NO. 64 THE BLIND SERVANT

TEXT: ISAIAH 6: 8- 13 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

10 Make the hear 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.

11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

12 And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. (KJV)

Today we are going to see the above passage.

We often notice the expression that though they have eyes they do not see or though they have ears they do not hear. So we know that it implies some thing. It is very important, and we understand that the Lord likes to tell us through it.

This passage of chapter 6 of Isaiah is quoted several times in the New Testament such as in Matthew, Mark, John, The Acts and so on. So the passage should not only be the prophecy for the people of Israel in the Old Testament but also for us in the New Testament. And we also should read the meaning of it.

We see the text.

“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.”

The Bible says that though they see they do not see. This is the warning for us who read the Bible and hear the teaching all the time as God’s people.

“Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted, without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.”

When Isaiah asks, “How long?” the answer is “Until the cities be wasted, without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.”

This can also be taken as the prophecy for us in the New Testament. So we have to see the answer with the eyes of the New Testament. What does it mean that the cities are wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man? Churches are often described as cities or houses in the Bible. So that says of the day when churches are desolate and people do not go to churches.

What does it mean, “And the Lord have removed men far away?” It means the captivity. It is the captivity to Babylon for the people of Judah in the Old Testament. Then, the Church like Babylon appears in the end time of the New Testament. They are deported and carried away from the inherited land of their ancestors, the promised land of the Kingdom.

The passage says that the people, the multitude of the Christians, are blind until the churches are wasted without men and are carried away to Babylon. Conversely speaking, as their eyes are not opened, the churches are wasted and become like Babylon.

“Whose substance is in them: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.”

The prophecy basically says that the cities are wasted without inhabitant, the houses without man and the people are carried away. But some, not many, remain among them in His will, which is what the above verse says.

The reason why this passage is repeatedly quoted in the New Testament is because the same thing will be reproduced in the history of the New Testament Church.

So we come to know that it is very important to see and hear the words and the works of God.

And we notice that the destruction and judgment are also mentioned in relation to seeing and hearing in this passage of Isaiah. So we understand that there is the direct link between not seeing or hearing and the destruction.

This fact looks like Christ’s words below, which are for Jerusalem that does not rightly see and is destroyed.

LUKE 19: 41, 42 41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. (KJV)

Jerusalem in this passage is the sign for the present Church.

The scribes and Pharisees who do not rightly see or hear of the law and Christ have been destroyed with the judgment on Jerusalem. For they do not really see or hear though they engage in the things and words of God.

This is the pattern that will be repeated in the end time.

We are going to see more in detail of what seeing and hearing mean. The passage of Isaiah is quoted in the Bible verses below.

MARK 4: 10- 13 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? (KJV)

When we read this passage of Mark, we notice something. That is, seeing and hearing mean understanding of the mystery of the Kingdom of God and the parables.

The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are given in parables, riddles and hidden form of the Bible. Therefore, to understand the parables and the mysteries of the Kingdom of God should not be taken lightly but indispensable for the Christians of present, especially because they are facing the end time.

This is not only for the intellectual aspect. The passage of Isaiah is quoted as below.

JOHN 12: 37-40 37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. (KJV)

When we do not see Jesus, we cannot believe in Him.

We will see another in reference to the passage of Isaiah.

THE ACTS 28: 23- 27 23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of prophets, from morning till evening.

24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (KJV)

Even in this passage of The Acts the things concerning seeing and hearing are mentioned. It is quite suggestive that such things are written at the last moment of the descriptions of the works of the apostles. These words are told directly to the Jews but may have prophetic meaning for the Church.

That is, the words of Christ, Gospel, will be spoken even from now on through the Church age. Yet it may be suggested that God’s people will not eventually understand by hearing with their ears or perceive by seeing with their eyes.

With reference to these the similar expression is found in other passage in Isaiah.

ISAIAH 42: 18- 25 18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant?

20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.

21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

23 Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. (KJV)

We see this text.

“Who is blind, but my servant?”

The Lord says that the problem is that they are deaf and blind though they are God’s servants, messengers or devotees. If they are deaf and blind, what do they not see or hear? The answer is done in the latter verse.

“The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.”

The law means God’s Word. And what He says here is that God will magnify His Word and make it honourable. In short, His Word is infallible. But His servants are blind to His Word.

It is the problem of the engineer, not of the machine, if he cannot get the correct answer using the non-trouble latest computer. Likewise, the problem here is not the Word but the servants who see and hear it.

And what will be the consequence?

“But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth, for a spoil, none saith, Restore.”

The words say that God’s servants are blind and so eventually they will be robbed, spoiled, snared and hid in holes and prison houses. So we understand that the responsibility of the servants who deal with the Word is very great.

“Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?”

“For the time to come” means the end time. So the passage tells of the things of the end time. The expression “Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear?” is ironic. It implies the nuance that many do not hearken or hear.

Many servants may be surely deaf or blind to the things of the end time. But Christians who do the will of the Lord must hearken and hear the Word.

“Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.”

The things of the judgment are written here. Seeing and hearing are directly connected with the judgment. Why don’t the people open their eyes to the judgment on them? The reason is because of their sins of rebellion.

Let’s do the will of the Lord in the end time.

End.