God’s Glory Through the Prophets Part one

Isaiah 6 & 55

The nation of Israel has profaned God’s glory. Chapter 1 says they have forsaken the LORD and they even despised him (v. 4). This would have been a shocking statement to Israel. They thought they were doing great with Yahweh and all their other god’s…oop…uh, what was that first commandment again?

In making idols for themselves they utterly forsake the true God of Israel, dishonoring His name and glory. The LORD then commissions a prophet named Isaiah to speak judgment against them and the world for their sin while proclaiming hope in the good news of Israel’s coming Redeemer. The LORD used prophets like Isaiah to be His mouthpiece. He would use them to proclaim His glory and truth to Israel, while calling them to repentance by returning to the covenant they kept abandoning. 

Through Isaiah, the LORD does exactly that: He proclaims His judgment, glory, character, and coming hope to Israel. Accordingly, the book of Isaiah then is quite vocal about the glory of the LORD, I mean, the central theme of the book is God himself! And the LORD is very serious about his holiness and his glory. Look for yourself:

I am the LORD; that is my name, my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. (Isaiah 42:8)

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. (Isaiah 48:11)

How have you carved idols for yourself and forsaken the LORD?

The LORD continually casts judgment against their idols and reminds Israel of who He really is, not the gods they have made up for themselves. This is true of us today as well, God is continually revealing to us who he really is in comparison to the cheap god we have created in our minds; and we are continually shown how much more glorious and beautiful the God of the Bible is. So, who is this Yahweh Israel has abandoned?

One of the staple passages on God’s holiness and glory is Isaiah 6, and we will investigate who God reveals Himself to be by focusing on part of this passage you may have missed at a quick glance.

Read Isaiah 6:1-7

The scene is set: King Uzziah is dead—one of the most lengthy and prosperous kings in Israel’s history has just died. Things do not look great for Israel.

..I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…(Isaiah 6:1b)

Isaiah very intentionally uses the Hebrew title adonai here, rather than the proper name for God: Yahweh. Adonai is what we may more commonly understand to literally translate to as Lord or King. It is a title to denote God’s true royalty, authority, and rule over all creation. Isaiah is subtly saying, “Yahweh is still the Lord; He is still in control, He is still almighty, He is still sovereign even in the midst of this tragedy.”

How do you see the Lord’s glory in His authority and sovereignty?

Where have you distrusted the Lord’s authority and sovereignty? 

The scene escalates a room full of creatures worshiping the one who sits on the throne.

Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is filled with his glory! (Isaiah 6:3b)

This is what the angels are doing in heaven right now, and for all eternity for that matter.

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (Revelation 4:8b)

In both these passages of scripture, a mere man is brought into the throne room of God Almighty, and what does he find? Praise and worship declaring the utter holiness of God. Three verses in and we have another attribute revealed in the LORD—holy. The threefold repetition of this word in Hebrew conveys the Lord is the most holy, with every word increasing the gravity and certainty of this reality. The one who sits on the throne is totally and absolutely pure, completely separate from all else—unique. Holy. 

Take a moment and praise the LORD for who He is in His holiness.

The plot thickens: in seeing the LORD’s holiness and glory, the man is acutely aware of his unholiness and unworthiness. He goes as far as to declare a curse upon himself.

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; 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!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Isaiah sees the purity of the angels’ worship and song and rightly declares his impurity, and likewise the people of Israel. He is altogether terrified by the sight of the King and his current sinfulness. The utter holiness of the King endangers the current sinfulness and mortality of Isaiah—some translations Isaiah cries out, “For I am undone!”

What sin do you need to bring before the LORD in repentance?

The story climaxes: we see the holiness of God.

…your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. (Isaiah 6:7b)

We expect the LORD to respond with something like “Yes, you are unclean; first repent, go clean yourself up, come back to me when you’ve taken care of that,” bringing booming judgment upon Isaiah’s head. But again, the LORD reveals to us who he really is, and it is far better than we could ever hope or imagine. He reveals to us He’s a God who is merciful and gracious to sinners, making an atonement for Isaiah’s sin, cleansing and redeeming him, thereby allowing him to approach the one who is “Holy, holy, holy.”

Do you realize how monumental this is?! This means God’s holiness and glory are plainly revealed and manifested in His atonement of sinners! To put it another way, His holiness, His glory, are clearly shown in His mercy. The LORD is altogether, perfectly, wholly, wonderfully glorious and merciful. He is gloriously merciful. Like all attributes in God, they are irremovable from one another, they go hand-in-hand. We think that God’s holiness and glory are found namely in His power and justice (and they are!), but equally central to His holiness is His mercy. Oh, and remember Isaiah 48:11 we read a second ago? The context is God's patient mercy against Israel’s sin (48:9-10). Here’s another, check out chapter 43:

I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior… I, I am he, who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:11, 25)

Are you serious?! Can he really be that good? Can he really be that glorious? Let's look at one last place in Isaiah.

Read Isaiah 55:6-9

When reading verses 8-9, we can commonly misread and misunderstand the meaning when not read in context. Some christians will use the phrase “his ways are not our ways” when life circumstances go differently than desired, or they even turn out poorly, ignorantly implying vast mystery surrounding God’s will in the face of difficulty. When read in context however, it is far more beautiful and comforting. The LORD desires the wicked and unrighteous man to draw near to Him, to forsake his sin and return to Him. Why? What will happen when the sinner repents? 

He [will] have compassion on him…for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7b)

Where do you need to take comfort in the LORD’s compassion and mercy? 

He again surprises us with His glorious mercy, showing us His ways are not our ways. This Christmas we get to rejoice and worship in The Lord coming to us in Jesus as the ultimate act of mercy and atonement of sin. Isaiah calls him: The Holy One of Israel, Israel’s Only Savior, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Immanuel. God with us.

Reflect on God’s glorious goodness and mercy to you in Jesus. See His glory for yourself, and worship Him because of it.