- What did Isaiah’s vision of God in his glory teach him: (a) about the character of God, and (b) about himself and his needs? What can this teach us concerning God’s provision of cleansing for sinners who deserve judgment?
- How was Isaiah prepared for his task of carrying God’s message to his own people? Consider the message itself; what does it reveal of the inevitable outcome of rebellion against God? Cf. Acts 28:23-28.
- Verses 9, 10. In seeking to understand these verses (with which cf. Mark 4:10-12, where Jesus quotes them), remember these two facts:
(a) Although the Word is preached in order to bring salvation to those who will hear, it inevitably brings condemnation to those who will not. Cf. John 3:16-21.
(b) The Old Testament, with its unshakable faith in God’s sovereignty, often refuges to distinguish between intention and inevitable result, between God’s permissive and directive will. Thus, to say ‘Preach to them and they will respond’ could equally well be expressed, ‘Preach to them in order that they may not respond.