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Sermon Overview

God is holy, holy, holy.

Of all that God is, it is His holiness that is the most emphasized of His attributes. He is set apart, pure; and sin cannot stand in His presence.

In the book of Isaiah, the prophet recounts a powerful encounter with God, in which His holiness is magnified above all. Isaiah trembles in fear as the angels cover themselves to worship Him.

Understanding His holiness is crucial, for, without it, we fail to fear Him, and to view Him in high regard. He must be exalted, and we are called to fear Him, love Him, and be cleansed before Him.

Here is the message on Isaiah 6:1-8.

Dr. Ed Pilapil Jr. Senior Pastor

Full Transcript

Let us pray. Father in heaven, open our minds and hearts to your word. We pray for wisdom and knowledge from Your throne. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The title of today’s sermon is Holy, Holy, Holy.

Isaiah narrated his encounter with God. The haunting experience left a mark in his soul, evidenced by how he would describe God as the Holy One throughout the book that bears his name. The vivid experience took place in the year of King Uzziah’s death. 

King Uzziah faithfully served God, and God blessed his efforts. But after achieving victory in many areas, his heart became proud. He burned incense in the altar of incense, which only the sons of Aaron were appointed to do. Because King Uzziah touched what was holy, God struck him with leprosy. He died isolated after eleven years. God reminded everyone of His holiness.

Now, Isaiah knew in his heart that God’s holiness is a serious matter. But God would reveal His holiness to Isaiah in a way that Isaiah never expected. 

Isaiah 6:1, I shall read:

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Imagine the magnitude of this vision. God seated on a throne that is highly elevated, highly exalted. And the edge of His robe, filled the temple. The edge of robe, the train of His robe filled the temple. One could assume how tiny Isaiah felt in front of the majesty of God. 

In verse 2 of Isaiah 6 says:

Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 

A seraph is a type of an angel. Seraphim is the plural form. The seraphim stayed in the presence and glory of the Holy One. No wonder they covered their faces because no one can see God and live. The seraphim also covered their feet for they cannot touch the Holy One and live. Perhaps Isaiah’s soul quivered at this time due to holy fear. If the angels would cover themselves, he probably thought, “I am so exposed to the holiness of God.”

Isaiah 6:3 says:

And one called out to another and said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,
The whole earth is full of His glory.”

The seraphim proclaimed His holiness. They declared that God is Holy, Holy, Holy. One would wonder what their voices sounded like. Probably the best blending of voices one could ever hear. But the angelic voices, no matter how majestic, would not be the most memorable for Isaiah. The message of the seraphim seared his mind: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts.” 

What does God’s holiness mean? It means that He is transcendent, separate from sin, highly above all creation, and different from men. 

R.C. Sproul, a theologian, and author of the book, The Holiness of God, states that Jewish writers repeat words or phrases for emphasis; as much as the english language uses exclamation points, when a word or phrase is repeated twice, it is very important. Remember when the Lord said, “Truly, truly, I say unto you,” that is very important. Paul uses this technique in Galatians 1: “To them who preach another gospel, let them be accursed. Again I say to you, let them be accursed.” If a word or phrase is repeated twice, it is very important. But if a word or phrase is repeated three times, it is the ultimate, the maximum emphasis in Jewish writing.

Sproul further asserted that there is only one attribute of God that is raised to the third degree, His holiness. God is love, but Scripture does not emphasize that He is love, love, love; nor is He just, just, just, nor is God mercy, mercy, mercy. But God is Holy, Holy, Holy, according to the Holy Scriptures.

Isaiah 6:4, 

And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke (Isaiah 6:4). 

As if the shock was not enough, the pitiful man caught in the midst of this, felt the ground tremble and he saw smoke fill the temple. The practical response to an earthquake and smoke is to run or hide where the calamity could not reach you. But then, who could run from God? 

Isaiah 6:5 says,

Then I said,

“Woe is me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

When a prophet says woe to someone, it means judgement and misfortune shall come upon that person or nation. But Isaiah exclaimed to himself, woe is me for I am ruined. 

The word ‘ruined’ means to be taken apart, destroyed, and made to perish. So probably, Isaiah’s nerves froze, his body felt disjointed, taken apart, immobile. Fear can do that to a person. Thus, even if Isaiah wanted to run, he could not. 

The reason he felt such was because he saw the stark difference between God’s holiness and his own sin, and the sins of his people. Now, Isaiah seemed to be an upright man, but when exposed to the holiness of God, no one is upright. He felt like a dirty sinner, which he was, and which all people are. Some say that the closer one walks with God, the more one sees their own sins. Why? The light of His holiness shines the brightest up close.

Isaiah learned the fear of God in a fresh way. God manifested His glory, which broke him. The seraphim declared Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts. The ground shook and the temple filled with smoke. Shock made him declare, woe is me for I am ruined. Because his unclean lips became obvious in the presence of God. And the sins of the people became evident as well.

The prophet thought that it was the end for him for no one who has seen God lived. However, he lived. Thus, one may conclude that God unraveled a glimpse of His holiness to Isaiah, not in full. Because this was not the death of Isaiah, but the beginning of his mission.

Isaiah 6:6-7 says,

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

One of the angels used tongs to pick up a coal from the altar to touch Isaiah’s sinful lips. Talk about the pain of purification. The angel couldn’t even hold it with his bare hands. The painful act was a mercy. God spared Isaiah, cleansed him, and forgave him.

Verse 8 says,

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

After the ordeal, the Lord spoke in Isaiah’s hearing. Still reeling from the shock of the revelation of His holiness, Isaiah responds to the call of God, “Here am I. Send me!” Could anyone resist God’s call after such a majestic yet terrifying experience?

Isaiah would proclaim and write about the Holy One of Israel, and that His righteous judgement will fall upon the guilty. But Isaiah also wrote about God as the Sovereign One who established His purpose among the nations. Moreover, Isaiah would prophesy of God’s mercy through the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

One would be considered truly blessed whom God gives understanding and appreciation of Isaiah’s encounter with the Holy One. The message would burn deep and leave a permanent mark. No one who genuinely knows His holiness would ever disrespect His presence nor treat God lightly. But rather, one would approach with reverence, with fear and trembling. 

Who would not sense the difference of how lowly humans are and how transcendent and exalted God is? And who would not fail to appreciate His mercy? That one’s sin may be forgiven through Christ, the coal that touched the sin of all whom God called to believe.

My brothers and sisters, when we think of God, or when we approach God in prayer or worship, let us remember that He is holy, holy, holy. Among all His attributes, it is His holiness that Scripture gives the maximum emphasis. Thus, it should ever be in our minds, whenever we think of God. We appeal to His mercy, we appreciate His love, yet we must never forget that He is holy, holy, holy. And purification can be a painful thing, but Christ when to the cross, experienced the pain, and all we must do is repent of our sins. That is our pain, to deny ourselves. To follow Him, and not ourselves. And God would touch us with Christ, the coal that cleansed our lips. 

Let us pray.

Father, thank You for this moment of listening to Your word. We proclaim that You are holy, holy, holy. We thank You for the forgiveness which is in Christ. We are not proud to say that we are holy. Only the righteousness through Christ gives us that ability. Yet we thank You that You have changed our hearts towards sin. That we do not like it anymore. That we disdain it, that we turn away from it. Thank You that if ever we do, You have made forgiveness available for us. Even though we understand the grace, Your grace in Christ, may we never forget that You are holy, holy, holy.

To God be the glory, in Jesus’ name.

Amen.