The Review and Herald
March 18, 1915
“Behold Your God!”
In Isaiah's day the spiritual understanding of mankind was dark through misapprehension of God. Long had Satan sought to lead men to look upon their Creator as the author of sin and suffering and death. Those whom he had thus deceived, imagined that God was hard and exacting. They regarded him as watching to denounce and condemn, unwilling to receive the sinner so long as there was a legal excuse for not helping him. The law of love, by which heaven is ruled, had been misrepresented by the archdeceiver as a restriction upon men's happiness, a burdensome yoke from which they should be glad to escape. He declared that its precepts could not be obeyed, and that the penalties of transgression were bestowed arbitrarily. RH March 18, 1915, par. 1
In losing sight of the true character of Jehovah, the Israelites were without excuse. Often had God revealed himself to them as one “full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15. “When Israel was a child,” he testified, “then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” Hosea 11:1. RH March 18, 1915, par. 2
Tenderly had the Lord dealt with Israel in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and in their journey to the Promised Land. “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:9. RH March 18, 1915, par. 3
“My presence shall go with thee” (Exodus 33:14), was the promise given during the journey through the wilderness. This assurance was accompanied by a marvelous revelation of Jehovah's character, which enabled Moses to proclaim to all Israel the goodness of God, and to instruct them fully concerning the attributes of their invisible King. “The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” Exodus 34:6, 7. RH March 18, 1915, par. 4
Till the close of his long life of patient ministry, Moses continued his exhortations to Israel to keep their eyes fixed on their divine Ruler. “Hear, O Israel,” he pleaded: “The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:4, 5. “Thou art an holy people unto the Lord.” Deuteronomy 7:6. “What doth the Lord thy God require of thee,” he asked, “but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him?” Deuteronomy 10:12. RH March 18, 1915, par. 5
With what confidence had Moses assured the Israelites of the merciful attributes of Jehovah! Often during the wilderness sojourn he had pleaded with God in behalf of erring Israel; and the Lord had spared them. As in the days following the death of Elisha, when Hazael, king of Syria, was oppressing Israel, so in their earlier history, “the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence.” 2 Kings 13:23. RH March 18, 1915, par. 6
It was upon this knowledge of the long-sufferance of Jehovah and of his infinite love and mercy, that Moses based his wonderful plea for the life of Israel when, on the borders of the Promised Land, they refused to advance in obedience to the command of God. At the height of their rebellion, the Lord had declared, “I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them;” and he had proposed to make of the descendants of Moses “a greater nation and mightier than they.” Numbers 14:12. But the prophet pleaded the marvelous providences and promises of God in behalf of the chosen nation. And then, as the strongest of all pleas, he urged the love of God for fallen man. “I beseech thee,” he prayed, “let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.... Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Verses 17-19. RH March 18, 1915, par. 7
Graciously the Lord responded, “I have pardoned according to thy word.” And then he imparted to Moses, in the form of a prophecy, a knowledge of his purpose concerning the final triumph of his chosen people. “As truly as I live,” he declared, “all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” Verses 20, 21. God's glory, his character, his merciful kindness and tender love,—all that Moses had pleaded in behalf of Israel was to be revealed to all mankind. And this promise of Jehovah was made doubly sure; it was confirmed by an oath. As surely as God lives and reigns, his glory should be declared “among the heathen, his wonders among all people.” Psalm 96:3. RH March 18, 1915, par. 8
It was concerning the future fulfillment of this prophecy that Isaiah had heard the shining seraphim singing before the throne. “The whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3. The prophet, confident of the eternity of these words, himself afterwards boldly declared of those who were bowing down to images of wood and stone, “They shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.” Isaiah 35:2. RH March 18, 1915, par. 9
Today this prophecy is meeting rapid fulfillment. The missionary activities of the church of God on earth are bearing rich fruitage, and soon the gospel message will have been proclaimed to all nations. “To the praise of the glory of his grace,” men and women from every kindred, tongue, and people are being made “accepted in the Beloved,” “that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 1:6; 2:7. “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory.” Psalm 72:18, 19. RH March 18, 1915, par. 10
In the vision that came to Isaiah in the temple court, he was given a clear view of the character of the God of Israel. “The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy,” had appeared before him in great majesty; yet the prophet was made to understand the compassionate nature of his Lord. He who dwells “in the high and holy place” dwells “with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15. The angel commissioned to touch Isaiah's lips had brought to him the message, “Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” Isaiah 6:7. In beholding his God, the prophet had found pardon and peace. RH March 18, 1915, par. 11
(To be concluded.)