Spiritual Insight

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord.’

Isaiah vi. I.

ifTERE is Isaiah. Before his call and conse- -”’ cration he had lived on the political plane of life. His thought was ever moving among the forces of diplomacy and statecraft The national problem was to Isaiah a political problem. The ultimate foundation of national prosperity was strong and stable government. The wise handling of political forces was the one essential for the continuity and grandeur of the nation’s life. That was the plane of thought and life on which Isaiah moved, and on that plane he must find his heroes. He found the hero in Uzziah. Uzziah was the embodiment of political smartness — a sagacious administrator, a man of vision and brilliant diplomacy. So he became Isaiah’s hero. What then? He had won Isaiah’s admiration. What next? Next he won his

confidence, next his love, next his devotion; then Uzziah became Isaiah’s god! Uzziah filled the whole of Isaiah’s vision. How now did Isaiah’s reasoning run? Thus: ‘What will become of the world when Uzziah dies? When the master of statecraft is gone, in whose hands will the rulership rest? When the political nave is removed, will not all the spokes of the national wheel fall into the direst confusion? ’

Such was Isaiah’s fear, begotten by his hero-worship. Well, Uzziah died. What then? Let us read the record. ‘In the year that king Uzziah died’ — what? ‘All my worst fears were abundantly realized?’ No, no. ‘All the world’s affairs were plunged into chaos and discord? ‘No, no. ‘In the year that king Uzziah died I had my eyes opened. I saw there was a greater kingdom with a greater king — / saw the Lord! When king Uzziah was removed from his vision, Isaiah saw that king Uzziah was not the ultimate power, but that behind him, high and lifted up, was the Lord God Almighty. The revelation gave to Isaiah an enlarged conception of all things. It gave him a new centre for his thoughts and life. It taught him that the ultimate security of all national greatness rests not in thrones and gppinfuaf 3n&i$t 127

crowns, but in God. It taught him that big armies, and walled cities, and subtle diplomacy are not the fundamental forces on which the welfare of mankind rests. The originating centre of all true and enduring life is not diplomacy, but holiness — not Uzziah, but the Lord.

Surely that is a lesson for to-day — that national foundations must not be laid by Uzziah, but by the Lord; that material forces must be kept secondary, because they are transient; and that the spiritual must be exalted, as being primary and eternal. To-day men are labouring with both hands to mightily strengthen king Uzziah, as the representative of political strategy and material force. We are ’ digging wells, We are adorning cities. We are increasing our armies and navies. We are buttressing about our treasures with ramparts which appear invulnerable. All around us is going on constitution building. The clamour of the builders is incessant. Are we building another Tower of Babel, or are we building the City of God? Is it true of us, as of the builders of old, that we are using ‘bricks for stone, and slime for mortar? ‘Behold, ’ the Lord will come down to inspect the tower which the children of 128 (flleotiatfone for Qukt QTlomente

men build,’ and then shall it become manifest that the solidarity and stability of the structure depend not upon clever policies, but upon holy character; and that if the government of things is to be eternally efficient, the government must rest upon the shoulders of the Lord.