Isaiah 49:1 “Listen, O isles, to me; and hearken, you people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has He made mention of my name. 2 And He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand has He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver has He hid me; 3 And said to me, you are my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified”. And now Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 1:4 “Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations”. So He's to be a "Prophet to the nations" not just for Israel, that is the meaning of the "you people from far" in Isaiah 49:1 above. Now back to Galatians chapter 1 verse 15.
So this is what he is referring to when he says in verse 15:
Galatians 1:15-16a
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (Now verse 16.) To reveal his Son (Christ) in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; (anybody that is not a Hebrew and notice the position of the Son of God, the LORD the Spirit is where? in him) Now we ask can you make that claim? Sad to say not many can, in total Truth that is.
Now let's go back to the Book of Acts and look at that account, for after all, with Bible study we have to use references as much as possible to see that all of scripture agrees. We never pick up a verse here and there in order to build some ideas, but all of scripture will substantiate what we are teaching. In Acts chapter 9, after that experience on the road to Damascus, we find God working both ends to the middle. He's working on Saul outside the city, He's also working on Ananias inside the city of Damascus. So now we're going to pick it up where God is speaking to Ananias, this believing Hebrew, and he is somewhere in the city of Damascus.
Acts 9:11-15a
"And the Lord said unto him, `Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. 12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.' (this signifying the change from the old and entry into the New, this is the same condition that we find many of our churches and their people in even now, with these same scales covering their eyes and ears, just as with Israel in her blindness, the meaning of this blindness of Saul) 13. Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: (Saul's persecutions) 14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.' (and here it is in verse 15. Oh we want people from one end of this country to the other to understand this). 15. But the Lord said unto him, (Ananias) `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name (see how this is in agreement of Isaiah 49:1 and Jeremiah 1:5, this also applies or includes those who have been called by Him from before the foundation of the world) before the Gentiles,...'" We just had another thought so let's turn to the account of Lazarus for a moment, its found in John's gospel chapter 11. To get the back ground we'll start at verse 1.
John 11:1
" Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." Now what could the Lord mean by "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God"? And then "that the Son of God might be glorified thereby"? Have we ever thought on this?
John 11:9 "Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him." What is the Lord here saying? think on this. Remember what He said about a mans eye being clear or darkness being found in him?
John 11:24
"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." What has the Lord here revealed to Martha? That in Him is "the power of resurrection and life and that though one be death yet shall he live." That those who can believe this shall see life even though they are now dead. This is the Gospel which Paul preaches. But we'll not stop here still moving on in John.
John 11:38
"Jesus therefore again groaning (spiritual utterances from the heart) in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (Jesus is scolding her for her wavering of trust, for He has spoken) 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (His spiritual utterances, the groaning) 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (proof of who He was and said He was) 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." Now here's the mystery what does Lazarus and the grave cloths mean? Back a few years ago we were attending a local church here and the Lord spoke to me to use this passage the the assembly. Here's what He basically said to say. Lazarus was a type of one being born again from the separation from God, which are those who by way of personal choice have chosen the better way into Eternal Life, that being through death. And that the grave cloths were the first covenants bondage, or yoke to heavy to bear and that we were to remove that bondage in order to enter the promised second covenant. To our knowledge this has not happened with that assembly as of yet, though we still see the pastor on occasion. For us as individuals and the church at large this is true. As Israel when she left the world or Egypt to face the first crisis the Red Sea. We when we've first come through conversion into redemption have by God been placed into the first covenant which carries the ministration of death and proves within us our need for righteousness and holiness. We like Lazarus must pass through a death the crisis to remove those old grave cloths which are by then just rags. the same rags that the prophet Isaiah talks about in chapter 64 verse 6. This has to be done in order to enter the New and Living Covenant of promise which holds the power of an Endless Life and our Canaan Land both are found as Living in Christ. Now turn on your own the 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and then 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and read them and think on these things there in revealed. Ask for help of the Holy Spirit.
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