The Holiness of God- Part Two

Moral Purity

When we come to verses 4-5 of Isaiah's temple vision, we are presented with an earthquake and smoke. This signifies the might and power of the one who sits enthroned. Isaiah's response in verse 5 is the only response a sinful creature can give in the presence of a holy God. This is the secondary definition of holiness that I alluded to in part one. It has to do with moral purity. In view of his wickedness and God's purity, Isaiah pronounces the oracular woe from prophetic language upon himself! In the OT prophets, the "woe" was an anathema. It carried the meaning of divine curses. The woe is even employed by Jesus when, in his prophetic office, he curses Chorazin and Bethsaida (cf. Matt. 11:21). When Isaiah brings the divine woe upon himself, he is invoking the anathema of God because he is a "man of unclean lips (v. 5)." He recognizes that in the presence of a being who is absolutely pure he is completely "undone."

What application then does this temple vision have for our worship? FIRST, it should be noted that it is still necessary for those who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ to have the "holy tremors" in the presence of God. We are doubly unworthy of God both as finite, creatures and as wretched sinners. Our finiteness causes us to tremble at God's transcendence and our sinfulness causes us to quiver at his absolute, moral purity. The only way for us to stand in this kind of reverential awe is for us to be brought into the presence of the holy. And the only way for us to be brought in the presence of the holy is for us to return to serious, solemn expository preaching.

SECOND, consider that before Isaiah appreciated his justification, he had to recognize the horror of his condition. In verses 6 and 7, we have a beautiful display of justification as Isaiah's guilt is removed when the coal from the altar is placed on his lips. The wonder and awe of justification is not fully experienced, however, until the horror and terror of our undone state is recognized. We recognize our horror and God's holiness when we catch a glimpse of God's moral perfections as contained in the law. Though it has become unpopular in many evangelical churches, a proper exposition of the law will drive us to the cross. In many churches of the past, the law was a vital part of the corporate worship service as a means of directing the congregants to the great divide that exists between our holiness and God's.

FINALLY, the entirety of the passage is radically, God-centered. Isaiah is not the central figure in this passage but God is. Instead of extolling God, most modern preaching has become man-centered. It is concerned with addressing man's "felt-needs." In reality, man has one need and that is for God. I pray that we would recapture this God-saturated, Biblical vision of trembling before the Almighty. Soli deo gloria!