This is Part 1 of 3 of Lesson 13: Here Am I; Send Me: The Prophet Isaiah. Click here to go to the introduction to this study.
Many of you will have heard of the expression ‘Woe is me’. According to www.phrases.org.uk, Shakespeare used ‘woe is me’ in the play Hamlet. It originates from the Bible and occurs at least 4 times, one being here by Isaiah.
In the introduction we read the first 8 verses of Isaiah 6, where Isaiah is given an incredible vision of God on His throne. This is his immediate reaction…
“ Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
Let’s discuss the relevance of this instance to us today in the comments below. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s topic.
Then click here when you’re ready to go to the next part of our discussion: The Burning Coal
2 Comments
September 23, 2008 at 9:21 am
Ok – here’s a few questions to get the ball rolling:
1. Isaiah’s immediate reaction to seeing the holy Lord on His throne was his own sinfulness in comparison and a feeling that he would be ‘cut off’ or ‘finished’. Do you think that this reaction is still valid for us today, or have we moved past that?
2. Jesus came to reveal God the Father to us. Did people have the same reaction to Jesus as this?
September 24, 2008 at 7:40 am
On #2, we know that Jesus was extremely personable and approachable. This showed us how God is love. However He also displayed the holy side of God’s character. For instance, when He overturned the moneychangers’ tables and drove the merchants out of the temple.
On #1, I think if put in the same position as Isaiah today, we would have the same reaction. Sin and God can’t co-exist and so we need God to cleanse us. Luckily he has asked us to ‘…come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy…’ Heb 4:16. So we should approach God with both confidence and humility due to our sinful condition.