The violence of God: Investigations in the book of Isaiah

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The call of Isaiah found in chapter 6 plays a twofold function. It establishes the prophet’s authority – his right to announce the imminent destruction of his people. But that is not all.

The call of Isaiah is an explosive answer to the question that urgently emerges out of the first part of the book, namely, what kind of response does God expect? Is God simply looking for a change of behaviour or is there more involved?

In that respect, chapter 6 is not exclusively about Isaiah’s conversion experience. Ultimately, it represents a model of conversion for the entire nation. Curses and judgments are very blunt instruments. They are “extreme” attention grabbers. To those who get the significance of the judgments, to those who see the invisible hand of God at work, a further word is needed. Isaiah 6 is the counterpoint to the word of judgment.

The first step in the process of conversion is a correct assessment of reality. Chapter 6 opens with a historical and political marker. Isaiah begins his ministry “in the year that King Uzziah died” (v. 1). The death of a long-reigning king, particularly in the context of the rise of the formidable Assyrians in the second half of the 8th century B.C., would no doubt strike fear in the weak and the stout alike. The most perceptive would have guessed that the days of the great nation of Judah were counted.

When disaster looms, it is imperative that we face reality in all of its rawness. To wallow in illusions is lethal. For true conversion to occur, there must be an honest appraisal of one’s situation.

The second step in the process of conversion is as critical. Yahweh must be recognized as the only source of help and the only hope. Anything else is useless idolatry, a death sentence.

Why turn to Yahweh?

But why should anyone turn to Yahweh? This is indeed the one million dollar question! Getting this one right is critical, for the future of Judah depends on a correct assessment of Yahweh’s power. There is no room for error.

If Judah bets on the wrong “horse,” Judah will be swept away by the political hurricane looming on the horizon. It is imperative that the people throw their lot with the “strong horse.”

Verse 3 presents Yahweh as the “strong horse”: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” It is often stated that the triple allusion to the holiness of God is for emphasis’ sake, but does that have anything to do with Yahweh being the “strong horse”?

Holiness alludes to the awesome nature of God. In the ancient Near East, the word denotes absolute power and demands unconditional respect for the deity and all objects of worship associated with it. But in the Old Testament, the notion of holiness is more than just awful, fear-demanding power.

Here bubbles an unexpected and joyful revolution. The holiness of God also alludes to the infinitely distinct nature of His character. In contrast with the ancient Near East, in the Old Testament the terrorizing power of the divine is fused with morality.

For the first time in history, the awful majesty of the divine is intrinsically linked to morality. Not only is Yahweh perfectly powerful, He is also perfectly moral. This is the wonderful genius and revolutionary character of the Israelite faith: perfect power framed by perfect goodness.¹

Perfect power, perfect goodness.

There are three reasons for the vision’s emphasis on God’s holiness:

• An issue of power. There must remain no doubt as to God’s ability to carry through on the judgment announced in Isaiah’s prophecies.
• An ethical concern. There must remain no doubt as to the moral character of these oracles of doom. The destruction God will inflict on His people is fully justified and not the outcome of an unreasonable divine temper tantrum.
• An issue of trust and hope. There must remain no doubt as to the trustworthiness of God. If conversion involves a turning away from something, it also involves a turning to something else. Because Yahweh is three times “holy,” He can be trusted to be a perfect refuge. The word of judgment is not final. He will not fail to save. Case closed! Or is it?

Not quite. A true conversion involves more than the recognition that Yahweh can save us from peril, whether it be political danger or threat to life. It involves more than a simple decision to be on the right side or betting on the “strong horse.” If that were the case, chapter 6 would end with the symbolic affirmation of God’s awesome power at the end of verse 4: “At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.”

If only the process of conversion were so straightforward. But it isn’t quite so. There is a terrible paradox involved in the act of conversion to God. It is both the simplest and yet most arduous of processes. Why were the Israelites so reluctant to embrace God at the exclusion of all others? Why are so many today so reluctant to hear the call of God? Why are so many hostile to Jesus Christ and the true church?

All kinds of reasons can be put forward, but I believe our text provides the clearest hint as to the real reason behind the near-constant resistance humans throughout the ages have shown to turning to the true God. It is found in the very opening of verse 5. They represent the most dramatic words Isaiah or anyone will ever utter: “Woe to me!”

Continued . . .

1. For a fascinating discussion of this idea, see C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain. HarperSanFrancisco, 2001 [1940], pp. 1–15.

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