We’re going to have a very long introduction this morning before getting into our text, so don’t be alarmed! We’ll get there eventually.

Uzziah

Uzziah, aka Azariah, was the son of Amaziah. His was the second-longest of Judah’s kingships, at 52 years—only eclipsed by Manasseh’s 55 years.

The Book of Kings records that Uzziah followed in the footsteps of his righteous ancestors (2 Kgs 15:3). Yet the people continued to worship in the high places. God had been very clear where worship was to occur: in the Temple built by Solomon. Jesus later told the Samaritan woman,

“Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” (John 4:21)

Instead, worship would occur in a place totally intangible.

“An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23–24)

Yet even as the Lord spoke to this woman, the hour was still yet-to-come. Only with the advent of the Christian age would the location of worship transition from the physical temple in Jerusalem to the spiritual temple of the church.

In the days of King Uzziah, however, the children of Israel showed no respect for what God wanted, worshiping wherever they pleased. Scripture exposes a pattern of leadership: as the kings go, so the nation. Why then do we see an apparently righteous king, who holds power for over half a century, and a nation who never progresses past their sins?

The answer is found—not in the Book of the Kings, but in the Book of the Chronicles. Let’s read together.

“And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.” (2 Chr 26:7–8)

The text goes on to describe the great projects Uzziah undertook, including fortifications of the city wall and various agricultural enterprises, as well as the force of his standing army—which was practically precedented! God blessed Uzziah for his righteousness—but Uzziah’s heart was quickly corrupted by his pride.

“But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God. And he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense.

Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of Yahweh, men of valor. And they stood against Uzziah the king and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Yahweh, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are set apart as holy to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from Yahweh God.’

But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of Yahweh, beside the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because Yahweh had smitten him.

So King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of Yahweh. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.” (2 Chr 26:16–21)

I believe this incident illustrates for us why the people continued to worship in the high places. Uzziah did not appreciate the holiness of God. In his mind, there was no reason he couldn’t offer up incense.

Incense

I want to take a quick detour and look at what God said about incense. We can find the instructions in Exodus 30. There were essentially only two purposes for which incense was used in worship.

The first purpose was a daily offering. The high priest was to burn on the altar of incense every morning and evening.

“You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be continual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations. You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar or burnt offering or grain offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.” (Exod 30:6–9)

The second purpose was for the Day of Atonement.

“Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh.” (Exod 30:10)

The Day of Atonement (also known as Yom Kippur) was the holiest day in Israelite worship. It was a celebration of the holiness of God. The various ceremonies are explained in Leviticus 16. The Israelites were a holy people, and the priests were the holiest Israelites. In the Day of Atonement, the high priest (the holiest priest!) would take a special bath and then adorn special holy garments reserved for this one day of the year. Then he would offer a sin offering for himself to purify and make himself even more holy. Then he’d offer two sacrifices for the people: a bull and a goat. He would enter the Temple and sprinkle their blood on the mercy seat. But before he could sprinkle the blood—he would use the incense.

“And he shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before Yahweh and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring it inside the veil. And he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, so that he will not die.” (Lev 16:12–13)

This was the second use for incense: to cloud the Most Holy Place during the Day of Atonement because the high priest still wasn’t holy enough to be in the presence of God!

Yet somehow, Uzziah, with blatant and blind disregard for the sanctity of the divine sanctuary, had the arrogance to present his putrid offering before God as though he were worthy. Although the actions display in distinct ways, his mindset and that of the people held in common their contempt of God’s holiness.

Holiness

Holiness is differentiation. Holiness is uniqueness. Holiness is separation. Holiness is dedication. Holiness is purity. Holiness is devotion. Holiness is what makes God God. Everything that God is can be summed up as holiness. For this reason, everything and everyone that approaches God must be holy.

Uzziah did not honor God’s holiness, nor did he stop the people who dishonored God’s holiness. For this reason, God smote him with leprosy, which eventually killed him. Disgraced in the eyes of God and of the people, he died

This morning, I want to examine a passage from Isaiah that really exalts the holiness of God. Let’s look at Isaiah chapter 6.

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said,

‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts;
the whole earth is full of His glory.’

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the house of God was filling with smoke. Then I said,

‘Woe is me, for I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I live among a people of unclean lips;
for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.’

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is atoned for.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’

Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ (Isa 6:1–8)

This is the first of the major biblical visions of God’s throne. Daniel (Dan 7) and Ezekiel (Ezek 1) will have similar visions in Babylon, and centuries later, the same imagery will reprise in the Revelation to John.

The reason we spent so much time discussing Uzziah is that his death forms the backdrop for the entire vision. This is one of the greatest texts of Scripture affirming the holiness of God. As Isaiah witnesses the splendor of God, he teaches us how we ought to respond.

Marvel at God’s infinite splendor!

Although Uzziah has died—perhaps even from the leprosy God smote him with—God still lives and reigns. The loss of this king might make the people nervous, especially with the growing strength of the Assyrians, but God remains unaffected. His power does not diminish and He reigns mightily over the kingdoms of the earth.

“The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, and he gives them to anyone he wants.” (Dan 4:32 CSB)

While Uzziah was king, God blessed him richly, for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Ps 24:1). It was God’s to give!

The text tells us of these seraphim, some kind of angelic creature in this vision. I don’t have any idea if they really look like this at all, or if this is just part of the imagery. The word seraph (the singular of seraphim) means “burning.” Fire runs throughout this text and is appropriate as a symbol of God’s radiance.

The seraphim have six wings. They cover their faces so they might not gaze upon the Lord; and their bodies, that He might look upon them.

Isaiah is in complete awe as he realizes where he is and before whom he stands.

Praise the name of the Lord.

The seraphim have complete understanding of God’s holiness, as their refrain continues endlessly,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts.
The whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isa 6:3)

Here they use a title for God (Lord of hosts) alluding to His almighty power over the armies of the world.

Reflect on your own unworthiness.

“And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the house of God was filling with smoke. Then I said,

‘Woe is me, for I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I live among a people of unclean lips;
for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.'” (Isa 6:4–5)

The mere proclamation of God’s infinite greatness and divinity shakes the foundations of the Temple. The Temple cannot confine or contain God—it can barely hold the hem of His garments! As Isaiah witnesses these things, I can only imagine his immense fear.

Smoke begins the fill the Temple. The only smoke from within the Temple was from the altar of incense. Isaiah sees and smells the fragrance wafting up toward heaven, clouding the Divine Vision.

The now-dead King Uzziah, in disregard of God’s holiness, attempted to burn this incense in his own censer, but now it appears to burn itself in deference to the sovereignty of God.

And yet, Isaiah knows what’s coming next. I’m sure he knew the stories of Nadab and Abihu, of Korah, and certainly of his former king. Neither were those men nor is Isaiah qualified to be in the presence of God. He stands in fear and awe of God’s holiness and is convicted of his own sinfulness and impurity.

Yet we are all-too ready to come before God lazily, flippantly, and far too casually. We rarely appreciate the exaltedness of our God, nor our own filthiness and unworthiness.

Seek purification before approaching God.

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is atoned for.'” (Isa 6:6–7)

It is this impossible comparison with God that teaches us how much we need purification. On any other day, Isaiah would not likely have identified himself as a “man of unclean lips”. He was a prophet—a mouthpiece of God. In the previous chapter, he pronounced seven woes on the wicked Judahites, but he surely did not include himself in that passage.

Yet only after the seraph cleanses Isaiah is he permitted to approach and hear the words of the Almighty. There is no lesson here that only the pure may listen to the words of God, but surely only they may consider themselves His servants.

Submit before God’s majesty.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’

Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'” (Isa 6:8)

When summoned before a king, you do whatever you’re told to do. Isaiah only heard these words because God wanted him to. As he listened, he knew that God intended this mission for him. Besides that, if the great King wants something, you better want it too.

In the last part of the chapter, God tells Isaiah that his mission is to preach. When Isaiah asks how long, God tells him that he’ll preach until the nation is destroyed. Actually, this doesn’t happen until after Isaiah’s death. I don’t know if Isaiah knew this or not, but either way, this is a lifelong call. Isaiah will never not have this mission.

We need to see God’s holiness and majesty. Not in a vision, but as He reveals Himself through the word. The holiness of God has the power to change everything.