Chapter 6 amazingly follows chapter five’s consequences with Isaiah’s assignment and message to his own people. Isaiah accepts the mission after confessing his weakness(s) thinking these weaknesses would disqualify him. They didn’t. He essentially became the prophet of the New Testament that became The Way.
How is it that a given people like Israel, chosen by God, refuse to follow Him by doing little to nothing. This short chapter reveals God’s basic problem with the Abrahamic line of descendants. As Dr. David Guzik says about chapter 6, it is “Isaiah’s Conviction, Cleansing and Call.” Verses 1-5 contain Isaiah’s confession of unworthiness, not his excuses. This sequence is the same for one’s salvation today.
Isaiah 6:1
Scripture tells us, Isaiah’s call to prophecy correlated with the death of King Uzziah. He is also known as King Azariah. Uzziah and Azariah are the same man. This call to Isaiah from God was to his own chosen people and begins with the rule of King Jotham, Uzziah’s son. Jotham had a long reign over Judah of 52 years. Verse 1 begins with how Isaiah was called by God. It appears that Isaiah got direct instructions from the Lord due to the fact Isaiah also notes the seraphim.
NOTE: When “im” is added to a Hebrew word, it is in the plural.
Isaiah 6:2
This verse, when read closely, says something many read right past. “Above it!” What is the IT? It is Isaiah’s definition of the Lord God… John 4:24 says …God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit … (NIV). WOW! Do you grasp this? …Verse 2 states “Above IT stood the seraphim” ((KJV). The Apostle John saw God but in other scripture written by him, could not describe him. From this passage we once again get the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …body, mind, and soul/spirit.
The prophet Michaiah saw God’s throne (1Ki_22:19).
• Ezekiel saw God’s throne (Ezekiel 1:26; Ezekiel 10:1).
• Daniel saw God’s throne (Daniel_7:9).
• The Apostle John saw God’s throne (Revelations_4:1-11)
Verse 6:3
What is a crier in this verse? It is like an announcer. The Lord is Jehovah in the Hebrew. Readers of this verse tend to interpret “hosts” as perhaps angels. This word in the Hebrew is tseb-aw-aw’. From Strong’s H6633; “a mass of persons, especially regularly organized for war (an army); by implication a campaign.”
Wasn’t it enough to simply say that the LORD was “holy” once? It wasn’t enough. They say it three times because there are Three Persons in the One God.
Ahamoment: “Verse 6:3” is an incomplete reference, as many books in the Bible have a chapter 6 and verse 3, including: Hosea 6:3 (“Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him”), Matthew 6:3 (“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”), Isaiah 6:3 (“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory”), Proverbs 6:3 (“Go—to the point of exhaustion—and give your neighbor no rest!”), Ephesians 6:3 (“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth”), Romans 6:3 (“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”), and others.
Now read the parenthesized as one statement.
Another WOW! And the doorposts shook from the voice of the one who cried; and the house was filled with smoke. This verse points out that Isaiah was not in a realm or world of his knowledge. It also appears that he is being blocked from entering.
This verse is Isaiah’s confession of his unclean spirit, his shamefulness. He is confessing that he is not worthy nor qualified to be where he is in his vision or physical presence. In Revelation we get a similar description of man and God. This vision describes God in human terms, but God cannot be seen (John 1:18). He “alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). What a great time to reveal the truth of one’s life. Isaiah realizes he is in view of ABSOLUTE TRUTH; he is not fit to be there.
Rev. Dr. Jstark – 2025
AHA Bible Moments 