Isaiah 6:6-7

But God has work for Isaiah to do. The action of a *fiery *angel convinces Isaiah that God has forgiven him. So Isaiah is now able to do what God asks.

God’s hard task for Isaiah

v8 Then I heard the *Lord ask, ‘Is there anybody that I can send? Will someone go for us?’ ‘I will go’, I answered. ‘Send me.’ v9 Then the *Lord gave me this message to speak to the people: ‘You will listen constantly, but you will never understand. You will look constantly, but you will never see. v10 Make this people unable to understand. Make their ears deaf and close their eyes. So that they may not see or hear or understand. Otherwise they may confess their wicked ways and then I would cure them.’

v11-12 Then I said, ‘For how long, *Lord?’ God said, ‘Until enemies have broken up cities. Until houses have no inhabitants. Until enemies have ruined the entire country. Until the *Lord has removed the people to a distant country. Until the people’s own land is empty. v13 Even if a tenth of the people remain, enemies will burn their land too. The land will be like a great tree that men have cut down. Only a small part of the tree remains in the ground. But that small part is a sign of a new beginning for Israel.’