Day 2 of 14
Isaiah: The Holy One of Israel
Judgment, Comfort, and the Suffering Servant
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read Isaiah 6:1-8. In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah sees a vision of the Lord seated on His throne, high and lifted up, with seraphim crying "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah is undone. "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips." Then a coal from the altar touches his lips, his guilt is taken away, and he hears the Lord asking, "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah answers: "Here I am! Send me."
Reflection
Isaiah is the largest and arguably the most important prophetic book. It spans roughly sixty chapters and covers the full range of prophetic themes: devastating judgment on Israel's sin, tender comfort for the broken, the promise of a coming king, and the vision of a renewed creation where the wolf lies down with the lamb.
At the heart of Isaiah stands the figure of the Suffering Servant, described in four poems (42:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). Isaiah 53 is one of the most astonishing passages in the entire Old Testament. "He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." Written centuries before Christ, these words describe the cross with breathtaking precision.
N.T. Wright calls Isaiah 53 "the single most important chapter in the Old Testament for understanding what the early Christians believed had happened when Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross." The earliest church did not invent the idea of a suffering, sin-bearing Messiah. They found it in Isaiah.
Goldsworthy observes that Isaiah sees in one great vision the whole sweep of God's purposes -- from judgment to renewal. The book begins with an indictment ("The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand," 1:3) and ends with new heavens and a new earth (65:17-25). Between judgment and glory stands the Servant who bears the sin that makes renewal possible.
Going Deeper
The pattern of Isaiah 6 is the pattern of all genuine encounter with God: vision of holiness, awareness of sin, cleansing by grace, and commission for service. It is the gospel in miniature. Where are you in that pattern today? Have you seen God's holiness clearly enough to be undone by it? Have you received the cleansing coal? Are you ready to say, "Here I am"?
Key Quotes
“Isaiah sees in one great vision the whole sweep of God's purposes: judgment on sin, the purification of the people, the coming of the servant, and the renewal of all creation.”
“Isaiah 53 is the single most important chapter in the Old Testament for understanding what the early Christians believed had happened when Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross.”
Prayer Focus
Like Isaiah, confess your unworthiness before a holy God, and then receive the cleansing that He freely offers.
Meditation
Sit with Isaiah 53:4-6. Read it slowly three times. Consider that the prophet wrote these words centuries before the cross. What does it stir in you?
Question for Discussion
Isaiah 6 shows Isaiah overwhelmed by God's holiness and immediately aware of his own sin. Why is an encounter with God's holiness a necessary starting point for genuine prophetic ministry -- and for genuine Christian living?