Isaiah Chapter 6 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Isaiah 6:1–3
In the year of King 'Uziyahu's death I saw Adonai sitting on a high, lofty throne! The hem of his robe filled the temple. S'rafim stood over him, each with six wings - two for covering his face, two for covering his feet and two for flying. They were crying out to each other, "More holy than the holiest holiness is ADONAI-Tzva'ot! The whole earth is filled with his glory!"
God calls to Isaiah in a vision that includes God sitting on his throne in heaven. The train of his robe fills the temple so that there is no room for anything else to be worshiped. Isaiah sees seraphs which are unearthly beings that serve God in heaven. These are very similar if not the same creatures that are described by John in Revelation 4. As in the book of Revelation, the seraphs are proclaiming the holiness of God. Through this vision, God was allowing Isaiah to see that God is set apart (holy) and in charge. A part of that holiness is the fact that He can use whoever He chooses to accomplish His purposes.
Isaiah 6:4
The doorposts shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke.
What a vision of power as the temple is shaking and filled with smoke simply by the voices of God's servants. Meanwhile, God is calmly sitting on his throne. When our situations seem difficult and it seems like chaos and trouble are all around, we can take comfort in this vision and realize that God is in control.
Isaiah 6:5
Then I said, "Woe to me! I [too] am doomed! because I, a man with unclean lips, living among a people with unclean lips, have seen with my own eyes the King, ADONAI-Tzva'ot!"
The result of seeing God on his throne is that Isaiah is humbled. He saw his sinfulness and knew that it did not belong in the presence of God. This is the starting point for anyone that wants to serve the Lord, in that, we must realize that we are not worthy on our own.
Isaiah 6:6–7
One of the s'rafim flew to me with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it and said, "Here! This has touched your lips. Your iniquity is gone, your sin is atoned for."
As fire is the way of purification, the coal was used to purify the mouth of Isaiah. After purification, he is ready to be used by God.
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying, "Whom should I send? Who will go for us?" I answered, "I'm here, send me!"
Now that Isaiah's mouth has been purified, he can be used for God's purposes. When God asks, Isaiah answered the call to ministry. This same pattern occurs in believers today as they grow in Christ. God purifies us from sin, through the blood of Yeshua Messiah, and then he calls us to service. The service does not provide us with eternal life but it is just a natural expression of love and thanks when we are saved and freed from the trap of sin and death. As with Isaiah, God has a plan for each and every one of us and, when he calls, our answer should be the same: "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 6:9–10
He said, "Go and tell this people: 'Yes, you hear, but you don't understand. You certainly see, but you don't get the point!' "Make the heart of this people [sluggish with] fat, stop up their ears, and shut their eyes. Otherwise, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, then understanding with their hearts, they might repent and be healed!"
The Lord tells Isaiah to speak to the people of Israel and to tell them that they are basically just letting the word of God go in one ear and out the other. God goes on to say that Isaiah will speak words to them but they are lazy and careless about the things of God as they do not want to understand or to change. God says that if they desired the things of God, then, they would be able to understand and to change.
Isaiah 6:11–12
I asked, "Adonai, how long?" and he answered, "Until cities become uninhabited ruins, houses without human presence, the land utterly wasted; until ADONAI drives the people far away, and the land is one vast desolation.
Isaiah asked God how long he was going to have to speak to a people that were not going to listen. God's answer wasn't exactly uplifting as he describes the exile of the people from the land. Sometimes, we may have the same type of experience as Christians proclaiming the gospel of Yeshua Messiah. There are people that may never listen and be saved but we still must continue to proclaim just as Isaiah did.
Isaiah 6:13
If even a tenth [of the people] remain, it will again be devoured. "But like a pistachio tree or an oak, whose trunk remains alive after its leaves fall off, the holy seed will be its trunk."
This chapter opened with a reference to 'Uziyahu who was a king and this tenth speaks of the fact that there would be ten kings before the exile to Babylon that was to come. He speaks of the fact that they would return from that exile and compares it to two trees after the leaves have fallen off. While the trees are still alive after the leaves have fallen, there is no visible evidence of that life. Although Israel has went into exile, it is only a season and the holy seed which speaks of the Messiah is still to come from the tree that is Israel. This also speaks of the fact that the next and final king of Judah will be Yeshua Messiah.