Isaiah 5-6

Chapter 5: The Apostate of Israel

Israel is like a vineyard, which will be abandoned because it produced only wild grapes. Woes are promised for a variety of sins, including: drinking (Isaiah 5:11), feasting, pride, and calling evil good (Isaiah 5:20). Kindled in wrath against his people, the Lord will allow a foreign nation to devastate the land. Its roaring shall be like a lion.

Chapter 6: Isaiah Sees the Lord

A vision in the year that king Uzziah died: Isaiah sees the Lord on his throne and above it the seraphim’s. (Isaiah 6:1) Each one had six wings – with two they cover their faces, with two they cover their feet, and with two they fly. Isaiah fears he is undone because he is a man of unclean lips. One of the seraphim’s lays a lump of burning coal in his mouth, and tells him his sins are burnt away. Isaiah receives his prophetic commission – strangely, it is to ensure that the people do not understand, and are not healed. The Lord will remove men far away, but a tenth shall return.