Isaiah 63 PROMISES, PRAISE, PRAYER The early verses of this chapter tell how God will keep His promise to make Israel the “holy people, redeemed of the Lord,” referred to at the end of the previous chapter. He will conquer those who captured them, and are still arrayed against them. Judgement and justice will be carried out by the Lord alone in the appropriate time and way. The divine judgment inflicted on “Edom,” an enemy from the east, is a reference to the rebellious world that is hostile to God and to God’s people. When our Lord is victorious at Armageddon, this question will be raised. “Who is He that cometh from Edom?”
When God intervenes to deal with the ungodliness of the world in justice and righteousness, it is “His own arm” that brings salvation from the wickedness of the tribulation. His divine intervention will bring holy judgment on the Christ- rejecting, God-hating, Gospel spurning world. The remnant of Israel will be in hiding and fear will have gripped the hearts of everyone when the victorious Lord steps into the view of the whole world. When that happens, the people of Israel will say, “Who is this that cometh from Edom; garments stained in crimson red?” We will be able to join with all the saints of the ages and shout and sing, “’Tis the Lord, the King of glory; ‘Tis the Lord, O wonderous story!”
The phrase, “I have trodden the winepress alone,” is a reference to the judgment of God carried out on the enemies of Israel. That is something He alone is able to do. It is applied sometimes to the sufferings of our Lord Jesus when He was here the first time. It is true He was alone in suffering in His soul in the garden of Gethsemane. He was alone when standing before the high priest and the council. He was alone before Pontus Pilate. He was alone before Herod. He was alone on the cross. There was judgment there and He emerged victorious over our foes of sin, hell and death. In this context though, it is looking ahead to the Victorious One who emerges from Armageddon to be seen and accepted by His own earthly people, Israel.
Isaiah sings a song of praise and thanksgiving for the “lovingkindness” of the Lord toward His people. The refining process of God’s people is difficult at the time, but in the end, and it will come to an end, it produces the “peaceable fruits of righteousness.” The lovingkindness of the Lord, and His multiplied acts of grace, are nothing new. It is all of those wonders of God toward us, that keeps us from being consumed by all that is going on around us. God has always kept faith with His people, even though we fail and, in some cases, reject and deny Him. God chose Israel as the people of earth to show a special separating love toward. Even though He did, and His love is unchanging and eternal, their rebellion against Him has consequences. The ungratefulness of Israel is remembered, and so the Lord has had to chasten His rebellious people.
God’s love is His nature. God is love. The value He has established on the objects of His love: Israel as a nation; the world of people who can love Him in return; and individuals who love Him in return, is firm and unchanging. However, His righteous wrath does not overlook sin and evil in those He loves. There is the chastening hand of love on those who know Him and can love Him in return if they will but fail; and sin, as the unwanted action of their lives. There is the righteous and just judgment of holiness against evil, when the wicked choose to continue in sin and rejection of the God of love. The consequences of sin come on Christ-rejectors; not because they were not loved, but because they spurned that love, and in some cases, denied even the existence of God.
In the book of Isaiah, the Holy Spirit is mentioned more than in any other Old Testament book. In Isaiah 11:2. He brings wisdom, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. In 32:15, the Holy Spirit brings abundance and in 34:16 it is the Holy Spirit who carries out the word of God. He is the Counselor in 40:13, and is in the Servant of Jehovah in 42:1. He makes the children of God thrive, 44:3-5; sent Isaiah to prophesy, 48:16; appointed him and the Lord Jesus to preach the Gospel, 61:1. In this chapter the Holy Spirit is grieved by God’s people verses ten and eleven, and then in verse fourteen gives rest. The ungratefulness of the people of God was remembered, and so Isaiah reminded them the Lord had to chasten His rebellious people. Those among them who were genuinely repentant made their appeal to God to come again to His people. They recognized Abraham and Jacob would disown them for their ways, but they plead for God to “look down” and show mercy to them.
The Holy Spirit gave individual Jewish believers understanding so they could live for God, and serve Him acceptably. Sometimes people expect God to do for them what they should be doing for themselves but don’t want to. Even if they are responsible to meet needs and are able to do it, they want God to do it for them. Some people will actually say, “Why does God allow people to do that? Why doesn’t He stop them before they do wrong?” It is quite common for unbelievers to think that God is to blame for their sin, because He allowed them to go ahead and do what they know is wrong. Their idea of God is that He is their servant, rather than their Lord and Master.
The remnant of people who made this appeal for divine intervention, admitted their forefathers, men of faith, would have been appalled at what their progeny had become. If we are not careful, we will find ourselves and those who follow us getting farther and farther from God and not willing to admit it. We can never blame God for allowing us to sin but must take responsibility for our own actions, our own sin and our own guilt because of sin. God made us with the ability to make moral decisions. If that was not so, there would be no way for love to be demonstrated or mercy to be shown. Grace has provided what brings delight to us who do not deserve the least of His mercies.