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therefore instead of commanding Isaiah, he says in Isaiah's hearing: "Whom shall I send,
and who will go for us?" And Isaiah's service becomes willing service.
"Then said I, Here am I; send me."
Yet again, notice Isaiah's reply. He, on his side, might have said, "Here am I, I am
going", but he did not. Instead, as a child of redeeming grace, he begins to reflect the
image of His Lord, and says with a beautiful blend of willingness and submission, "Here
am I, send me."
Here we must pause. In our next article we must deal with the nature of his message,
and with the pledge of verse 13.
ISAIAH.
#5.
The Remnant shall return (6:).
pp. 195 - 200
We take up our study of Isa. 6: at the commission received by Isaiah, as recorded in
verses 9 and 10:
"And He said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye
indeed, 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 convert, and be healed" (Isa. 6: 9, 10).
Here we have the intensely solemn message entrusted to the prophet. Even though we
allow for the figure of speech--the expression "Make the heart of this people fat"
signifying "declare that it will be so"--the prophet must still have felt the great solemnity
of his charge.
This passage in Isa. 6: is quoted in the N.T. seven times and on three different
occasions:
(1)
Matt. 13: 14; Mark 4: 12; Luke 8: 10. King and kingdom rejected.
(2)
John 12: 40. The King and the kingdom. Hossanah. Yet rejection.
(3)
Acts 28: 25-27. Israel as a nation rejected.
We read in verse 9, "Go and tell this people". No longer does the Lord say "My
people", for the passage prophesies that Israel were to become "Lo-ammi"--"Not My
people". In the opening chapter of Isaiah, Israel are referred to as "My people", who "do
not consider", "a people laden with iniquity", and "ye people of Gomorrha" (Isa. 1: 3,
4, 10). In the opening chapter of the restoration section, on the other hand (Isa. 40:-66:)
the very first verse reads: "Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people" (Isa. 40: 1), while in the
closing references to Israel as His people, the Lord says that they are a people that have