his own way', or as in Isaiah 56:11 `They all Look to their own way'.  The

turning of the face indicates the growing desire of the heart, and moreover,

the emphasis upon `Me ... none else' suggests the acknowledgment that all

other avenues are closed, that God alone can be the Saviour of men.  Were we

dealing with Isaiah 45 as a whole there would be much that could be said,

first upon the reiterated terms `none else', `none beside', that occur in

verses 5,6,14,18,21 as well as 22; and secondly, in view of this repeated

assertion, to realize that verse 23 looks to Philippians 2:5 -11 and Acts

4:12 where we learn that there is none other Name under heaven given among

men whereby we must be saved than the Name of Him Who was crucified and

raised from the dead.

We cannot pass from this initial aspect of the subject of `looking'

without a word regarding the wonderful type which in John 3:14,15 is so

intimately linked with the gospel of salvation and eternal life.

`And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it

upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten,

when he Looketh upon it, shall Live' (Num. 21:8).

Life must be followed by light.  They who first look to the Lord for

salvation, look to Him for illumination.  So we read:

`They Looked unto Him, and were Lightened' (Psa. 34:5).

First they lived, then they were illuminated, for Numbers 21:11 tells

us that, after this wondrous type of salvation by faith had been set forth,

those thus saved journeyed `toward the sunrising'.  After life has been

received and light given, service is a natural and spiritual sequel.  Here

`looking' has a place.  First the servant will need guidance and instruction,

and the Lord says `I will guide thee with Mine eye' (Psa. 32:8), but such

guidance presupposes that the eye of the believer is upon the Lord (Psa.

123:2), otherwise the Lord's leading must be more drastic and resemble the

guidance of horse and mule who must be held in with bit and bridle (Psa.

32:9).  Not only does the servant look to his Master, the Master looks to the

servant, looks to see what character he exhibits, as we read in Isaiah 66:2:

`To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite

spirit, and trembleth at My word'.

It will be observed that the Lord does not look for cleverness; He is

concerned with the spirit of His servants and the attitude of their heart to

His Word.

Among the symbols of service that are found in the Scriptures the

various activities of an agricultural occupation are naturally prominent.

Among them is mentioned `ploughing'.

`No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit

for the kingdom of God' (Luke 9:62).

Singleness of eye, forgetting the things that are behind, whole hearted

concentration upon the work allotted is necessary if one would be `fit' or

`well placed' (euthetos).  It is necessary that we press toward the mark and

seek to serve without distraction (1 Cor. 7:35), a condition largely governed

by the objects that occupy our vision.  If we change the figure of service