Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise -- Walter Chalmers Smith

 

He felt that an ancient apostle had said something that was crucial, and so Walter Chalmers Smith repeated what Paul had written centuries ago and described the Divine One in even more detail to underline the amazing depth of His nature. He is indeed “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”, such that when He was crucified, the sun’s rays were eclipsed for a time to mark the profound meaning of that moment (Matthew 27:45). (See the photo here that depicts, via the 1961 film Barabbas, the crucifixion darkness that the movie’s filmmakers tried to recapture by using the totality of the solar eclipse on February 15, 1961.) He is light (1 John 1:5), so how would we really appreciate that He is the source of this inestimable thing we take for granted, if it had remained unchanged while its Creator gave up His life? There are so many other characteristics of this God that Walter identified, that we cannot begin to fathom Him, though we could spend a lifetime trying to do so. Perhaps that is what Paul was up to when he wrote to a young protégé and concluded his opening address with this salutation to Him who is the focal point of all life. Don’t forget who is to remain in your sights at all times, Paul seems to say.

 

Walter Chalmers Smith was a pastor in the Church of Scotland for some 40 years, and was in mid-life (perhaps 43 years of age) in 1867 when these poetic lines of his were published. What exactly prompted Walter to write these lines is not known, though the first line of his lyrics strongly suggests that he was indeed reading what Paul had written to Timothy in the first century about life in ministry, and was himself on a difficult mission. Biblical scholars believe he was teaching Timothy that error was propagating in Ephesus, and that principles had to be accepted by the culture there, or it would descend into falsehoods that were anathema to the truth to which he and the other apostles had been devoted since Jesus commissioned them. Several times in the opening chapter of this personal letter to his ‘son’, he makes references to those who were riven with errors (1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6-11; 18-20), and that he (Timothy) needed to remember who God really is – immortal, invisible, the only God (1 Tim. 1:17). Walter got the message too, and said so many more things about this incredible God. Were six verses of poetry really enough? Walter may have answered ‘no’ emphatically, but nevertheless he said many mouthfuls in what he did include in the lines he penned. Every line in Walter’s creation contains something about the inscrutable One we too-often describe blithely as our friend. Yes indeed, that is what He is, certainly. But Walter, even at this point in his life, must have seen or heard people take Him too much for granted, in prayer and in life generally. Remember what Paul had been through by the time he wrote to Timothy in that first century (perhaps around 63-64 A.D.), and he still thought of himself humbly in comparison to God (1:13, 15-16) just before lauding Him with this song’s title words. This God is one we need to treat reverently in our approach to Him, before we do anything else. Above all else, Walter suggested with his lyrics that we should begin by seeing God in all His greatness.

 

No less than 11 times did Walter say something about trying to see God or the light that hides Him. So, it’s a bit of a vain exercise, is it not, to try to really see Him?  It seems like a fair question, one that perhaps Walter’s hearers must have asked him at least once. What’s the use, if I cannot get even a glimpse of Him? How do I worship someone I cannot see? Entering into the picture is Jesus, right on queue. He sure showed off His power, glory, might, compassion, wisdom, courage, and so many other qualities when He walked among the people for 33 years. And even if you and I weren’t there, we can still read history about Him and marvel at the church He created and the changed lives He’s inspired. And, then there’s that crucifixion thing, too, followed by the resurrection unlike any other event ever recorded in world history. Moses and others wanted to see Him, too, but were prevented from doing so. And then, even he and Elijah got a look at Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:2-8; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36), and then they really got goosebumps. Wow!, they must have thought. If you want to see this God in all His fullness, consider that episode on a high mountain. He once described Himself as lowly (Matthew 11:29), and yet that’s part of the package of this awesome God-Man, too. All that is wrapped up inside this God, this amazing God that Walter wanted us to see.               

 

See more information on the song story in these sources: The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006; and Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1990.

 

See here for all of the song’s original verses: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/i/i/g/o/iigowise.htm

 

See information on the photograph here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Barabba_Eclisse_1961.jpg ...This work is in the public domain in the United States because it meets three requirements: it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), it was first published before 1 March 1989 without copyright notice or before 1964 without copyright renewal or before the source country established copyright relations with the United States, and it was in the public domain in its home country on the URAA date (January 1, 1996 for most countries). It may be found inside this document -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_in_fiction