Isaiah 6:3 God is Holy

And one called to another and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole world is full of His glory."

 

This verse may be considered to be one of the most important and most significant verses in Isaiah.  Recall that Isaiah, without a doubt, was the most important, most prolific and most accurate prophet in the entire Old Testament.  Why?  Because God is defined, God is seen for who He is, for what He is... the absolute, mind-blowing essence of Holiness...

God allows Isaiah a vision of Himself.

 

All throughout the book of Isaiah, Isaiah refers to God as the "Holy One of Israel."  He repeats this title, this phrase some 36 times.  The phrase "Holy One of Israel" appears only 7 more times in the entire Old Testament.  Did Isaiah perceive a reality that the other prophets missed?

 

Two incredibly important ideas are conveyed in this passage of scripture.

1.  The utter indescribable holiness of God

2.  The sinfulness of mankind

 

One God is being described, defined, declared Holy.  Isaiah's God, our God is a Holy God.  This Holiness is His first, primary, and most intrinsic characteristic.  This is His identity.  

 

Does our God possess love?  Yes.  Is our God characterized by absolute justice?  Yes.  He possesses so many, many other aspects.  The Hebrews had over 40 different names when they referred to their God.  He had many different aspects, characteristics, no one word could in any way completely describe Him.

 

But we see here in Isaiah that God Himself defines Himself with one word:  Holiness... Holy.

 

So, so many words or ways to describe Him to choose from:  awesome, beautiful, all powerful, all knowing, all merciful and most of all... all loving.  And yet Isaiah says only, "Holy."  Holy he repeats two more times, thus he exclaims Holy, Holy, Holy.

 

This vision, this realization that Isaiah serves an absolutely Holy God, he carries with him for the rest of his life.  It changes him.  It transforms him.  This is why I believe he refers to his God as the Holy One of Israel some 36 times!

 

So what does God ask of us... require of us?  To become more like God in His Holiness.  "To be holy as God is holy."

 

The concept of God's holiness runs throughout the scriptures.

Leviticus 11:44 "Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy and you will be holy for I am holy."

Mark 1:24 "You are the Holy one of God."

Acts 2:27  3:14  "Nor will you let your Holy One see decay."

1 Peter 1:16  "Be Holy, because I am Holy"  and "You disowned the Holy One."

1 John 2:20  "But you have an anointing from the Holy One."

Revelation 3:7  "These are the words of Him who is Holy and true."

Revelation 4: 7-8  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty who was, and who is to come."

 

But can we be as holy as God?  Of course not.  What God is telling us is to be as holy as we are capable of being.  And again only with God's intervention and infusion of grace.  So we all strive to be holy, never really approaching the level of holiness of God but seeking, pursuing holiness, making it our first priority.  It's a life long priority and never ending pursuit.

 

And how do we pursue that goal?  Being in the presence of God, becoming acutely aware of our own unholiness- i.e. our sinfulness, our deep-seated sinfulness, which once realized, we repent.  Then He fills us with His Holy Spirit and we become born again, this time is the Spirit and now become desirous and of holiness and more importantly we become capable of leading a holy life.