Album Lyrics

Music at Ada

Holy (Isaiah 6) | Track Fifteen

Written by Jonathan Hodge, ©2007

download

we are sons of adam and daughters of eve
our hands are stained with blood, for our sins we grieve
our lips profane your name, our hearts are of stone
we enter in this place by your grace alone
and we cry...

holy, holy, holy are you, Lord God almighty  (2x)

we are the sons of darkness called into light
our souls are bruised and torn from the wars that we fight
our lips speak only lies, the truth we know not
we stand before the throne of the wrath of our God
and we cry...

holy, holy, holy are you, Lord God almighty  (2x)

my lips are unclean, my heart is impure
for a glimpse of your robe i am ruined, oh Lord

The Story Behind the Tune


A note from Jon Hodge
A couple of years back, Doug Bishop and I read a book by James McDonald called Gripped by the Greatness of God.  The central passage that the book was based on was Isaiah 6, and I was particularly struck by verse 5, where Isaiah writes: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”  

We often sing about God's unconditional love and care for his people, but we also need to be reminded from time to time that we serve a holy and righteous God, and that without His grace, we would be utterly destroyed by His terror and majesty.  

Acting as God's agent, the seraph purified Isaiah, removed his guilt, and atoned for his sin.  Christ does the same for us. Someday we too will come into God's presence, not as the sinners that we are, but as the saints that he has made us.

A note from Andy Ferris
I once heard someone criticize the church for always singing songs in the key of perpetually happy.  This song stands in strong contrast to typical church music (ironically written by Jon Hodge, the author of “your love can heal the broken” which is arguably the happiest song on the disc). 

But in spite of it’s atypical musical darkness, it captures a sentiment that we are all familiar with and need a melody to declare: that we are fallen people, and we are in the presence of a perfect and holy God.  This is a dark song, but one filled with hope and awe and wonder. 

For the full experience listen to this song in the largest cathedral you can find!

A note from Rick Hopkins
This song carries with it a sensation that does not occur often in a praise song. The sense of dread.

Standing before a God who is infinitely more powerful than we could fathom, and more pure than we could ever pretend to be can only leave you with a sense of unworthiness and smallness. It is a song of humbling oneself before God.

The chorus and ending of the song are an emotional confession from a broken individual who is acknowledging the holiness of our God, which transitions into a congregation moving towards God together.

It is awesome! Jon could not have captured it better with the lyrics and music, and Andy couldn't have done a better job of capturing those emotions through the recording.