Just as Pharaoh's rejection of Yahweh's ultimatum ignited judgment and foreclosed, at least temporarily, any opportunity for repentance, so the LORD may have come to the point where He has decreed to bring judgment before opening the door for repentance once more. Peter also felt overwhelmed and sinful in God's presence after Jesus performed a miracle one day in Galilee (Lk 5:8). (See context in The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament), How could this (Isa 6:9,10) be the message of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1Ti 2:3, 4)? Angels tremble, martyrs weep, and saints perfected praise Him now! when the Assyrians devastated the land (a situation presupposed by Isa 1:2-20; see especially Isa 6:4-9). Isaiah contributes nothing; all is of GodThis touched your lips and your iniquity went. of Scripture. What an august revelation of the glory of Christ's Godhead was this which broke upon the view of the lowly prophet! The figure involves rescue from danger, since those caught are caught alive (on the term alive, see Nu 31:15, 18; Dt 20:16; Josh 2:13; 2 Maccabees 12:35; on the fisher and being hooked, Jer 16:16; Ezek 29:4, 5, 6; Amos 4:2; Hab1:14, 15, 16, 17). The call of God is not for the special few, it is for everyone. There is a lot happening in this chapter of Scripture. From the outset the Lord might as well command Isaiah to harden the people, because his preaching will end up having that effect. At the same time his holiness encompasses His moral authority, which derives from His royal position. (The Commission of Isaiah - Emmaus Journal V4:1, Summer, 95), James Montgomery Boice commenting on John 12:41 writes that, The Gospel of John is a book filled with many extraordinary verses. The Bible tells us that no one can see God and live, so awesome is His presence. Yet the period witnessed a decline in Judahs spiritual status. Blessed spectacle!-a soul prostrate before the glory of the incarnate God! What will my heart feel? Eugene Rapay. Let us not forget that devastation is the bitter but inevitable (Gal 6:7, 8, Hos 8:7) fruit of continual, unrepentant (thus unforgiven) sin (then and now)! Their mouths were not filled with seraphic worship but with flippant repetitions and self-justifying excuses. Thus, things which glorify God are things which show the characteristics of His being to the world. Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child" (Jer 1:6). But God's redeeming grace hastened to meet his need, applying to his lips a coal from the incense altar (originally from the altar of blood sacrifice; cf. The Lord's answer was that the message must be proclaimed until there were none left to hear. Prophets February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . (Jas 3:2+). 11:37). Ahazs alliance with Assyria led to his introduction of a heathen altar, which he set up in Solomons temple (2 Kin. Humility and brokenness arent very popular in our culture. 13:14,15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; cf. Ask Pastor John. If you feel led to join the hosts of heaven in proclaiming the utter holiness of our God, sing a relevant chorus or hymn, such as Holy, Holy, Holy, during your prayer time today (or see the links below). J Vernon McGee - When Simon said, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man. What is to be heard is the message of God through Isaiah, and what is to be seen are the works of God which prominently display His providence. This has nothing to do with innocent people being kept from salvation. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. The conception is sublime: but it makes us feel how altogether inconceivable the personal glory of the Lord must be; if light itself is but His garment and veil, what must be the blazing splendour of His own essential being! Remembering that the best commentary on Scripture is Scripture, it behooves the sincere student of God's Word to try and discern a similar action elsewhere in the Scriptures. Reflect back on Andrew Murrays prayer. Its a familiar passage, often associated with missions conferences or sermons on Gods holiness, and rightly so. The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Keaon Koloamatangi 12 . But this holy thing touches Isaiah's dirty mouth, and it does not hurt him, it heals him. Motyer adds that:As we speak of a sum of money as sufficient to cover a debt, so kipper/koper is the payment of whatever divine justice sees as sufficient to cover the sinners debt, the death of the substitute sacrifice on the altar. (Nu 21:6), Comment: Here the word fiery or burning probably refers to the burning pain and the inflammation which resulted from the venomous bite, which brought death to all who would not look at the bronze serpent and live. He will use us. In the OT the terms for smoke appear chiefly in three contexts: theophanic portrayals (Ex 4:5, 19:18, 40:38, Ps 104:32, Ps 144:5), descriptions of mundane events whether actual or prophesied, and comparisons or figurative descriptions (eg, anger of God, Ps 74:1, 80:4). GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point The coal touched his mouth, corresponding to Isaiahs sense of unclean lips and his imminent prophetic calling. 1Ti 1:15 (63-66AD) It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. What usually happens is that the soul is smitten with a sense of its sinfulness, and desires to withdraw from the Divine presence. We only know God as He has revealed Himself. When Assyria became weak through internal strife, Hezekiah refused to pay any further tribute to that power (2 Kin. J Vernon McGee explains that "It is interesting that up to this time Isaiah had never heard the call of God. Therefore, we need to have the redemption of Christ applied to our lives again and again and again. Christ will reign personally on this earth as we know it, as well as in the new heavens and new earth (Rev. His hesitation to obey the call of God eventually ended when he acknowledged God as Adonai, or Lord (Ex 4:10, 11-18). Many hear the sound of God's word, but do not feel the power of it. And Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your bidding I will let down the nets.". Isa 41:8; 43:5; 53:10; 59:21; 65:9; 66:22; 1Ki 19:18; Ro 11:5), but Messiah would be the ultimate holy seed (Heb. To contend that those yet unfulfilled will see non-literal fulfillment is biblically groundless. God sometimes, in righteous judgment, gives men up to blindness of mind, because they will not receive the truth in the love of it (see 2Thes above). In moments like that it is easy to see the futility of any hope but an ultimate one. Exalted (05375) (nasa') is a common OT verb (some 612 verses) and conveys the sense of lift up or lifted up as in Isa 6:1. Numbers Through that sacrifice alone could iniquity be purged and sin be put away (He 9:13, 14-notes). With two he covered his feet. 10:4); or it may be 2) an indication of the sanctuary scene with the smoke rising from the altar of incense; or 3) the smoke may be an indication of the wrath of Yahweh (cf. The lips are specified because of the fact that he had just seen choirs of holy creatures worshipping with pure lips. Email / username or password was incorrect! For the first time he really worships God. Lev 16:12). Also, he does not provide as clear a distinction between the future temporal kingdom and the eternal kingdom as John does in Revelation 20:110; 21:122:5. Thus hardening comes at the end of God's dealing with rebellious sinners and just before their judgment. From now on Simon will be casting his nets in a different sea, the sea of humanitys need for God. What we must see, in the context of the whole Bible, is that this burning coal symbolizes the finished work of Christ on the cross. Skinner explains that "As the terebinth and oak when cut down retain the principle of vitality in their roots, which will again spring up into a great tree (cf. In catching fish, Jesus has caught Simon Peter. In this heavenly environment of pure holiness, holy people are the only ones who will be at home. In his commentary, John MacArthur reminds us of the dire consequences of elevating an unqualified shepherd: "The church must heed Paul's warning and not lift up those whom the Lord will later have to cut down." Used with permission from John MacArthur. While this may have been a literal coal, it is used symbolically (otherwise it would have literally burned Isaiah) and in the context was God's vehicle for purifying His prophet of his uncleanness. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will stink; the mountains will be soaked with their blood. No doubt visitors to Mount St. Helens will gasp as they look into a crater almost two miles wide. Whats more, the Lord sent an angel to him with a live, cleansing coal from the altar before His throne. The Israelite's offering implied confession of sin and recognized its due penalty as death; and God passed over his sin in anticipation of Christ's sacrifice which did, finally, put away those sins "committed beforehand" [OT times] (Heb 9:15-note, He 9:26-note; Ro 3:25-note). As in Isaiah 6:9 the imperatival forms should be taken as rhetorical and as anticipating the people's response. Irregardless, the important point is that the "burning" would not result in complete destruction, for God would preserve a holy remnant. Scofield -Hebrew kaphar means to propitiate, to atone for sin. The interested reader is referred to other resources for more in depth discussion (Smith: New American Commentary, Oswalt: The New International Commentary). Isaiah was a contemporary of Hosea and Micah. Before he announced any woes on others, he first confessed his own sin and said, Woe is me! He saw the Holy One of Israel, and he could not keep silent A great king may have left his throne on earth, but the greatest King was still seated on the throne of heaven. You might have a vivid childhood memory of reaching out to touch that hot stove Mom warned you against. (cp Job 42:5, 6), - When Simon recognized in JESUS the Creator of the fish of the sea, he fell at His feet and cried, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Confronted with a vision of Gods holiness, the future prophet felt crushed with the knowledge of his own sinfulness. J Vernon McGee applies this grand scene to our everyday lives noting that, if we would see Him today in that (high and lifted up) position, we would be delivered from low living. God starts out graciously revealing his will and offering repentance, but if people repeatedly reject God, eventually the day of hardening and judgment will come. The third presidential term of Franklin D. Roosevelt began on January 20, 1941, when he was once again inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States, and the fourth term of his presidency ended with his death on April 12, 1945. His conscience was burdened by a sense of personal weakness and failure. Damien Cook 10. He is the eternally holy God, worthy of the adoration of angels who minister to Him in unending worship (v. 3, see also Rev. And similar to the LORD in Isaiah 6, Jesus (Who in fact I believe is also Jehovah of Isaiah 6) gives Peter, James and John a commission to be "catching men" to which they responded to the Lord's call/commission (much like Isaiah) by leaving everything and following Him. All the saints adore Thee, Isaiah gave his life in service to God. Do we take this commission at face value? Isaiah 6:5 THEN I SAID, "WOE IS ME, FOR I AM RUINED! ), And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Will I dance for you Jesus, 32:9, 21, 31; Nu 11:11, 12, 13, 14). In Old Testament times, slaves were the absolute possession of their master and had no rights of their own. ", For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Wounded hands remove my filthiness, Gods caress in every move. More from John MacArthur The Home of a Godly Shepherd John MacArthur, 3 days ago ", Ray Ortlund -As this awareness forms in Isaiah's mind, he blurts out the obvious conclusion: "Woe is me!" One cannot be dogmatic (in my opinion). Return(turn back) (07725)(shub/sub) means to turn back and intheLxxis translated withepistrephowhich means to revert, to turn about, to turn around, to turn toward, to return and figuratively to convert. This Adonai is seated upon a throne too, but high and lifted up, above all earthly lords and monarchs, for this Adonai is also Jehovah of hosts, whose train fills the Temple and whose glory covers the whole earth. 1. The description of God leaves no doubt that Isaiah was dealing with the Lord of heaven and earth. (1-2) What Isaiah saw. Isaiah 6:9,10 has been the subject of much debate and speculation because instead of calling his readers to repent and to not harden their hearts, these verses command Isaiah to issue a proclamation which is just the opposite! Fulfillment of his prophecies of Christs first coming have given Isaiah further vindication (e.g., 7:14). Pastor John MacArthur. 686 B.C. 4:19). One cannot be dogmatic, but that is certainly a possibility! God in three Persons, blessd Trinity! When the boats come in, the former fishermen leave everything behind and follow Jesus. Fallen mankinds only hope is the gracious character of God and the self-giving work of Christ. How to Go from Fearful to Forgiven John MacArthur. The temple - What Temple? 6 There was a man having been sent from God, whose name was John. 23:10; Lk 6:46); (b) the servants right to direction in service (Isa 6:8, 9, 10, 11). What filled him with this self-abasement? Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Enduring Word Bible Commentary Isaiah Chapter 6, Isaiah 1-44 Devotionals & Sermon Illustrations, Isaiah 45-66 Devotionals & Sermon Illustrations, Isaiah Devotionals & Sermon Illustrations-Our Daily Bread, 1Ki 22:19; Job 1:6; Da 7:10; Zech 3:4; Luke 1:10; Rev 7:11, Ex 15:20,21; Ezra 3:11; Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10) (Ex 15:11; Rev 4:8,9; 15:3,4) (Isa 11:9,10; 24:16; 40:5; Nu 14:21; Ps 19:1, 2, 3; 57:11; 72:19; Hab 2:14; Zec 14:9; Ep 1:18). The New Testament Vine explains that the stump remains and "has life in it after the cutting off of the branches; it can shoot out into verdure again. IVP Commentary - The size of the catch tells Simon and his companions that this event has been no accident. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press). March 27, 2018 Isaiah 53 has to be the best news for sinners, and that's all of us. The thought of Isa 6:9, 10 is complex and must be viewed from different aspects. As with most of our studies so far this month, we can't summarize everything the Bible teaches about God in a few lines. Jesus does not call those who think they can help God do his work. Judah also began to incur opposition from Israel and Syria to her north during his reign (2 Kin.
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