Isaiah’s Call and Mission
1 In the year that King Uzziah h died, I saw the Lord i seated on a high and lofty j throne, k and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: l with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. m 3 And one called to another:
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies;
his glory n fills the whole earth. o
4 The foundations of the doorways shook p at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 Then I said:
Woe is me q for I am ruined
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips, r
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the LORD of Armies.
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar s with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth t with it and said:
Now that this has touched your lips,
your iniquity is removed
and your sin is atoned for. u
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking:
Who should I send?
Who will go for us?
I said:
Here I am. Send me.
9 And he replied:
Go! Say to these people:
Keep listening, but do not understand; v
keep looking, but do not perceive.
10 Make the minds of these people dull;
deafen their ears and blind their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their minds,
turn back, and be healed. w
11 Then I said, “Until when, Lord? ” x And he replied:
Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, y
houses are without people,
the land is ruined and desolate,
12 and the LORD drives the people far away,
leaving great emptiness in the land.
13 Though a tenth will remain in the land,
it will be burned again.
Like the terebinth or the oak
that leaves a stump when felled,
the holy seed z is the stump. a
D. Isaiah’s call (6:1–13). 6:1–4. The prophet dates his vision of God’s glory to the year in which King Uzziah died (6:1a), which connects chapter 6 to the context of the Syro-Ephraimite War (see 7:1). A vision of the Lord appears to the prophet. He sees the Lord sitting on the throne, exalted in the temple (6:1b). The prophet concentrates not on the throne or on the Lord seated on it but on “the hem of his robe” as it fills the temple, which is filled with the glorious presence of the Lord. He touches the earth in his power and glory, and yet the earth and the earthly temple cannot contain him. The appearance of the Lord, transcendent in his majesty and yet immanent in his presence, is represented in the language of a theophany. It affects all things on earth: the doorposts and thresholds of the temple, for instance, shake as in an earthquake (6:4; cf. Ex 19:16). [Theophany: A Direct Encounter with God]
6:5–7. In an appropriate response to the impact of the vision of God’s holiness, presence, and glory, Isaiah calls out, “Woe is me” (6:5). The prophet fears for his life, as he is particularly aware of his uncleanness—he represents the sinful nation. In response, one of the seraphim takes with special tongs a burning coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s mouth (6:6–7). The ceremony is reminiscent of the incense altar (Ex 30:1–10), which was lit by a burning coal taken from the altar (Lv 16:12–13). Before Isaiah is able to speak to the Lord, he must be forgiven. This forgiveness is personal. Once Isaiah has been purified, he is permitted to speak in the heavenly council and receives his commissioning.
6:8–13. In his heavenly council the Lord asks the question, “Who will go for us?” (6:8). Isaiah volunteers, and the Lord immediately commissions him. The commission consists of a declaration that Isaiah’s ministry is going to be hard and long. His message will prick the conscience of people, but they will harden themselves against God and his word (6:9–10). Isaiah is shown the desolation of the land and the exile of the population (6:11–13). The emphasis is on judgment, devastation, and desolation. But there is hope, for the “holy seed” (6:13) will remain.