The violence of God: Investigations in the book of Isaiah

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The numerous judgments pronounced against Judah in the book of Isaiah do not represent the violent outbursts of a frustrated God who inflicts destruction simply to satisfy His lust for blood. A careful study of these oracles of judgment demonstrates exactly the opposite, in fact.

These words and acts of “violence” reflect a profound expression of divine love. They are like the actions of a dedicated cancer specialist who seeks to calibrate a course of treatment that will best deal with the illness without killing the patient.

Most fundamentally, the declarations of judgment attested in Isaiah are the expressions of a God who is pleading with His people to turn away from the path of destruction.

But is it all only about warnings and threats? Is Yahweh exclusively after a change of behaviour? A careful reading of Isaiah suggests that there is much more going on here. The critical clue to God’s intention is found in the account of Isaiah’s call.

Isaiah 6 represents the centre of the section comprised by chapters 1–12. On the one hand, this chapter seeks to establish the authority and credibility of the prophet. Isaiah does not speak out of his own authority. He speaks on behalf of God and by God’s authority. This is one of the critical objectives of this vivid description of Isaiah’s call.

But that is not the only purpose of this remarkable account. This chapter is strategically positioned to respond to the twofold question that screams out of chapters 1–5: What will national redemption ultimately look like? And what needs to happen to take the people of God off the path of self-destruction?

It is imperative to obtain a concrete answer to this question, for if silence is the only answer, there is then no hope for Israel but terror at the hands of God. And that is bad news, not only for Israel, but also for the rest of humanity.

A plan for all humanity.

The fate of the human race is intimately linked to the fate of Israel. When the Age of Misery emerged (Genesis 3), God implemented a plan to redeem humanity. The creation of a distinct people, Israel, became an intrinsic part of that plan and a necessary link in the unfolding of the plan of redemption.

God’s plan to redeem Israel was not only for the benefit of Israel but also for the benefit of all men and women. It was imperative for God to do the utmost to ensure Israel would survive as the people of God, both to be a light for all the nations, but also to provide the setting in which Jesus would appear in human history.

Clearly then, Isaiah 6 is more than an account of Isaiah’s call to establish his authority. The account provides the blueprint for national redemption. Isaiah’s experience becomes a model, as it were, a conversion paradigm, for the entire nation.¹

Chapter 6 can be divided into four sections. The first strophe (6:1–4) sets the stage. In it, Isaiah presents a dramatic description of the throne of God, the seraphim and their activities.

The second strophe (6:5–7) describes Isaiah’s distress at the sight of God’s throne and his cleansing following one of the seraphim’s intervention. The third strophe (6:8) focuses on Isaiah’s commissioning.

The fourth section (6:8–10) provides the message Isaiah is to communicate to the people. Finally, the fifth strophe (6:11–13), signalled by Isaiah’s query in response to the message uttered by Yahweh, specifies both the extent and the ultimate limits of the judgment that will be inflicted on the people of Israel.

Time for conversion.

The description of the throne of God found in verses 1–4 begins with a historical notation: “In the year that king Uzziah died.”² The death of a king, any king, is always the source of much anxiety. In the case of Uzziah, who had reigned over 52 years and is said to have done “what was right in the sight of the Lord,” it would prove to be a national catastrophe. In the face of an increasingly dangerous and unstable international situation, the death of Uzziah could not come at a worse time. The subtleties of this situation would not be lost on Isaiah’s audience.

In such situations, the natural response is to look frantically for some way out. For someone or something to hang on to. To a people who would soon be faced with possible annihilation at the hands of the Assyrians, the vision of Isaiah provides a way out – the only way out. “I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted . . . Above him were seraphs . . . And they were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.”

It was imperative for the people of Judah to change course. They needed to experience a radical conversion. While judgments and curses function well in terms of catching an audience’s attention, they remain relatively blunt instruments. Verses 1–4 spell out the first step in the long process of conversion. True conversion begins by a correct assessment of reality. The reality in this case is a bleak future that offers precious little hope.

Isaiah is well aware of that. This is why he contrasts the death of the king to a vision of God seated on a throne, high and exalted.

The king may be dead. The future may be uncertain. But there is one king who will not die. Ever! Whose power and authority remain forever and extend throughout all the earth. His name is Yahweh!

Continued . . .

1. I am indebted to J. Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah (InterVarsity, 1993), p. 58, for this insight.
2. All biblical references are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

Pierre Gilbert is associate professor of Old Testament studies at Canadian Mennonite University/Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Winnipeg.