GOD’S GLORY SHOWN TO ISAIAH AND PAUL
Ernest W Hogan
2 Chronicles 26: 1, 2 (to “Judah”), 4-6 (to “Gath”), 16-18 (to “king”), 19-21 (to “being a leper”), 23
Isaiah 6: 1-9 (to “Go”)
Acts 7: 54-60; 8: 1 (to “killed”); 9: 3-12, 16, 17 (to “me”)
I had an impression to say something about Isaiah and Saul of Tarsus. I was thinking a little about the commissions each of these men had. Isaiah’s was in relation to the glad tidings, the gospel; as we know, he is often referred to as the gospel prophet or the preacher of the Old Testament. How many of us have drawn often from the prophet Isaiah in relation to the gospel! Then in relation to Paul I was thinking a little about his commission in relation to the formation and building up of the assemblies.
That led me to think about what went before that, hence we come to this king that we read about in Chronicles, king Uzziah, because it was in the year of his death that Isaiah had the vision. Isaiah himself said that he “saw the Lord … high and lifted up”. I rather think that it was this death was what affected him in relation to the situation he found himself in. I did not want to say too much about Uzziah because, as we know, he failed, and we can all fail, but some positive things come into Scripture that we could perhaps draw attention to. Uzziah was only sixteen, he was a young man, when he was made king instead of his father Amaziah. He had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and initially he seemed to discharge that responsibility well. It says in verse 5, “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God”. I think that is important: Uzziah sought God, and he sought Him in the days of the prophet. I think that we can learn from that that our blessing is in seeking God. Scripture says, “Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near”, Isa 55: 6. That verse has often been used in the gospel, but I think it is important that we seek Jehovah, particularly in the area of responsibility such as Uzziah was in. It says, “… and in the days that he sought Jehovah, God made him to prosper”. That is good; and I think we can take something positive out of that.
Unfortunately, Uzziah failed. In the later section of the chapter it says, “But when he became strong his heart was lifted up to his downfall” (or ‘to act corruptly’ as note ‘a’ says). There are dangers in becoming independent of God because he was blessed in the days that he sought Jehovah, but I think he began to act independently, and he began to act corruptly, and he “was lifted up to his downfall”. It says that he burnt “incense upon the altar of incense”, which was a matter for the priests. He moved out of his orbit. If we move independently of God, beloved brethren, we move out of our orbit; and we see in Uzziah the dangers of a lawless person trying to act as the priest should act. I do not want to draw attention to the past, but we have seen that in previous history; those of my generation will remember problems like that. It goes on to speak of leprosy rising up in his forehead. It was a sad end to what we might say was a good beginning; the sad thing is that he died a leper.
There are other instances of lepers in Scripture. On Lord’s day we were reminded of one who was healed and got the blessing. We are reminded too of the ten lepers in the New Testament; one returned and gave glory to God, and the Lord said, “but the nine, where are they?”, Luke 17: 17. I think the Lord would maybe just raise that question with us at this time as to where the nine are, and if there is anybody here who perhaps has not yet answered to the call of the glad tidings and the claims of the Lord Jesus as Saviour over them by asking in relation to the breaking of bread, then the Lord would say, ‘Where are you tonight?’; “but the nine, where are they?”. One got the blessing and we are glad of every one that is recovered. I did not intend to say as much as that in relation to Uzziah but I think the positive details of his reign are important.
It was in the year of his death that Isaiah got this view of “the Lord … high and lifted up”. I suppose he had seen what was mortal, and he got a view of what was immortal. He also got a view of what was transient and a view of what was permanent; it says, “Seraphim were standing above him”. We know seraphim witness to and maintain the holiness of divine Persons, but, beloved, they are also administrators of the grace of God. I think Isaiah came into that benefit because he had a sense of the greatness of the One that he saw, and also his own weakness, his own insufficiency. I think the Lord would perhaps impress us with that as we have a sense of His greatness and His glory. How puny we are in relation to the glory, but then there is a real blessing, and Isaiah came to it. He said, “Woe unto me! for I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts”.
What a view Isaiah had and, as having that view, and taking the position of lowliness and need, he was open for one of the seraphim to administer the blessing. It says, “And one of the seraphim flew unto me, and he had in his hand a glowing coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar”. It reminds us of the Lord Jesus and the way that He went; it reminds us that there was no alleviation of the suffering for Him. Speaking very carefully and reverently, there were no tongs for the Lord Jesus: He had to suffer at the hands of a holy God in relation to the matter of sin and sins. He went that way, and He went that way willingly, beloved, and He went that way for you and for me. The One that Isaiah saw in His glory is the same One as it says in chapter 53: 10: “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see a seed, he shall prolong his days”. It was that One who “made His soul an offering for sin”, beloved, on your account and on my account.
Well, Isaiah got the blessing. It says, “Behold this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin expiated”. What a blessing Isaiah came into and, as having got that blessing, he was available to God and typically to the Lord Jesus for whatever service lay to his hand. As we know, that was a service in relation to the gospel. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go”. Well, I think this is open for us, beloved, but it is essential that we have a sense of the greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the One who has died for us but who now lives for us in glory at the right hand of God. That was the background to Isaiah’s blessing; in the year that king Uzziah died, and he got the blessing that enabled him to be a suitable servant, suitable to the Lord Jesus Himself.
I read in Acts about Stephen but I did not actually have in mind to speak about Stephen; it was more Paul I was thinking about; but you can hardly consider Saul’s background without thinking about Stephen’s sufferings because Saul was present at the time when Stephen was martyred and, not only that, he was serviceable to those that were stoning Stephen. Think of that, think of such a person, one who became an ambassador for God in relation to the glad tidings, but also in relation to the truth of the assembly, and he was available to those who were intent on murdering Stephen! But I think Stephen’s spirit would affect our hearts, as I have no doubt it affected the heart of Saul of Tarsus at the time. It says, “And they stoned Stephen, praying, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And kneeling down, he cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And having said this, he fell asleep”. What a spirit Stephen showed in the face of the most extreme adversity you can imagine!
I think with that background Saul was open to the voice that came out of heaven on that Damascus road, “and falling on the earth he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?” He recognised, in some sense, the glory of the One who called to him. He does not address the Lord first. He says, “Who art thou, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest”.
But then there was something more for Saul: “But rise up and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do”. Saul, under the hand of Christ, became an obedient person, a leadable person, no longer one who was available to the enemy, but one who was available for the Lord Jesus Himself. “But leading him by the hand they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without seeing, and neither ate nor drank”. What a test that would be for him! I think the work of God would be proceeding in Saul during that time and Ananias, when the Lord spoke to him, said, “Behold, here am I, Lord”. That would just emphasise to us the need to be available for whatever service the Lord Jesus would direct us to or, indeed, who He might direct us in relation to, because there is one thing certain in the days in which we are, that there is a need for recovery. So he said, “Behold, here am I, Lord. And the Lord said, to him, Rise up and go into the street which is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, one by name Saul, he is of Tarsus: for, behold, he is praying”. Think of that, think of one like Saul of Tarsus and, beloved, he was praying. Well, in such a situation, I think Saul became available for service under the hand of Ananias, but under the divine hand.
And it says, “And Ananias went and entered into the house; and laying his hands upon him he said, Saul, brother”. I think at that point Saul was introduced into the divine family. He said, “Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus that appeared to thee in the way in which thou camest, that thou mightiest see, and be filled with the Holy Spirit”. Well, Saul became available to the Lord in that sense in whatever service into which he was directed: “Saul, brother”. May each one of us have a sense of being part of God’s family and being available in relation to whatever service the Lord might direct us into.
Well, we know that when Paul recounts this journey on the Damascus road, the light becomes brighter on each of the two occasions. I think that would be the normal effect of Christianity, that we have an increasing sense of the blessings into which we have been brought.
These were just my few simple thoughts, beloved. May the Lord just help us and bless the word for His Name’s sake!
Word in a ministry meeting in Grangemouth
5th April 2016