Isaiah 6:1-4 (NKJV)
Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet
(cf. Ezek. 1:4–28)
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high
and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood
seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he
covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out,
and the house was filled with smoke.
UNDERSTANDING
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts
The Holiness of God: Isaiah’s Vision and Our Response
The passage in Isaiah 6:1-4 is one of the most powerful encounters with God
recorded in Scripture. It is a moment of revelation, awe, and transformation—
a moment where Isaiah sees God in His full majesty and holiness. This
passage teaches us about the supremacy of God, the purity of His presence,
and how we should respond when we truly see Him for who He is.
1. God Is Still on the Throne
Isaiah begins by saying, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord
sitting on a throne, high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1).
To understand the weight of this statement, we need to know a little about
King Uzziah. He had been a strong and successful king, ruling for over 50
years. But near the end of his life, pride led him to disobey God, and he was
struck with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:16-21). Now, with his death, the nation
was in turmoil. The earthly king was gone, but Isaiah saw that the true King
was still on the throne!
This is a reminder for us today. Leaders come and go, circumstances change,
and the world feels uncertain. But no matter what happens, God is still on
the throne.
Psalm 93:1 declares, “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty.”
When our world feels unstable, we can rest in the fact that God is in control.
2. The Majesty of God’s Presence
Isaiah describes the Lord as “high and lifted up,” with the train of His robe
filling the temple. In biblical times, the length of a king’s robe symbolized his
authority and greatness. So if God’s robe fills the entire temple, it means
there is no authority greater than His!
Above Him stand the seraphim, angelic beings created to worship God. Their
posture teaches us something important about how to approach God:
• With two wings, they covered their faces—a sign of reverence because
even they could not look directly upon God’s holiness.
• With two wings, they covered their feet—a sign of humility, recognizing
their unworthiness before God.
• With two wings, they flew—showing readiness to serve Him.
Even these powerful, sinless beings humbled themselves in God’s presence.
How much more should we, as sinful human beings, approach Him with awe
and humility?
Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
3. *The Song of Heaven:
“Holy, Holy, Holy”*
The seraphim cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth
is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).
In Hebrew, repetition signifies emphasis. So when the angels repeat “holy”
three times, they are declaring that God’s holiness is absolute, unmatched,
and beyond comparison. He is not just holy—He is holy, holy, holy!
God’s holiness means He is completely pure, set apart, and perfect in all His
ways. Revelation 4:8 shows that even now, in heaven, the angels continue to
sing this same song: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is
and is to come!” God’s holiness is eternal and unchanging.
But what does this mean for us? It means we must approach God with
reverence and live lives that reflect His holiness.
1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
We are called to be set apart, to live differently because we belong to a holy
God.
4. The Shaking of God’s Presence
Verse 4 says, “And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him
who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”
When the angels worshiped, the very foundations of the temple shook. Why?
Because an encounter with God is not something small—it changes things.
Throughout the Bible, when God’s presence is revealed, there is a shaking:
• When God descended on Mount Sinai, the mountain shook (Exodus 19:18).
• When Paul and Silas prayed in prison, an earthquake shook the jail,
opening the doors (Acts 16:25-26).
• When Jesus died, the earth shook, and the temple veil was torn (Matthew
27:51).
God’s presence shakes things so that what is temporary falls away and what
is eternal remains. Have we allowed His presence to shake us? Have we been
transformed by encountering Him? Or have we become too comfortable, too
casual in our approach to God?
Isaiah’s vision was not just about seeing God’s holiness—it was about
responding to it. If we read further, we see Isaiah’s reaction in verse 5:
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because 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.”
The moment Isaiah saw God’s holiness, he saw his own sinfulness. This is
what happens when we truly encounter God—we realize how much we need
Him. But the good news is, God did not leave Isaiah in his unworthiness. In
verses 6-7, a seraph touches Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal, symbolizing
purification.
God does the same for us. When we come to Him in repentance, He cleanses
us. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So, how will you respond to God’s holiness today?
• Will you acknowledge that He is still on the throne, no matter what is
happening in your life?
• Will you approach Him with reverence and humility?
• Will you allow His holiness to transform you and purify your heart?
Let’s not be a people who just read about God’s holiness.
Let’s be a people who are changed by it.
PRAYER
HEAVENLY FATHER
CHANGE MY HEART O LORD. LET ME ALWAYS STAND IN YOUR PRESENCE
WITH HUMILITY AND TREMBLING. THIS I PRAY IN JESUS NAME AMEN
Have a blessed day everyone 🙏
