A Demanding Commission

by G. Prasher, Manchester, England | Category: Gleanings From Isaiah | May 1993

In a vision granted to the prophet Isaiah, he saw the Lord in majestic holiness on the eternal Throne. The call had gone forth, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" (6:8). Isaiah's immediate response was, "Here am I; send me". His offer was at once taken up, and we read in Isaiah

6:9 RVM:

Go, and tell this people, Hear ye continually but understand not; and see ye continually, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.

Isaiah then said, "Lord, how long?" and was told:

Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land become utterly waste, and the LORD have removed men far away, and the forsaken places be many in the midst of the land.

We can hardly imagine a more discouraging assignmenL Isaiah was being told in advance that when he took God's message to the people of Israel they would not return in heart to the Lord, and ultimately they would be exiled to foreign lands. Yet Isaiah faithfully persevered in his prophetic office for about half a century, fear-

lessly speaking God's message despite much opposition and unbelief. Before the end of his ministry the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians. How greatly we admire the courage and steadfastness of this great man of God! In longsuffering and grace God continued to appeal to a backsliding people through Isaiah long after they had hardened their hearts against~, His' will. In our Christian witness, we have a similar responsbility to proclaim Christ as Saviour and Lord, despite much unbelief and resistance to the gospel. It is God's will that the message be proclaimed until Jesus comes.

In writing his Gospel the apostle John quoted from Isaiah 6. In John 12:3T we read that although Jesus had done so many signs before the people of Israel, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled which he spoke:

He hath blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart; lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and should turn and I should heal them

(12:40).

In Matthew 13:13 the Lord Jesus also Himself made reference to the same passage from Isaiah.

Therefore speak I to them in para

bles; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand And unto them is fialfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear and shall in no wise understand.

So in the time of the Lord~s ministry among Israel there was a repetition of the reaction against Isaiah's ministry. God was now speaking through His Son, a perfect presentation of truth by One of infinite wisdom and love. Moreover, His message was confirmed by mighty signs and wonders. Yet unbelief had set in, and there came a point of no return when the majority of Israel were blinded to the truth which the greatest of all teachers effectively brought to them.

The last chapter of the Acts tells about Paul being under house arrest in Rome. He invited representatives of the Jewish community in Rome to visit him so that he could testify the kingdom of God. He persuaded them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning to evening. Some believed the things that were spoken and some disbelieved. When they disagreed among themselves, Paul gave a warning in terms very similar to those used by the Lord Jesus:

Well spake the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers, saying, Go thou unto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise

understand; and seeing ye shall hear, and in no wise perceive.

He quoted the whole passage from Isaiah 6 and then added:

Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also hear.

This sad rejection of truth, leading to spiritual blindness, was repeatedly seen in Israel's experienc~ But Scrip~ ture shows that it will be seen also among all nations as the end-time comes in. Already we find that God's Word is being rejected by many who have it so freely available. There is a repetition of what is described in Romans 1:28: "Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind." Scripture foretells the ultimate in rejection still to come. For the lawless one, the coming man of sin, will through Satanic power work signs and lying wonders (2 Thes. 2:10-12).

From the background of Isaiah's long and faithful ministry, light is shed on the problem of the hardened human heart, resisting the Word of God. Whether in the time of Isaiah, or the days of the Lord and His apostles, or in modern times the responsibility and privilege of those who know and fear God is the same - to preach the Word, to be instant in season, Out of season, with all longsuffering and teaching. Then God will be glorified through the witness borne.

G. Prasher, Manchester, England | May 1993
Gleanings From Isaiah