Reflections on Isaiah 63

Isaiah 63 (Contemporary English Version)
1. Who is this coming from Bozrah in Edom with clothes stained red? Who is this hero marching in his glorious uniform? "It's me, the LORD! I have won the battle, and I can save you!"
   
2. What are those red spots? Your clothes look stained from stomping on grapes.
   
3. "I alone stomped the grapes! None of the nations helped. I stomped nations in my anger and stained my clothes with their blood.
   
4. I did this because I wanted to take revenge-- the time had come to rescue my people.
   
5. No one was there to help me or to give support; my mighty arm won the battle, strengthened by my anger.
   
6. In my fury I stomped on nations and made them drunk; their blood poured out everywhere on earth."
   
7. I will tell about the kind deeds the LORD has done. They deserve praise! The LORD has shown mercy to the people of Israel; he has been kind and good.
   
8. The LORD rescued his people, and said, "They are mine. They won't betray me."
   
9. It troubled the LORD to see them in trouble, and his angel saved them. The LORD was truly merciful, so he rescued his people. He took them in his arms and carried them all those years.
   
10. Then the LORD's people turned against him and made his Holy Spirit sad. So he became their enemy and attacked them.
    
11. But his people remembered what had happened during the time of Moses. Didn't the LORD bring them and their leaders safely through the sea? Didn't he give them his Holy Spirit?
    
12. The glorious power of the LORD marched beside Moses. The LORD will be praised forever for dividing the sea.
    
13. He led his people across like horses running wild without stumbling.
    
14. His Spirit gave them rest, just as cattle find rest when led into a valley. The name of the LORD was praised for doing these things.
    
15. Please, LORD, look down from your holy and glorious home in the heavens and see what's going on. Have you lost interest? Where is your power? Show that you care about us and have mercy!
    
16. Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob have both rejected us. But you are still our Father; you have been our protector since ancient times.
    
17. Why did you make us turn away from you, our LORD? Why did you make us want to disobey you? Please change your mind! We are your servants, your very own people.
    
18. For a little while, your temple belonged to us; and now our enemies have torn it down.
    
19. We act as though you had never ruled us or called us your people.

---

In the previous chapter Isaiah spoke of a time when Israel would prosper and would have peace. A time when her enemies would join her in rebuilding Israel. The time frame is the millenium. This chapter begins, still in that time frame, referring to God's vengeance on the nation of Edom who perpetually opposed Israel.

Then the time frame shifts to Isaiah's day and a prayer goes up from the faithful remnant of Israel remembering how the Lord had been good to them, but also how Israel had rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit. The remnant then pleads for the One who delivered Moses and his people to deliver them. They ask God to "look down from heaven and see from Your lofty home," asking "Where is Your zeal and Your might?" They are praying for that same deliverance that Moses and his people received. Confessing that they have strayed far from the ways of Abraham and of the past Israel, they point out that the Lord is still their Father.

The question is then raised as to why God 'made' them "stray from Your ways?" and why He "harden(ed) our hearts so we do not fear You." (63:17) We know that God does not cause His people to sin. As James stated, "For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone." (James 1:13) The question of this remnant of Israel is more likely the question so many of us ask, "Why have you allowed this?" God allows us to make our own choices and to reap the results. He allowed Israel that same choice and they strayed and hardened their hearts. Now they are asking why He allowed them to do this. It is a similar question that a child who has matured and recognized the error of his past ways asks his parents wondering why they let him get away with his former behavior.  Such questions are only wishful thinking, wishing they had not taken the path they took and wishing someone had stopped them. Yet even in asking the question they recognize no one could have stopped them from taking that path nor did anyone cause them to take it.

We all want the freedom to make our own choices and object to outside control over those choices - even from God. Yet when our choices lead us into trouble, we are prone to ask God why He allowed us to take that course or the trouble to come our way.