May it please almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in his holy word.
Let's turn to the prophecy of Isaiah and chapter 33 and we'll
read verse 17. The prophecy of Isaiah chapter
33 and reading verse 17. Thy eyes shall see the king in
his beauty. they shall behold the land that
is very far off. Isaiah was a prophet of the Lord
and he lived in several kings reigns, but one was the King
Hezekiah. And we read together in the second
book of the Kings 19th chapter because it speaks about Hezekiah
when he reigned and also the previous chapter and the following
chapter. And it's a very interesting account really to see how the
Lord was very gracious and wonderfully delivered Hezekiah and the reaction
that he had when he was faced with the enemy and all the things
which they pretended they would do and to destroy them. But in
the end, of course, the Assyrians under Sennacherib were totally
destroyed one night by God, 180,000 of them. And surely such a statement
like that, which we're able to read in the word of God should
encourage us today to know that we have an all powerful God,
The God who puny man today just ignores, has no understanding
of the greatness of that God. And yet we're thankful that Hezekiah
did. Well, we have really that time,
which is referred to here in this 33rd chapter in Isaiah,
but it's not very easy really to understand But it does direct
us to that occasion when the Lord wonderfully delivered his
people. And Hezekiah was the king at
that time. We won't go through the whole
chapter. It is worth pondering. It is worth going through and
reading alongside those chapters in the second of Kings, because
it does show a lot of light upon them, which otherwise it might
be very difficult to do. But of course we must always
realize, essential to realize, that the Word of God in any event
is not only an historical book, which it is, but it is also,
and more importantly, a spiritual book. And it sets before the
Church of God the spiritual life of His people. And it shows in
the Word of God, especially like we have it in Isaiah, the difficulties
and the trials and the oppositions that we face in a spiritual way. Although it's perhaps couched
in natural terms, yet it does describe the spiritual life of
the true child of God. Well, just to read us a few verses,
perhaps from verse 13. And this is what we read, here,
ye that are far off what I have done, and ye that are near, acknowledge
my might. Well, it's good if the church
of God today recognize that. And if many people realize the
truth of it, because sometimes we are far off, far off spiritually. There were those who in the Hezekiahs,
they were far off. naturally, but many today are
indeed far off. Here you are far off what I've
done and it is good indeed if you and I have ears to hear what
God has done to encourage us to realize that that same God
lives today and is alive today and always will be, that Lord
that wonderfully delivered Hezekiah so many years ago. Then he goes
on, the sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness hath surprised the
hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with
a devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with
everlasting burnings. The fear here was, of course,
that the Assyrians were going to come and utterly destroy Jerusalem
with fire, and therefore there will be no hope for the inhabitants
of it. And also, not only speaking about
those who were sinners indeed, but also those who were hypocrites. And of course, we still find
that in the day and age in which we live. There are those sinners
and there are those hypocrites. And so the prophet goes on to
ask the question, who among us shall dwell with a devouring
fire? Who among us shall dwell with
everlasting burnings? Well, of course, there was a
natural picture, but also it sets before us a spiritual picture,
because of course, to all those hypocrites who remain hypocrites,
they will be cast into that place where there is everlasting burnings. It is a frightful thought, a
frightful consideration, and how tragic it is that men and
women, boys and girls, do not take these things to heart. They somehow think it doesn't
apply, or somehow think it'll pass them by, when it won't. He that walketh righteously and
speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that
shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoopeth his
ears from hearing of blood, and shunneth his eyes from seeing
evil. It's a good thing, you know,
if you read a statement like that, if God has given us grace
to ponder such a statement, and grace the desire to walk with
the same desires and the same actions that these people were
blessed with, walking righteously, speaking uprightly, despising
gain by oppression, that does not shake hands from holding
of bribes, and that stop our ears from hearing blood, hearing
of wicked and wrong things, and it shatters our eyes from seeing
evil." And that's very easy to read such statements as this,
but we all need grace to walk it out, every one of us. We should
never think, well, I'm strong and I'm able to keep myself and
I'm able not to think anything wrong or say anything wrong.
The apostle Paul knew it when he said, I am what I am. by the grace of God, by the grace
of God, I am what I am. And we should always recognize
that. The Lord enables us to do those things that are right,
to realize it is because of his grace, because what does that
do? It brings honor and glory to his grace and holy name. And
then he says, he shall dwell on high, his place of defense
shall be the munitions of rocks, bread shall be given him, his
waters shall be sure. Really in a nutshell that means
the Lord will take care of his people. What a blessing that
is for us today as we journey on through this world with all
the oppositions, all the trials and all the difficulties to realize
still today the Lord God omnipotent reigns. And then of course, there
was to be that wonderful deliverance from the Assyrians, and the King
Hezekiah would again be sat upon his throne, and those who were
a long way away would indeed be brought back once again. We
see that then in a natural world, in a natural way, which was fulfilled. But really tonight, I want to
direct us to the spiritual scene. the spiritual word, because surely
that is what we all want, that is what we all need. And so says
Isaiah, thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty. They
shall behold the land that is very far off. Well, I hope we
can appreciate that this really speaks spiritually of the Lord
Jesus Christ. the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. And also that land which is very
far off is the place of glory, the place of heaven. And so surely
the living Church of God, in the day and age in which this
was written, and this was spoken, no doubt, they were able to look
beyond the obvious natural situation to the glory of the spiritual
one. And what a blessing today if
such a word is a true statement with regards to each one of us. Thine eyes, our eyes, shall see
the Lord Jesus Christ in all his glory, in all his beauty. Do you know what that means?
As we travel through life, as the Lord may draw near to us, the Saviour will be very attractive
because of his saving power, because of his sin-atoning death,
because of his great and glorious intercession seated at the Father's
right hand. and it is therefore by faith
which God gives to his church to see the King in his beauty. But of course it goes much further
than that because by the grace of God all his people one day
will see the King of Kings on his throne in heaven above that
wonderful city, that place that the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ
has gone to prepare for his people, that place that he will once
again come and receive us under himself, that where he is there
we shall be also. Well, it's a lovely thought,
isn't it? I hope it's a lovely thought
to each one of us as we ponder this scene, by an eyes shall
see. To those who understand in the
spiritual sense their own foolishness, their own sinfulness, their own
waywardness, and yet to realize there is a compassionate, merciful,
gracious, loving God who does not deal with us as our sins
deserve, but has gone to repair that place for us, so that one
day we shall be found with Christ, which as the apostle says is
far better. And as we're on this earth, here
we see through a glass darkly, but then face to a place and
our eyes shall indeed see him. You know, the God's servant Job
had a view of this and the book of Job is a very wonderful book
really. And in the 19th chapter, we read
in the 27th verse, or perhaps we could start a bit before that. Verse 23 in verse chapter 19. Oh that my words were now written,
oh that they were printed in a book, that they were graven
with an iron pen and laid in the rock forever. For I know
that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter
day upon the earth. And though after my skin Worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh should I see God, whom
I should see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another, though my reins be consumed within me. Well, those were the
words spoken by God's servant Job, and I'm sure Most of us
know that Job of course lived through a very dark period in
his life when it appeared that God's hand had gone out against
him. The reality was it hadn't. The
reality was that God was dealing with him in love to his soul
and although there are Many things that Joe perhaps said he complained
of, yet you see there are those times in the account in Joe when
he speaks glorious words, glorious words of truth, glorious words
through God-given faith. And so he's able to come and
testify in this way. And we should remember that it
was many, many years before Job, in actual fact, was taken from
this earth. As in the last chapter of this
book, we read how many, many years he lived afterwards, and
it was many years he lived after the Lord appeared for him. And
yet, you see, he was able to say with a humble, true, and
good confidence, for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth. Job was given God-given
faith and all my friends what a blessing it is if you and I
are given God-given faith so that even tonight God gives us
that faith to be able to say because of what he's done for
us, because of the work of grace which we have received which
is not of the flesh, which is because of his love and mercy,
we can humbly say, along with God's servant Job, yes, by his
grace, I know that my Redeemer liveth. There's only one Redeemer
to redeem us from all our sins, to deliver us from the wrath
to come, and that is none other than the blessed Saviour the
Lord Jesus Christ. So my friends, we should not
think, well, I'm rather young, and I've got a long time yet
before I should die. And I needn't worry too much
about having a confidence and a belief that my Redeemer liveth
and He is my Redeemer. Well, first of all, we don't
know how long we're going to live. Secondly, we don't know
when the Lord will come and return. So the Word of God reminds us
in very simple words, be ye also ready, for ye know not what a
day or an hour may bring forth. And that should be our concern
every day. And it should be our concern,
therefore, to read a verse like this. Thine eyes shall see the
King in his beauty, and they shall behold the land that is
very far off, and to be so thankful if God has given us a humble
hope in his mercy, a hope that we have been benefited by his
glorious love to us, and that he, the wonderful Saviour, came
in this sinful world to redeem my soul. Real religion is personal
don't pass it off don't think well it's okay for other people
no it needs to be for us individually and so may we be able to have
this humble confidence like jove and then say whom i shall see
for myself there wasn't any doubt you know the devil casts doubt
We don't claim any merit for doubts. It's the devil that wants
to cause us a doubt. And of course he brings before
us many reasons why we should doubt. He tells us how bad we
are, which we are. He tells us how sinful we are,
which of course we are. And he tells us therefore there's
no hope for us, which of course he's wrong. Because there is
hope. And what a blessing therefore
If Almighty God has caused us to seek his face, has caused
us to cry unto him, just like Hezekiah did in his day of trouble,
he says in that 33rd chapter, in the second verse, Oh Lord,
be gracious unto us. We're waiting for thee. Be thou
there on every morning. our salvation also in the time
of trouble. So we see here Hezekiah's confidence
in his God. And it's wonderful if the Lord
gives us that humble confidence in our God, remembering it's
not what you and I have done to merit our salvation, it's
what the glorious Redeemer has done to give us our salvation,
the gift of God of eternal life. What a blessing, what a favor,
what a mercy. Well, may we be amongst those
then tonight who truly rejoice in the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And because it's a finished work,
it means there's nothing lacking. Everything was faithfully completed
upon that cross at Calvary, and do rejoice in the words of the
Saviour. The last words he spoke, it is
finished. Yes, the whole work that his
father and our father had given him to do, he had completed. He hadn't failed in one iota,
not one little thing. He kept God's gracious and holy
law on our behalf. You and I failed. We do fail. We will fail. But you see, we
don't depend upon what we've done. We depend upon what the
Lord Jesus Christ has done. when indeed he died upon that
cross at Calvary. And the price that he paid was
the highest price that could ever be required. And that is
his life. No one can pay a higher price
than giving their life. Because once their life has been
given, once their life has been taken, They can do nothing else. Well, the Lord Jesus Christ,
he gave his life to pay that ransom price, which was required
of us to free us from the condemnation of our sin. Oh yes, we were condemned,
we are condemned, but bless God for the freedom which has been
brought to the whole church of God. through the Saviour. And so to think, and it's good
to meditate upon such a word as this, to think that thine
eyes, the eyes of every true believer, without doubt, without
any failures, shall see, it will occur, it will come, shall see
the King, the King of Kings, in his beauty, in the glorious
state of heaven. As I've said, we see here through
a glass darkly, we rejoice to look forward to that day, and
we look forward to seeing him who died for us, but by faith
we view him on this earth. By faith we stand at the cross,
By faith we hear those words spoken, on our behalf it is finished. By faith we receive the glorious
atonement when the Lord Jesus Christ shed his precious blood
to take away our sin. Thine eyes shall see the King
in his glory, in his beauty, and they shall behold the land
that is very far off? Well, of course, we don't know
where heaven is actually. We know it is there. And as we
spoke on Lord's Day, of course, there was Moses and Elijah who
came back from heaven and were shown on that Mount of Transfiguration
to Peter, James and John on that wonderful occasion, that very
positive evidence that there is a resurrection and that all
his church will one day be found together in heaven. It's a wonderful
thought, isn't it? I often think those words that
we can read of in the Revelation give us some little view of the
glory of heaven at last and what it will be like because we read in the seventh
chapter, there's other places like it in the revelation, but
often think this gives a very concise statement. And we read
this in the 13th verse of the seventh chapter. And one of the elders answered
saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes?
And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou
knowest. And he said to me, these are
they which came out of great tribulation. Every true believer
comes out of great tribulation through this world. And have
washed their robes. Every true believer has washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. It's
a wonderful consideration. It's a wonderful truth. And may
you and I receive faith to believe it. Therefore, because of that,
therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day
and night. It's figurative, of course, because
there's no night in heaven, but it's explained like that so that
we can have some appreciation. And he that sits on the throne,
shall dwell among them, the blessed Saviour, this One, the Lord Jesus
Christ. They shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any
heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall
feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Well tonight
may our eyes be ever looking upwards, looking to Jesus the
author and the finisher of our faith and rejoice in this great
truth which we have in this 33rd chapter of Isaiah and verse 17. Thine eyes shall see the king
in his beauty, they shall behold the land that is very far off. Amen.