Woe is me for I am ruined
Confronted by the immense holiness of God, Isaiah acknowledged a deep sense of unworthiness, not only for himself, but also all of Israel.
Not only does Isaiah 6 describe Isaiah’s remarkable vision of the Lord but also the context for why the Lord needed to reveal Himself to Isaiah. Previous posts have focused on verses 1-4. In verse 1, the passing of King Uzziah is noted. A little bit of research reveals the profound impact it had on Isaiah. Continuing through verse 4, Isaiah’s vision is vividly depicted where he saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, accompanied by seraphim proclaiming God’s holiness and glory.
Take a few minutes to read the previous posts on Isaiah 6:1-4 if you haven’t already.
(post 1 on verse 1, and post 2 on verses 1-4)
Isaiah’s response to such an amazing vision provides its own understanding of how we can seek and enter the Lord’s presence.
Isaiah’s response to the vision
Such a vision must have been beyond compare: witnessing the Lord seated on His throne, exuding authority, power, holiness, and glory, surrounded by heavenly beings. Isaiah 6 attempts to describe such an event, yet even the Biblical words must pale in comparison to what Isaiah actually witnessed.
Then, the vision leads to a humbling revelation. In verse 5, he expresses:
“Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.”
1) Woe is me
Overwhelmed by the holiness of God, Isaiah becomes acutely aware of his unworthiness and recognizes his sinfulness in the presence of divine perfection. And it's not just himself; he is also conscious of the sinfulness of the entire Jewish people.
One might expect that being in God’s presence would bring about a sense of goodness, but that wasn't Isaiah’s experience. “Woe is me” aptly expresses the turmoil and impending downfall felt by someone in such a moment.
Isaiah beheld the Lord in His glory, realizing both his and the Jewish people’s profound distance from God’s holiness. None of them are like the Lord.
Even as the angels declared, “Holy, holy, holy,” Isaiah felt inferior to these celestial beings as well. He recognized his unworthiness to make such a declaration due to being a man of unclean lips."
2) I am ruined
In Isaiah’s mind, there was only one inevitable conclusion. By declaring, “I am ruined,” Isaiah believed that his imperfections disqualified him from being in God’s presence, and merely looking upon the Lord meant imminent death. Supposedly, there seemed no possible way for him to survive this moment.
In this moment, Isaiah spoke in the first person. He understood the sinful nature of the Jewish people, including himself, but his statement affected him alone. Only Isaiah had this vision—although surrounded by heavenly beings, Isaiah was alone.
Dámá is the Hebrew word for “I am ruined” (also translated as “I am undone”), signifying being cut down by witnessing a theophany—seeing the face of God. Being “ruined” or “undone” is not necessarily a negative state. It is in these moments of being ruined or undone that God can reconstruct and rebuild us.
What does all this mean?
Let’s go through this point by point:
Firstly, Isaiah’s vision was a spectacular, wonderful, extraordinary experience that fundamentally shaped the rest of his life. Similarly, encountering the presence of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives is essential for every believer.
Secondly, Isaiah acknowledged the sin that rendered him inferior to God. This belief was shared by New Testament apostles (e.g., the Apostle Paul). Such a mentality is crucial for believers today. No one is perfect, sinless, or holy. When compared to the Lord, everyone falls short.
Thirdly, Isaiah was “undone” by this experience, but this ruin allowed him to be rebuilt into the prophet God called him to be. Believers should embrace a similar mindset. To become the person God created, believers should be willing to be humbled so that God can rebuild them.
Posts from Isaiah 6
Two previous posts in this series on Isaiah’s vision in Isaiah 6.
