Who is this who comes from Edom,
in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
mighty to save.”
2 Why is your apparel red,
and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifeblood spattered on my garments,
and stained all my apparel.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and my year of redemption had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
and my wrath upheld me.
6 I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
I made them drunk in my wrath,
and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
The Lord's Mercy Remembered
7 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely.”
And he became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted,
and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
of Moses and his people.
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
his Holy Spirit,
12 who caused his glorious arm
to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.
14 Like livestock that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
Prayer for Mercy
15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and beautiful habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
are held back from me.
16 For you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
18 Your holy people held possession for a little while;
our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
like those who are not called by your name. Isaiah 63 ESV
Isaiah 63 Day of the Lord's Vengeance
…18If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.”… Romans 12: 18-20
…21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.… John 5: 21-23
1-6. Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah - It is the Lord of hosts, and He is coming from the east. Bozrah was a capital city in Edom and the name means fortification or vintage. Wolf also notes this about that city:
With dyed garments from Bozrah is also significant. Bozrah was the capital city of ancient Edom, and “The important city of Bozrah is singled out because its name means ‘grape-gathering,’ and Isaiah developed a detailed comparison between treading grapes and pouring out blood.” (Wolf)
Why is Your apparel red - He lets them know that it is not from wine, but rather the blood of His enemies, the enemies of Israel. Edom is used as the name here and some think because of the way they turned on Israel during the Babylonian invasion. I think it is a typical name used to generalize those left in their sin, not elected to salvation, as in Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated. It describes all the unbelieving world, the enemies of the gospel and yes, carries the weight of what Edom did against Judah as well. See links below for more on this:
…13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses. 15And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.… Revelation 19: 13-15
The time of God's patience will come to an end, and His justice will require a day of wrath. All who have thought God delinquent or slow will realize that He has been gracious and long suffering. All who have cried unto Him from their oppression, who have mourned over their own sin, they will be avenged. There was no one that could save them from their sin, no work that their soiled hands and hearts could perform, and so the servant came and suffered on their behalf. He was the sole bridge between fallen man and Holy God, men had nothing to do with their creation, nothing to do with their rebirth, and will still be but bystanders on the day of God's wrath.
7-14. I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord -
Lovingkindnesses “is the Hebrew word hesed, the love that is faithful to the covenant.” (Grogan) It can also be translated “steadfast love.” It is one of the great words of the Old Testament, probably the closest Hebrew equivalent to the Greek word agape. Enduring Word
Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely - Some have this as lie, and anyone who knows the story of Israel knows that they often forsook God. Jacob means deceiver and his name was changed to Israel. This is based upon the compassion of God and the merit of Christ, for it continues that He became their Savior, and He shared in their affliction. This is a statement of grace, a work that God carries out.
…29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. 31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?… Romans 8: 29-31
The Angel of His presence saved them - Very interesting mention here, and I believe to be of Chrystophany, the foreshadowing appearances of Christ in the old Testament, pointing to His ultimate incarnation as Immanuel (God with us).
“The angel of His presence is the Messiah… Calvin sees in this angel merely a serving angel. But of this Angel it is said that He by His love and pity saved Israel; this can hardly be said of a created angel. It is the Christ who is meant here.” (Bultema)
ii. “Angel of his presence: literally ‘of his face’. We recognize people by face; ‘face’ is the Lord’s very one presence (Psalm 139:7), among them in the person of his angel – that unique ‘Angel of the Lord’ (as in Genesis 16:7ff; 21:17; 22:11, 15; Exodus 3:2; 14:19; 23:20-23; Malachi 3:1) who speaks as the Lord and is yet distinct from him.” (Motyer)
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit - It is interesting those that deny the person of the Holy Spirit, for as MacArthur points out, only a person can be grieved. We see God grieve, the Son bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, and it grieves the Holy Spirit when we sin.
…29Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.… Ephesians 4:29-31
…5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. 6And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”… Genesis 6: 5-7
…28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”… Hebrews 10: 28-30
…50Has not My hand made all these things?’ 51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—… Acts 7: 50-52
Then He remembered the days of old - He remembers Moses, bringing them through the Red Sea, His Holy Spirit (the Shekinah glory in the tabernacle), the fire by night and cloud of covering by day. It was the Messenger of Yahweh, Who was the strong arm of Moses hand, dividing the water, and the Good shepherd leading them through the desert.
…30After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: 32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.… Acts 7: 30-32
So You led Your people, to make for Yourself a glorious name - It is a glorious thing to consider, especially in light of God's claims to holiness. Israel rebelled, they killed God's messengers, and Isaiah has let them know, in no uncertain terms, back in Isaiah 53, that the Messiah would be considered a nobody to them, and have to be wounded for their transgressions. These are the people of His choosing, but they have shown His glorious justice, in that He has not let them go without chastening, for their sins they have gone into exile and all manner of persecutions. He has shown His glorious grace, in that while they and all of the earth were yet sinners, He knew these things and yet still upheld the covenant He made with Abraham. He died for them. Their story is Christ story.
…8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. 9Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,… Philippians 2: 8-10
15-19. The stirring of Your inner parts and Your compassion - He has recounted the Lord's power, miracles and guidance in times past, but he wonders how the Lord feels about them now. Do You still consider us Your people, in spite of all we are as sinners, and all we are not in righteousness? Where is Your presence now, Your mighty acts?
For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us - Now this is a confession of a true believer, and if it is a national confession, then it must be a future statement such as was made by Israel looking back upon the time of Christ in Isaiah 53. These things were all written 700 years before Christ was born, and in Christ time the Jews placed much weight on lineage, ritual and token outward righteousness. Here they acknowledge God as Father, for He made Abraham and them, and Abraham doesn't know them all by name. He only believed that he would be a father of many nations by faith, and he died long before the reality of this came to fulfillment. The call has to come from higher than Abraham.
…8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.… Matthew 3: 8-10
…38I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39“Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham. 40But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.…
41You are doing the works of your father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me. 43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.…
…44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me! 46Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?… John 8: 38-46
…56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.” 57Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”… John 8: 56-28
They thought they knew more about Abraham than God did.
And harden our heart so that we fear You not - Why do You leave us in our stubbornness? It is not a denouncement of guilt or individual responsibility, but on the contrary, as the Psalmist prayed, "create in me a new heart Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me." It is a desperate plea, that of a convicted criminal, a dead man, "I have no way out of this but by Your unmerited mercy." God will not share His glory with another here, and neither Abraham, nor Jacob, who God named Israel, will be able to reconcile this. It won't be a right of birth, of human will, but of God, Who shows mercy. They make a plea that He return to them for the sake of His servants, and for His heritage.
…11But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me. 12So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. 13If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,… Psalm 81: 11-13
…41At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’… Acts 7: 41-43
…25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. 26For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.… Romans 1: 25-27
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