Westhill Church - Auburn & Federal Way, WA

The WEekly Word

A Blog of Encouragement from our Pastors

weekly word – 7/03/2025

Isaiah 6:8-13

Isaiah 1-5 described God’s plan to redeem rebellious Israel. Last week, we read about Isaiah’s own appearance before the Lord in Isaiah 6:1-7. Cut down by his sin in God’s presence, Isaiah experienced God’s atoning intervention, cleansing his mouth and enabling him to be God’s messenger.

Now, in 6:8-13, Isaiah is given his mission.

In verse 8, the Lord begins asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” He’s calling from His throne for a messenger. Notice the Lord repeats His request in two ways. First He asks whom “I” shall send. Then He asks who will go for “us”. Why do His pronouns change from singular to plural?

Commentators suggest various reasons. John Oswalt points out, “The ‘us’ in 6:8 may refer to the heavenly council” including God and angels.

But Walter Kaiser disagrees, “Many modern scholars have taken it to be a reference to a council of heavenly beings. There are, of course, many biblical passages that picture God surrounded by the heavenly hosts. Not one of these, however, suggests that he, the omniscient and all-wise God, called on them for advice or even identified them with him in some way in his utterance…The plural, therefore, suggests either the divine majesty or that fullness of his being that was to find its ultimate theological expression in the doctrine of the Trinity.”

No angel has executive power in God’s throne room; they exist to serve His decrees. This seems to be an expression of the personal calling of all three members of the Trinity akin to the creation of man (Genesis 1:26) and the destruction of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:7).

After Isaiah agrees to meet the call of God, he receives his commission in verse 9–10. It’s a call none would want, to tell Israel, “Keep on hearing but do not understand; keep on seeing but do not know” (6:9). In other words, God is guaranteeing Isaiah that the majority of his people will reject his message.

Then God promises, in verse 10, that Isaiah’s preaching will worsen their spiritual attentiveness. “Render the hearts…insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim.” This is the same insight God gave Moses ahead of bringing God’s word to Pharaoh. Jesus acknowledged the same effect of His preaching in Matthew 13:14-15.

When God brings His word without giving His Spirit to soften hearts, it naturally hardens hearts, as seen with Pharaoh, Israel in Isaiah’s time, and Israel in Jesus’ time.

In verse 11, understandably, Isaiah responds asking, “Lord, how long?” God answers by describing what Israel will be like before they return and seek God’s healing. Verses 11–12 state cities will be “devastated and without inhabitant…and Yahweh [will have] removed men far away”. This means God will let the nation undergo severe oppression from its enemies, both invasion and deportation will take place before the nation repents.

Even the population will be decimated. In verse 13 God indicates only a tenth of the people will be left and even that portion of the population will be “subject to burning” again. Total devastation will occur before a small fraction of Israel hears and repents; the “stump” of the tree of Israel, will remain. God says this leftover portion of Israel is the remaining seed, or offspring, of God who will finally believe His message.

In Isaiah 53:10, this “seed” refers to those who belong to God’s Suffering Servant, “If you would place His soul as a guilt offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of Yahweh will succeed in His hand.” After God makes the Servant to be a guilt offering, the Servant comes to life again and sees these people, His offspring.

Isaiah knew God would fulfill His promises to Israel, but like us, he had to accept that God’s plan is more complex than ours. Only He fully understands that plan. We should respond like Isaiah by faithfully preaching the gospel despite rejection.

Pastor David

6/26/2025 – God's Attributes: The Decrees of God – Bryan

6/19/2025 – Between the Bread and the Storm – Ed

6/12/2025 – Isaiah 6: 1-7 David

6/05/2025 – God's Attributes: The Solitariness of God – Bryan

5/29/2025 – Walking in Humility – Ed

5/22/2025 – Isaiah 5 – David

5/17/2025 – The Attributes of God – Bryan

5/08/2025 – Reflecting on Our Walk – Ed

5/01/2025 – Isaiah 4 – David

4/24/2025 – Patience and Long-suffering – Bryan

4/17/2025 – Forgiveness is a Big Deal – Ed