Isaiah 6:8-13

[Wormwood]

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.” (Isaiah 6:8–13, ESV)

I thought I would open up a discussion on this challenging text. According to the Lord's directive to Isaiah, it appears that God is telling Isaiah to make Israel deaf and blind. It appears as though God does not want them to be healed. How do you explain this and what do you make of the "burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled?" If God desires people to be saved, why would he send messengers to prevent people from "understanding" or being healed? Jesus also quotes this passage in reference to his parables. Was Jesus, the great healer, also striving to keep people from being healed?

 

[lukethreesix]

God wants them healed (and they will be), but not yet! Notice the word UNTIL...
Buried again, shows that He buried them before, but obviously restored them if there are there to bury AGAIN. This is what the stump represents, the roots, the foundation is still there. God will never completely wipe out (Lam 3:31), but will cut off and tear down what is not good. Leaving what is good and will allow new growth to spring forth. God will continue to prune and correct His creation UNTIL Eph 4:13.

 

[HammerStone]

This is a passage which has figured prominently in my life. This is not to be construed in the sense of a superiority complex, but I do believe it is a very hard passage because we've taken evangelism and turned it into a set of steps to be completed while a passage like this doesn't make it quite so simple and straightforward.

Language for God often involves fire imagery (the burning bush, ministers with a flaming fire, etc.). I think perhaps the most famous verse that comes to mind is Hebrews 12:29 which itself quotes Deuteronomy 4:24 and Deuteronomy 9:3. Elsewhere, God is spoken of as a refining fire (sometimes this is attributed to his judgment) in Zechariah 13:9 and 1 Peter1:7.

This is the imagery being invoked here. God is a refining fire, burning off the waste and unrighteousness. In one passage is speaks of believers bad works being burnt up, but that we will endure through fire. Other places speak of evil ones being throne into a lake of fire or consumed.

Isaiah is being called to preach and proclaim, but God is very clearly saying that Isaiah is there for the remnant (the elect, Israel) versus being there for everyone. In fact, Isaiah's message will cause many to close their eyes and minds off to God.

God is constantly at work in his children. The fire here is to me is what takes place in sanctification. We are enduring projects being refined by Holy fire.

 

[DPMartin]

There’s nothing challenging about understanding why it is that its God’s will that all come, but yet it always turns out to be a few or a remnant. Why do people expect God to be stupid, blind and ignorant of what goes on in the world and what goes on in the hearts of men? Do you think He doesn’t know where the good results are, and where they are not?
Why would the Lord waste His efforts, and His People’s efforts, on rocks and desert waste land when good rich ground awaits planting? No one would expect a farmer to be that stupid, but so many fools think that God is supposed to be that stupid. He made good ground to yield good crop, why should He seek results from that which wasn’t made for good results?

 

[Wormwood]

I appreciate everyone's thoughts thus far. I am currently reading a book by GK Beale that has really impacted my understanding of this text and other such texts. Beale argues that this text is given in reference to idolatry. In fact, ancient practices included ceremonies of blessing the mouths of these idols which supposedly made them conduits of the god and able to speak for the god. Isaiah's mouth is touched by the living God and is given true words from God among an unclean people with unclean lips.

Beale also argues that the judgement of God is consistent with the lex talionis, or eye for an eye, principle that people will be judged by their own sin. Here, the judgement of Israel is to be punished by the very acts they are committing. Beale's thesis is that "we become what we worship." God's judgment is that those who worship dead gods that are deaf, dumb and blind will be made that way. Isaiah's commission is to preach to a people for the purpose of making them like the idols they refused to stop worshipping. This is not an arbitrary or unilateral act by God but a judgment that is consistent with the verdict of God on a people who continually refused to turn from their idols.

The "burning" of the stump is not a restorative act, but further plays into the judgment as to how idols are destroyed. Even the remnant of Israel has been tainted by the idolatry and so Israel is being spoken of being destroyed as one destroys an idol. Of course there are other texts in Isaiah that speak of the remnant God will spare, but this passage seems to be focused wholly on judgment on an idolatrous people.

Thoughts?