Verse 5: “Then I said: ‘Woe is me, for I am going to come to an end. 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.’”

I said: Isaiah, seeing the shaking of the pillars, hearing the voice and seeing the smoke responds to this manifestation of God’s glory.
Woe: How awful it will be for me…

I am going to come to an end: The word used here refers to coming to an end, a failing, a destruction – like having heart failure and one’s heart just stops. Isaiah, reflecting on his own personal condition or his natural state in light of the glory of God, realises that if the
whole world is going to be filled with God’s glory, he (in the state that he is in), cannot be a part of it as there is nothing glorious about him.

I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: Isaiah is left with the understanding that God’s glory is going to fill this earth, but in doing so (without miraculous intervention and salvation), it is going to bring a cessation to humanity.

My eyes have seen the King: Isaiah knew that death occurred for those who looked upon God (Exodus 33:20) and he now believed that he was going to die, he is going to be silenced, he is going to come to his end.


Verse 6: “And one from the Seraphim flew unto me, and in his hand there was a hot coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.”

Note: These next few verses are foundational for teaching us about the grace of God. Altar: The place of sacrifice. A place of provision. Isaiah is in an unclean state. He is impure and unable to manifest the glory of God. In this state he cannot be tolerated in the Kingdom
of God – this Kingdom that manifests the full glory of God on this earth (Isaiah 6:3). Isaiah is going to be made to be Kingdom material, Kingdom appropriate.

Verse 7: “And he touched my mouth with it and said to me, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is removed, and your sin has been atoned.’”

He: One of the Seraphim.

Iniquity is removed, and your sin has been atoned: This all speaks about the outcome of grace. The instrument being used here is one of the Seraphim (six being the number of grace). Only those who have had their iniquity removed (by the grace of God) are fitting for
the Kingdom of God.

Verse 8: “And I heard the voice of the Lord and it said, ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Behold, here am I! Send me.’”

Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?: The Lord is speaking to Himself but Isaiah overhears what He is saying.

Us: A reference to the Trinity.

Send me: Isaiah wanted to be used for the purposes of God. When we understand God’s Kingdom program – to fill His creation with glory – we will want to participate in His plan. However, it is only through redemption that we become appropriate or fitting to serve God, to play a priviledged role (participate with Him) in establishing His Kingdom. Isaiah volunteers for this priviledge.

Verse 9: “And He said, ‘Go to this people and they shall certainly hear but they will not understand, they shall certainly see but they will not know.’”

Go: Isaiah receives his call.

This people: The context is Israel.

Certainly hear … certainly see: The words for hearing and seeing are repeated twice in the text. This means that they will completely and utterly hear and see.

Not understand… not know: They will not understand or know because they will be careless with what they have heard and seen. They misappropriate the significance of God’s revelation in their lives. God was not displeased with His people because they lacked revelation. They had all the revelation from God that they needed. God was displeased with them because they did not want to see, they did not want to understand. They were careless with the revelation that God had given to them.