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A vision of the holiness of god Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship Isaiah 6:1-8 April 19th, 2009
INTRODUCTION When we truly
see the "Lord, high and lifted up" as He really is it will transform
us forever. Until we see God as He really is (and not how we have
fashioned him in our minds), we will never see ourselves as we
really are (which we see ourselves with a foolish grandiose blur). 1. THE VISION OF HOLINESS (Isaiah 6:1-4) In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (2) Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. (3) And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" (4) And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. · Uzziah’s long reign ended in shame. His death was an end of a long era. (he profaned the holiness of God and was given leprosy) · Saw the “Lord” – Adoni – Sovereign One – highest exalted title – given to Jesus · Sitting on the throne – See Job 38-39 He is the one who said to Job: o Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth o Who determined the measurements? I Did o Who determined the waters in the sea? I Did o Who ordains the limits on the waves of the ocean? o Who commands the morning since the beginning? o Who controls the gates of death? o Do you know the expanse of the earth like I do? o Who has entered my storehouses of snow and hail? o Do you have control of the thunderbolt like I do? o Can you satisfy the hunger of a lion? o Do you know when every mountain lion gives birth? o Do you give the horse its might? o Have you measured the water in the hollow of your hand? o Have you marked the galaxies with a span? o Have you weighed all the mountains on a scale? o Who do you think I consult? o Who taught me justice, knowledge and understanding? o I control the nations – they are a drop in a bucket to me. o The armies of the world are like dust on a scale. · “high and lifted up” – exalted over all; Isaiah 57:15 · Train filled temple – picture of his overwhelming majesty – the pageantry of a king demonstrates his majesty. There is not king that has a gown that fills the entire temple. · Seraphim – description of their wings – “fiery ones” - There God-created anatomy is designed for the presence of God. o Covered eyes – See Moses before God in Exodus 33:19-23 o Covered feed – See Moses before God in Exodus 3:2-5 o Flew – doing the work of God · “Holy, Holy, Holy” – Repetition for superlative; only attribute that repeats it three times Revelation 4:8-11 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (9) And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, (10) the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." · “The earth is filled with His glory” – the covenantal blessing of God (pillar of fire; presence in the temple, ark, on the mountain, etc). Promised some day. · Foundations shook · Temple filled with smoke We see here a vision of a man beholding the glory, the holiness, of God. Light inexpressible. 1 Timothy 6:14-16 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, (16) who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Holiness of God – His otherness (being separate from all creatures) and moral perfection –purity. 2. THE TRAUMA OF HOLINESS (Isaiah 6:5) (5) And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Whenever a created, sinful being comes before the presence of the holiness of God there is great trauma. We are exposed. · “Woe is me” – this was a prophet way of speaking about the curse or doom from God upon people. Jesus used blessings and woes in his ministry. Matthew 23:12-13 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (13) "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. · “for I am a man of unclean lips…” – Why does he say this? Maybe because he is a prophet and is God’s messenger, or because he knows that what comes out of Him defiles a person, or James 3. · FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING… There is reason to tremble and be afraid: - Nadab and Abihu – Leviticus 10:1-3 - Korah – Numbers 16 - Uzzah – 2 Samuel 6 The trauma of holiness takes place when we really see God who he really is – at that moment we see ourselves as we really are! Martin Luther – Holiness – the law (great commandment) – our awful sin of omission. We are all transgressors of the law of God and we deserve justice. The trauma of Isaiah’s holiness resulted in a true repentance. 3. THE MERCY IN HOLINESS (Isaiah 6:6-7) (6) Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. (7) And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." Isaiah deserves justice (“Better than I deserve”) which is the holy wrath of God punishing and consuming Him with his holy fire. Instead, the Lord looks upon the repentance of Isaiah and gives his mercy rather than justice. This does not mean that he was unjust – it means he gave mercy. · It is implied that the Lord sent the seraphim to Isaiah · “Burning coal” from the alter – the alter where sacrifice was made for sin · His lips were touch – burned – to be healed. · “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Here we see the Gospel of God in the OT. The only way that Isaiah could be cleansed and live and be useful was to have his dirty mouth cleansed by another sacrifice. The pain of the burn was not the sacrifice. Hebrews 10:11-23 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. (12) But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, (13) waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. (14) For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (15) And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, (16) "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," (17) then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." (18) Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. (19) Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, (20) by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (23) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 4. THE CALL OF HOLINESS (Isaiah 6:8) (8) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." In great mercy, the repentant Isaiah hears the voice of God. It is not the voice of anger or judgment but the voice of call. · “Who shall I send, and who will go for us?” · Reply – “Here am I! Send me.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (21) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. |
