Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:1

Isaiah: God controls the nations Isaiah declares how God’s people should be living An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Isaiah chapters 1 to 9 www.easyenglish.info Norman Hillyer This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 6 God calls Isaiah v1 In the year when King Uzziah died, I saw the *Lord. He was sitting on a royal seat. His robe (royal dress) filled the *Temple. v2 Above the *Lord were two *fiery *angels. They were ready to serve him. Each *fiery *angel had six wings. Two wings covered their faces. Two wings covered their feet. With two wings they flew. v3 The *fiery *angels were calling to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the *Lord (commander of heaven’s armies)! The whole earth is full of his *glory!’ v4 The sound of the *fiery *angels’ voices shook the *Temple. And the building filled with smoke.

v5 Then I cried, ‘I shall die! Every word that I speak is wicked. So are the words of all the people round me. But I have looked on the King, the *Lord (commander of heaven’s armies)!’ v6 Then one of the *fiery *angels flew to me. He was holding a hot coal that he had taken off the *altar. v7 He touched my mouth with the hot coal. And he said, ‘This has touched your lips. You are no longer a guilty man. God has forgiven you.’

Verse 1

Uzziah was king of Judah for over 50 years. But his last years were unhappy (see 2 Chronicles 26:16-21). Human kings must die. But the *Lord is King of Heaven. He will never die. In a *vision, Isaiah sees something of the *Lord’s great glory (magnificent appearance).

Verse 2

Wings cover the faces of the *fiery *angels, but not their ears, which are ready to hear God’s instructions. Wings also cover the *angels’ feet. That seems to mean that the *angels will obey God. They will go only where the *Lord sends them.

Verse 3

‘Holy’ three times emphasises God’s absolutely pure nature.

Verse 5

To know now what *holiness truly means, causes Isaiah to realise his own wicked nature.

Verses 6-7

But God has work for Isaiah to do. The action of a *fiery *angel convinces Isaiah that God has forgiven him. So Isaiah is now able to do what God asks. God’s hard task for Isaiah v8 Then I heard the *Lord ask, ‘Is there anybody that I can send? Will someone go for us?’ ‘I will go’, I answered. ‘Send me.’ v9 Then the *Lord gave me this message to speak to the people: ‘You will listen constantly, but you will never understand. You will look constantly, but you will never see. v10 Make this people unable to understand. Make their ears deaf and close their eyes. So that they may not see or hear or understand. Otherwise they may confess their wicked ways and then I would cure them.’

v11-12 Then I said, ‘For how long, *Lord?’ God said, ‘Until enemies have broken up cities. Until houses have no inhabitants. Until enemies have ruined the entire country. Until the *Lord has removed the people to a distant country. Until the people’s own land is empty. v13 Even if a tenth of the people remain, enemies will burn their land too. The land will be like a great tree that men have cut down. Only a small part of the tree remains in the ground. But that small part is a sign of a new beginning for Israel.’

Verse 8

Isaiah is now fit to answer the call of our God, who is so holy.

Verses 9-10

The strange message that Isaiah is to declare will not help his listeners to understand. In fact, God’s message will act like a blanket that covers the people’s ears and eyes and minds.

Verses 11-12

To know the purpose of God’s message gives a great shock to Isaiah. Even worse news follows. Enemies will destroy the land. They will carry off nearly all the inhabitants to a foreign country.

Verse 13

Very few people will remain. But God will use those few to give Israel a new beginning.

© 2007, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

February 2007

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var w1 = new Array;w1[0]=’<b%3ELord</b%3E ~ God’s name in the Bible. In the original language, God’s names mean ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.’;w1[1]=’<b%3ETemple</b%3E ~ special building in Jerusalem where Jews praised God and offered him prayers and gifts.