LIFTING UP OUR EYES
Acts 7:54,55; 2 Kings 6:14-17;
These scriptures came to me in the prayer meeting we have just had. They all refer to ‘looking’, and at least in the first three, the setting was outwardly discouraging and distracting. We all know and remember in recent years the greater numbers in this locality and in other localities, and we have spoken in prayer about the small localities round about us. My impression, which I feel the Spirit has brought before me, is that we are to have eyes to see what heaven sees, and I think that these scriptures bring that out. The picture, if I might speak of it quite simply, is far more encouraging, and results in blessing, if our eyes view things as heaven views them.
Stephen brings out an individual view; he fixed his eyes upon heaven. There was something steadfast in him whatever might happen. “And hearing these things they were cut to the heart, and gnashed their teeth against him”. There was violence and anger and hatred, of which the wicked one was the source, expressed against this man. Stephen was a Jew, and his desire was that the One whom he loved, the Lord Jesus, would come to be loved by God’s chosen people. Stephen felt, as his Master fully felt, the rejection by His people of their Messiah. We can go through the history of how the children of Israel again and again rejected the prophets who God had sent to them. You might say, how sad it was that a man such as Stephen who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, had presented so faithfully and clearly the word of God, had his testimony rejected. How discouraging that could have been, but Stephen fixed his eyes on heaven. What does he see? He sees “the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God”. No one had had that view before; not even Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Moses had had that view. This was a view seen by Stephen; his gaze was filled with Christ and that, beloved, eclipsed all else.
Whatever we pass through, Christ is to eclipse all else. Whatever exercises as individuals we pass through, Christ is to eclipse all else. There is nothing we can pass through here that can compare with the coming day. Whatever we pass through, or whatever we have to face in the testimony, I believe that God’s purpose is that Christ should eclipse all else for us. Our eyes are to view Him by faith where He is, set down at God’s right hand. We were occupied with that at Witney over the weekend, that He sat Himself down “at the right hand of God”, Mark 16:19. What a Man He is to take up that position, and I have this impression, that there would be a steadfastness in each one who fixes their eye upon heaven. We get a view of Christ there if we are steadfast in our desire to keep Him before us whatever the circumstances.
The second scripture relates to having eyes to see through prayer. Again, the background is a scene which is contrary, a scene which is discouraging. It represents a younger believer, someone new in the faith or perhaps a bit unsure, or perhaps someone who has a desire to fix their eyes upon Jesus, but things around are just too much, the world seems too difficult and the exercises too hard. Elisha prays. If we want to have our eyes fixed on Jesus, let us pray. If we want to see what we know is true, to see in reality that the power that is with us is far more than what is against us, let us pray. Let us pray that Christ might fill our gaze more, and that we might see the power that He has, whatever is happening in this scene, and whatever the enemy might bring in. We touched in our prayers on the evil that is coming into the schools and into government and into the world around, how God is being forgotten on every hand, how the truth is being attacked now more overtly. It may seem too much, it may seem overwhelming. Beloved, pray, for He who is with us is far greater than the power of the enemy. I believe that would give us an encouraging view of what God is doing and what He is securing; it cannot fail.
In the third scripture, there are two persons who had been walking together. Lot was one with whom Abraham had enjoyed company, one who had left Midian where he was brought up and come with him so far. Lot had come out from Egypt with Abraham, from what speaks of the world; he had in type gone through that exercise. Abraham had been in Egypt with Lot and they had come out together, come out of the world, and yet now at this point, despite walking together thus far, a separation comes in. Lot now found the world attractive, and he saw the plains, which speak of this world, and he desired that, and so he went his own way. It says, “after that Lot had separated himself from him”; how discouraging that would be for Abraham, and how God would feel it. What is to be done? This time God speaks to Abraham. Listen to God: “Lift up now thine eyes …”. Beloved, remaining faithful to what God has given gives Him a basis to bless, gives Him a basis to bless you with all that He has in mind, I remember in meetings a couple of years ago in this place, the brother who was ministering to us said, ‘If you obey God, He has the basis to bless you. If you do not, He will still look after you, but if you obey Him, and subject yourself to His truth, He has the basis to bless you’. This is what we find worked out here. God said to Abraham, “look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that thou seest will I give to thee”. We spoke about it recently – in the place where Christ is, we can know the length and breadth and depth and height. We can have an appreciation of the fulness of what God has in mind. If we are with Christ and are obedient to His truth, then we are in the very centre of what God has in mind for every believer, and we can fully appreciate the length and breadth and depth and height.
Genesis 24 is not a discouraging scene, it is one of great encouragement. As the brethren know well, Rebecca is a type of the assembly and Isaac is a type of Christ. The assembly as looking for and expectant of the Lord’s coming again is represented by Rebecca as she “lifted up her eyes” and saw that Isaac was coming. I noticed it for the first time while I read it that it says first that Isaac lifted his eyes up and saw the camels coming. Surely the Lord Jesus sees the bride before the bride sees Him. But I did not have that so much in mind, rather that Rebecca lifted up her eyes “and saw Isaac, and she sprang off the camel”. The assembly’s view is the coming of Christ and there is no suggestion that she is not looking. You see it in Revelation; the Spirit says “Come” and the bride says “Come” (Rev.22:17). She is always looking, she is expecting her Lord to come. We form part of that wonderful vessel that answers to His heart, and even now in this time when things seem so small publicly, she is still looking. The Lord sees her as one that answers to His heart and His desire is to have her for Himself. The Spirit who is with her in this waiting time maintains her and speaks to her of Christ, awaiting that wonderful day when Christ and His whole assembly will be united together.
Beloved, these things are encouraging. Let us look up, look to where Christ is. Pray to have eyes to see; listen to the voice of God, and have a sense of being part of that wondrous vessel that answers to the heart of Christ. It is all linked to our looking above, fixing our eyes upon the Man in heaven. Let this be our portion, for the Lord’s name’s sake.
Word in a meeting for ministry, Sunbury
10 June 2019
David A Barlow