfillment of Scripture.13 Since only the robes, the temple and the seraphim are mentioned, Jamieson believes that Isaiah could not have seen God per se, but could have seen the Son. Exodus 33:20 states: But, he said, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live. (ESV), so how could Isaiah have seen God? As Jamieson points out, Isaiah saw something different than the Shekinah on the mercy seat in the tabernacle or the temple: there was a lack of a cloud or fire, rather Isaiah perceived a different form. In addition, instead of the cherubim above the mercy seat, Isaiah saw seraphim. The form in the tabernacle or temple had no clothing described in Scripture, yet here Isaiah described a robe and train.14 Motyer also points out that while Isaiah described majestic elements, such as a throne, a kingly robe and attendants, God Himself is not described, yet his presence, power and authority are clearly visible through the attributes ascribed, high and exalted.15 One interesting side note here is the language Isaiah chose within Isaiah 6:1. The term

( rm weni, high and lifted up) is truly noteworthy. This terminology only occurs two other times in the Old Testament, both times in Isaiah. While in Isaiah 6:116, this clearly refers to the Lord God, in Isaiah 52:13, these attributes are given to the Servant of the Lord.17 In the third passage (Isaiah 57:15), the attributes high and lifted up are again ascribed to God. 18

13. Andreas J. Kstenberger, John, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, ed. G. K. Beale, and D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 479. 14. Robert Jamieson et al., A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), under "Is 6:1." 15. Motyer, Is 6 16. 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. (Is 6:1, ESV) 17. Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. (Is 52:13, ESV) 18. For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Is 57:15, ESV)

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As such, the Servant of the Lord passage, which from a post-cross perspective we can understand to having been fulfilled through Jesus, thus appears to ascribe deity to the Servant. The imagery Isaiah used seems to be one that would have resonated readily with his audience, as it described an Eastern monarch, attended by seraphim as His ministers of state. 19 As such, all the elements described serve to underline the dignity of the scene filling the temple. Isaiah may have put himself in danger by describing this scene, as according to tradition, this served as the reason to saw him in two under Manassehs reign (possibly hinted at in Hebrews 11:37).20 The word ( lai, train) is elsewhere translated hem, e.g. in Exodus 28:33, where it describes the richly decorated border of the high priests garment. As Matthews points out, this type of decoration was commonly signifying dignitaries, in the Israelite society the high priest, but also high ranking other officials and kings. In other Near Eastern iconographical settings, deities were assigned such ornamental garments.21 Isaiah came to recognize the temple as the place where Gods presence was not merely symbolic, but had now become tangible reality for him. The ensuing encounter allowed Isaiah to see the point where heaven touches earth, as Motyer describes it.22 As Isaiah would soon come to find out, the ministry of the seraphim was a burning one, and the name given to them is appropriately one that recognizes this aspect. 23 As Matthews describes, the root word for ( rp, fiery, serpent) also has an association with burning. As such, the link to the experience Isaiah would now have seems to be a close one. In Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) writing, additional support for this can be found. In Egypt, e.g. there is evidence

19. Jamieson et al., Is 6:1. 20. Ibid. 21. Matthews, et al., Is 6:1. 22. Motyer, Is 6. 23. Ibid., Is 6:2

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in both literature and art for fiery serpents, and the serpent served as a sign of kingly authority. This can be seen on the crowns of the pharaohs. Sometimes these serpents were depicted as winged, so this is an imagery the Israelites would have been well familiar with. While many depictions of winged serpents have been found, some with hand and feet, six-winged examples are rare, however an archaeological find at Tell Halaf yielded just such a depiction on a relief, in this case as part of a human figure.24 Jamieson observes that there may also be a connection to Satans form as a serpent being related to his original form as such a seraph of light.25 Ryken adds another thought to this imagery by drawing the analogy to the fiery serpents the Israelites encountered in the desert (see Numbers 21:6-8 and Deuteronomy 8:15). As Ryken points out, the only distinction between the two occurrences is the context, and thus he suggests that the fiery beings may have had more of a similarity to our concept of a dragon than an angel.26 The seraphim are described as six-winged, covering their faces with two wings, their feet with another two and flying with the final two. The description of the seraphims wings covering their feet is also of interest here. As Motyer observes, to assign a euphemism to the covered feet as serving to hide sexual organs is a completely inappropriate assignment of sexuality to the seraphim. Instead, according to Motyer, the symbolism of the foot acting as an indication of lifes direction should be what is observed in this scene, and therefore the seraphims behavior indicated submission to Gods commands. 27 However, as Jamieson et al. point out, the practice of covering feet was one common in the presence of Eastern kings, in order to show reverence, a practice which seems the likelier association in this scene.28

24. Matthews et al., Is 6:2. 25. Jamieson et al., Is 6:2. 26. Leland Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000, c1998, n.d.), 579. 27. Motyer, Is 6:2 28. Jamieson et al., Is 6:2.

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The scene Isaiah observes is one of constant motion at the divine bidding.29 The doorposts shaking can be viewed as a response of the earth to the presence of God. In Exodus 19:18, the mountain trembled in response to the divine presence, and Habakkuk described a similar scene in Habakkuk 3:3-10 where Gods presence caused shaking in the earth.30 As such, it was clear to Isaiah that he was was observing a theophany, augmented by the elements of smoke and trembling doorposts.31 This alone would have certainly shaken Isaiah to the core of his being, but what came next would do even more to leave no doubt in Isaiahs mind of the holiness he was encountering. The seraphims threefold ( qd, holy) leaves no doubt about the holiness of God. While some scholars have seen a picture of the trinity in the thrice repeated holy, according to the translation notes of the NET Bible, this proposal has no linguistic or contextual basis and should be dismissed as allegorical.32 According to Chisholm, Hebrew repeats words for emphasis. Motyer agrees that Hebrew uses repetition to express superlatives or to indicate totality.33 While a threefold repetition is unusual in Old Testament writing, it serves as a very strong emphasis.34 Another example of this is Ezekiel 21:27, which repeats the word ( aww, a ruin) thrice, meaning nothing will be left of the city but rubble. Jeremiah 7:4, which repeats

( hkl, temple) three times, may be another such example of emphasis. The image of the seraphims voices in concert and yet with a back and forth of praise, thus bouncing off each other as they cry out to each other to declare the holiness of God, is what Keil and Delitzsch describe as a continuous and unbroken antiphonal song and call it the blessed employment of the seraphim to deliver such uninterrupted worship of God.35 The29. Motyer, Is 6:2 30. Ibid., 6:4. 31. Matthews et al., Is 6:4. 32. The NET Bible, New English Translation (Biblical Studies Press, LLC, 2006), 1273. 33. Motyer, Is 6. 34. Robert B. Chisholm Jr., Handbook on the Prophets (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 24-28. 35. Carl Friedrich Keil, and Friedrich Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002), under "7:123-33."

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closest New Testament image of such unadulterated praise appears in Revelation 19 when great multitudes join the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures in the praise of the Lamb. This is the image conveyed here, if not in number, then in intensity of worship of this eternal King seated on the throne. VISION OF SELF (6:5-7) Isaiahs recognition of his sinfulness is an immediate one. As Motyer, writes, Isaiah let his audience know that before he pronounced his woes on others, he had first pronounced a woe upon himself.36 Certainly in the presence of such holiness and the praise emanating from holy lips, Isaiah instantly knew that he was doomed due to his own sinfulness and gave voice to his realization: I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated with sin and instantly also recognized Gods covenant people as such a sin-contaminated people. Isaiah realized that he was associated with this sinful society, which had rejected the Holy One of Israel.37 Motyer describes Isaiahs experience very succinctly by citing from H.H. Rowley that when people fear before God it is not the consciousness of humanity in the presence of divine power, but the consciousness of sin in the presence of moral purity.38 As soon as Isaiah confessed his iniquity, a seraph flew to him and touched Isaiahs lips with burning coal. This imagery is also one that is found in other ANE writings, e.g. in Mesopotamian writings, a ritual to purify the lips often symbolized the associated purification of the person in question. 39 Likewise, Akkadian literature references such a wiping away of ritual impurity, in particular in relationship to the persons mouth. Similar examples can be found in

36. Motyer, Is 6. 37. Chisholm, 25. 38. Motyer, Is 6. 39. Matthews, et al., 7.

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Babylonian prayers and incantations. 40 Jamieson adds here that fire served also as an image of purification, as could be observed in its use to take dross out of metal.41 However, Motyer shows that the use of fire appears more so in the context of the wrath of God or as an image of His unapproachable holiness and His perfect given law, and is not really used as a cleansing agent in the Old Testament. Yet as the seraph brought a burning coal from the altar, it symbolized not just the place of Gods wrath, but even more so the place where God accepted blood sacrifice.42 As the seraph touched Isaiahs lips after he confessed his need, God met this one sinner in an instantaneous act of mercy and forgiveness. As Motyer points out, the two verbs, has touched and is taken away, are co-ordinate perfects, stressing that as soon as the one happened the other happened also. Isaiah contributes nothing; all is of God.43 Of importance here is also the touching of the mouth as it indicates the tool the prophet would be using to speak to the people God would send Isaiah out to. Jamieson also points out this oral imagery linking in that tongues of fire are what indicated that the disciples in Acts 2:3-4 were enabled to speak in different languages to the peoples represented.44 ISAIAHS COMMISSION FROM THE LORD A VISION OF SERVICE TO THE LORD (6:8-13) Gods sovereign act of commissioning a seraph to touch Isaiahs mouth with a burning coal and thus pronouncing the remission of his sin has an immediate result: Isaiah is reconciled to God and is now free to speak and to respond to Gods question about who would go for Him

40. Motyer, Is 6. 41. Jamieson et al., Is 6:6. 42. Ibid. 43. Motyer, Is 6. 44. Jamieson et al., Is 6:7.

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and the heavenly court.45 Motyer quotes Alfred Martin who captures beautifully what happens to Isaiah in response to Gods act of grace: Martin observes that the woe of confession (v. 5) is followed by the lo of cleaning (v. 7), and that in turn by the go of commission (v. 9). 46 However, despite Isaiahs clear turn from his sinfulness after the cleansing act of God, the people would not return to God, as He already foresaw. As Motyer continues in describing what would now follow, the imperatives of these verses must, therefore, be seen as expressing an inevitable outcome of Isaiahs ministry. 47 Isaiah very willingly agrees to be the spokesman of God. His ( Hineni elHni, Here am I, send me) is a joyful and ready response to the God of the universe who had expressed such undeserved mercy to Isaiah. The dire outcomes that Isaiah was to prophecy to the people would for the most part find their realization in the captivity the people of Israel would experience at the hand of Babylon, and in an even fuller sense of fulfillment in the dispersion experienced under the Roman Titus.48 Of note is that God proclaimed Isaiahs nation this people in a clear condemnation of their sinful behavior. Now the associative link of a covenant relationship had been broken due to the enormous sin committed by the people of Judah and also Israel. Kstenberger also comments on Gods addressing His covenant people as this people as contrasting sharply with the more tender term my people used in other parts of the Old Testament.49 As Kstenberger observes, just as an obedient response by a receptive audience is success, so also is a rejection of the prophetic message with resulting judgment, if success is understood as fulfillment of Gods purposes in and through this spokesperson, an outcome that

45. Motyer, Is 6. 46. Smith, Is 6:1-3. 47. Motyer, Is 6. 48. Jamieson et al., Is 6:11. 49. Kstenberger, 480.

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points to Israels unyieldingness as both without reason and reprehensibly full of sin.50 Isaiah 6:10 is cited in various other biblical and extra-biblical texts, but interestingly in one of the Qumran scrolls (1QIsaa col. VI:2-5), the accent is changed from a spoken word of judgment to a warning of the elect and an aiding against evil.51 Here again, in an examination of the plural used in Gods speech, the attempt should probably not be made to find a depiction of the Trinity in the text, but rather one should note that the concept of the heavenly council can be shown in Ugaritic texts, such as the Epic of Keret. A key difference, of course, is the inclusion of other deities in the pantheon of such a council, whereas the people of Israel would have viewed the other participants of the heavenly council as spirits or angels, or the sons of God or the heavenly host.52 THE REMNANT (IS. 6:13) The most difficult verse in Isaiah 6 is the final verse, which scholars have found hard to translate. As the NET translation notes for Isaiah 6:13 describe, the discussion centers on one issue: Some take ( mcevet) as stump, and translate, which, when chopped down, have a stump remaining in them. But elsewhere refers to a memorial pillar (2 Sam 18:18) and the word resembles ( mceveth, sacred pillar)53. Leaving this discussion aside, the following focuses on the most common interpretation and the theological impact. God shares with Isaiah that even after the horrendous suffering brought about by exile and dispersion, a remaining tenth who had survived this judgment would suffer even more hardship and persecution. Motyer describes this as a colossal tragedy proceeding from a single

50. Ibid. 51. Ibid. 52. Matthews, et al., 8. 53. The NET Bible, 1274.

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causethey heard and refused the word of the Lord. 54 While Isaiah was told what would happen, he was not told the timing of it. Isaiah described that only a remnant, elect by God, would be destined for salvation. This is in line with the seriousness God displays towards sin. Yet it also give great credence to the eternal character of the covenantal promises to always preserve a remnant of the Israelites.55 If the decision is made to textually agree with stump as the correct translation, the direct promise associated is that of a shoot coming out of this tree, depicting the Israelites, thought virtually dead. Here is the promised fulfillment of another promise found in Isaiah 11:1 that there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit (ESV). As Motyer points out, typically of Isaiah, hope is the unexpected fringe attached to the garment of doom.56 CONCLUSION The sixth chapter of Isaiah paints a picture of Gods holiness like few other passages in Scripture. Here is an image of the perfect sense of justice and at the same time the absolute love displayed by the King of the universe. Mans sinfulness is immediately apparent in all its ugliness. Jonathan Edwards writes in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked; his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times so abominable in his eyes as the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.57 Yet, as Isaiah found out, in the very instance that a person confesses his or her unrighteousness before this very same God, He is willing to expunge all the wrongdoings and to54. Motyer, Is 6:11. 55. Ibid., Is 6:13. 56. Ibid. 57. The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Retrieved from http://edwards.yale.edu/archive? path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4yMT o0Ny53amVv (accessed October 11, 2009).

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welcome him or her into His family. Even when unregenerate people continue to sin, God always reminds Himself of promises made and is not completely unwilling to relent. This is the great beauty depicted in this passage of Isaiah. It is a message both of warning and of promise.

APPLICATION Our 21st century thinking has been shaped by modern worship music and styles, which many people of an older age criticize as being to me focused and not enough God focused. As Oswalt points out, we risk seeing the Lord as too much of a good buddy and not enough of the holy God He deserves to be worshipped as. Due to this, Gods grace has become something that is not nearly as precious to us as it should be. Oswalt writes, How we need a vision of the blazing holiness of God. How we need to be crushed under the awareness of a Being who is greater than the entire known universe (which is one meaning of the whole earth is full of his glory, 6:3). How we need to come face to face with a white-hot moral perfection in the presence of which sin cannot exist.58 As the bride of Christ, Isaiahs writing needs to remind us of our calling to be a holy people. In Leviticus 19:2 God tells the Israelites: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy (ESV). This is repeated in 1 Peter 1:16 in the New Testament. We can be certain that this meaning still applies unchanged. God demands a holy people. We are well advised to view Him not just as our friend, but also as our sovereign Lord. A good follow-up study to this passage in Isaiah might be Romans 12:9-21, which gives tangible advice on what holy living looks like to a New Testament believer. By discipling believers and teaching them about the indescribable value of being in the Word every day, this holiness aspect will undoubtedly grow as worldly views are transformed into a biblical world view through the exposure to the expressed will of God through the pages of the Scriptures.58. Oswalt, The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah, 131.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Buksbazen, Victor. The Prophet Isaiah: A Commentary. Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 2008. Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. Handbook on the Prophets. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002. Hughes, Robert B., and J. Carl Laney. Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Rev. Ed. of: New Bible Companion. 1990; Includes Index., The Tyndale reference library ed. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001. Hustad, Donald P. A Spiritual Ministry of Music: Part III: Music for Worship, Evangelism, and Christian Education. Bibliotheca Sacra 117 (1960; 2002). Jamieson, Robert et al. A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Retrieved from http://edwards.yale.edu/archive? path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXR vYmplY3QucGw/Yy4yMTo0Ny53amVv (accessed October 11, 2009). Keil, Carl Friedrich, and Friedrich Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002. Kstenberger, Andreas J. John. In Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Edited by G. K. Beale, and D. A. Carson. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007. Matthews, Victor Harold, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton. The IVP Bible Background Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Motyer, J. A. The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1993. The NET Bible, New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, LLC, 2006. Oswalt, John N. The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, et al. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, electronic Ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, forthcoming. Schultz, Richard L. Isaiah. In Theological Interpretations of the Old Testament: A Book-byBook Survey. Edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Craig G. Bartholomew, and Daniel J. Treier. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005, 2008. Smith, James E. The Major Prophets. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1992.

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