#1043 Isaiah 65 Here I Am, Here I Am

 

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me;

I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

I said, “Here I am, here I am,”

to a nation that was not called by my name.

2 I spread out my hands all the day

to a rebellious people,

who walk in a way that is not good,

following their own devices;

3 a people who provoke me

to my face continually,

sacrificing in gardens

and making offerings on bricks;

4 who sit in tombs,

and spend the night in secret places;

who eat pig's flesh,

and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;

5 who say, “Keep to yourself,

do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.”

These are a smoke in my nostrils,

a fire that burns all the day.

6 Behold, it is written before me:

“I will not keep silent, but I will repay;

I will indeed repay into their lap

7 both your iniquities and your fathers' iniquities together,

says the Lord;

because they made offerings on the mountains

and insulted me on the hills,

I will measure into their lap

payment for their former deeds.”

8 Thus says the Lord:

“As the new wine is found in the cluster,

and they say, ‘Do not destroy it,

for there is a blessing in it,’

so I will do for my servants' sake,

and not destroy them all.

9 I will bring forth offspring from Jacob,

and from Judah possessors of my mountains;

my chosen shall possess it,

and my servants shall dwell there.

10 Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks,

and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,

for my people who have sought me.

11 But you who forsake the Lord,

who forget my holy mountain,

who set a table for Fortune

and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,

12 I will destine you to the sword,

and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,

because, when I called, you did not answer;

when I spoke, you did not listen,

but you did what was evil in my eyes

and chose what I did not delight in.”

13 Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, my servants shall eat,

but you shall be hungry;

behold, my servants shall drink,

but you shall be thirsty;

behold, my servants shall rejoice,

but you shall be put to shame;

14 behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,

but you shall cry out for pain of heart

and shall wail for breaking of spirit.

15 You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,

and the Lord God will put you to death,

but his servants he will call by another name,

16 so that he who blesses himself in the land

shall bless himself by the God of truth,

and he who takes an oath in the land

shall swear by the God of truth;

because the former troubles are forgotten

and are hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

17 “For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever

in that which I create;

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,

and her people to be a gladness.

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem

and be glad in my people;

no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping

and the cry of distress.

20 No more shall there be in it

an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for the young man shall die a hundred years old,

and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 They shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labor in vain

or bear children for calamity,

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,

and their descendants with them.

24 Before they call I will answer;

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;

the lion shall eat straw like the ox,

and dust shall be the serpent's food.

They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain,”

says the Lord. Isaiah 65 ESV

Isaiah 65 Judgment and Salvation

. Paul quotes this passage in Romans 10:20-21: But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” These were bold words indeed from Isaiah, “so bold, say Origen and others, that for this cause, among others, he was sawn asunder by his unworthy countrymen.” (Trapp)

1-7. I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me - Paul and others take the message of the gospel to those who did not know the true God. 

…12But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! 13 I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.… Romans 11: 12-14

…15However, I have written you a bold reminder on some points, because of the grace God has given me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore I exult in Christ Jesus in my service to God.…

…18I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, 19by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.… Romans 15: 15-20

I said, "Here I am, Here I am," to a nation that was not called by my name - They did not seek God by nature, even those who had the marker of the unknown God were content to that measure. Some believed in many gods or attributed deity to many things in both the heavens and the earth. These gentiles had no covenant relationship, were not raised in the Holy Writ, and the light provided by Israel was dim at best, so now God was making Himself known to them.

22Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.… Acts 17: 22-24

A people who provoke Me to my face daily - Isaiah's listeners thought they were spiritual, like Christians today, who give a nod to the Bible, but make up their own way, their own meaning, are cool with gatherings but not with the whole denying themselves and repentance thing. They were apostates like Jeroboam, but holy in their own eyes, so you can imagine how much of a scratching chalk board Isaiah's words were in their ears. They knew the dietary laws and the laws regarding the dead, but claimed themselves too holy to need God, holier than God, and wallowed in filth till their arrogance became a stench in His nostrils. 

…11The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. 13Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow.… Proverbs 14: 11-13

11Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days. 12He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.… Numbers 19: 11-12

Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon titled Self Righteousness – A Smoldering Heap of Rubbish on this text. In it, he describes how dangerous and insidious self-righteousness is. “Moreover, self-righteous men, like foxes, have many tricks and schemes. They condemn in other people what they consider to be very excusable in themselves. They would cry out against others for a tenth part of the sin which they allow in themselves: certain constitutional tendencies, and necessities of circumstances, and various surroundings, all serve as ample apologies. Besides this, if it be admitted that they are wrong upon some points, yet in other directions they are beyond rebuke. If they drink, they do not swear; and if they swear, they do not steal: they make a great deal out of negatives: if they steal, they are not greedy and miserly, but spend their gains freely. If they practice fornication, yet they do not commit adultery; if they talk filthily, yet they boast they do not lie. They would be counted well because they are not universally bad. They do not break every hedge, and therefore they plead that they are not trespassers. As if a debtor for a hundred pounds should claim to be excused because he does not owe two hundred: or, as if a highwayman should say, ‘I did not stop all the travelers on the road; I only robbed one or two, and therefore I ought not to be punished.’ If a man should willfully break the windows of your shop, I warrant you, you would not take it as an excuse if he pleaded, ‘I did not break them all; I only smashed one sheet of plate glass.’ Pleas which would not be mentioned in a human court are thought good enough to offer to God. O the folly of our race!” (Spurgeon)

iii. Spurgeon also focused his attention of the most religious of the self-righteous: “Those who come with the language of repentance but without the spirit of it, are sometimes the most self-righteous of all, for they say ‘I am all right because I am not self-righteous.’ They make a self-righteousness out of the supposed absence of self-righteousness. ‘Thank God,’ say they, ‘we are not as other men are, nor even as these self-righteous people.’ Hypocrites all the way through.”

iv. Man is so corrupt that he can be self-righteous over almost anything. “This weed of self-righteousness will grow on any dunghill. No heap of rubbish is too rotten for the accursed toadstool of proud self to grow upon.” (Spurgeon)

8-16. Do not destroy it - For the sake of His remnant, the chosen, He allows the rest to grow, just like the tares among the wheat, in the end He shall sort them out. 

“If the Church had clearly understood this simple example, then, it would not have dared to teach Israel’s total rejection. Even as He would have saved Sodom for the sake of five righteous people, so He will spare Israel, His vine, for the sake of His servants, the cluster of good grapes.” (Bultema)

For Fortune, for Destiny - They made sacrifices to fortune (Gad) and destiny (Meni), as so many believe in chance today, as if it were more than a measure of probability. 

17-25. I create new heavens and a new earth - Isaiah is covering a lot of ground here, but it is consistent with his style of writing to go clear to the end of an age and look back upon another. I don't think any other prophet covered so great an expanse of time from so many extraordinary perches.

From John’s context we see that this new heavens and a new earth comes after the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) and is connected not with the millennial earth, but with the eternal state. If all we had to go by was Isaiah’s statement, we would automatically connect this new heavens and a new earth with the millennial earth, because immediately after Isaiah 65:17-19, we clearly find the millennial earth described. But based on what we find in 2 Peter and Revelation, we must see that Isaiah is in the prophetic habit of switching quickly from one time frame to another, speaking of the eternal state in Isaiah 65:17, and of the millennial earth in Isaiah 65:20-25. Enduring Word

…12as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.… 2 Peter 3: 12-14

The young man shall die a hundred years old - Now we are back to the Millennial reign, and during this period, if a man dies at 100 it will be considered young and accursed. For the earth will not be without sin, but righteousness shall be prevalent, the reverse of our current state. Satan will be bound for a thousand years, and Christ will carry out His rule in justice and with equity. What you grow will be yours and what you build you will not have to worry about another taking away. Peace will be the norm. Guzik covered this area well below:

The Bible speaks powerfully to other aspects of the millennial earth. Tragically, the Church through history has often ignored or denied the promise of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. The early church until Augustine almost universally believed in an earthly, historical reign of Jesus, initiated by His return. Tyconius (in the late 300’s) was the first to influentially champion a spiritualized interpretation, saying that this Millennium is now (amillennialism). His view was adopted by Augustine, the Roman Catholic Church and most Reformation theologians. Growing out of amillennialism is the doctrine of postmillennialism is an outgrowth of amillennialism, saying the millennium will happen in this age before Jesus’ return – but that the church will bring it to pass. But the clear teaching of the Bible isn’t amillennialism or postmillennialism, but what is called premillennialism – the teaching that Jesus Christ will return to this earth before the millennial earth, and He is establish and govern it directly. There are more than 400 verses in more than 20 different passages in the Old Testament which deal with this time when Jesus Christ rules and reigns personally over planet earth.

· King David will have a prominent place in the millennial earth (Isaiah 55:3-5, Jeremiah 30:4-11, Ezekiel 34:23-31, Ezekiel 37:21-28, Hosea 3:5).

· There will be blessing and security for national Israel in the millennial earth (Amos 9:11-15).

· The Millennium a time of purity and devotion to God (Zechariah 13:1-9).

· Israel will be a nation of prominence in the millennial earth (Ezekiel 17:22-24).

· There will be a rebuilt temple and restored temple service on the millennial earth (Ezekiel 40-48, Ezekiel 37:26-28, Amos 9:11, Ezekiel 20:39-44).

· The New Testament specifically promises a literal reign of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32-33).

· In their resurrected state, the saints will be given responsibility in the Millennial Earth according to their faithful service (Luke 19:11-27, Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 2:26-28; 3:12,22, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3). - Enduring Word

  

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#1042 Isaiah 64 Oh

 

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,

that the mountains might quake at your presence—

2  as when fire kindles brushwood

and the fire causes water to boil—

to make your name known to your adversaries,

and that the nations might tremble at your presence!

3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,

you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

4 From of old no one has heard

or perceived by the ear,

no eye has seen a God besides you,

who acts for those who wait for him.

5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,

those who remember you in your ways.

Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;

in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

6 We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

7 There is no one who calls upon your name,

who rouses himself to take hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us,

and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father;

we are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the work of your hand.

9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,

and remember not iniquity forever.

Behold, please look, we are all your people.

10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;

Zion has become a wilderness,

Jerusalem a desolation.

11 Our holy and beautiful house,

where our fathers praised you,

has been burned by fire,

and all our pleasant places have become ruins.

12 Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord?

Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly? Isaiah 64 ESV

Isaiah 64 Pleading for the Presence

…7Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger. 8Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth. 9He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.… Psalm 18: 7-9

1-7. Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down - The Jews would pray for this in Babylon, to be relieved of their enemies, and in every holocaust, that God would make Himself known, that He would deliver. They pray that the earth would quake like it did at Sinai, or like it did when He swallowed up the enemies of Moses. 

…17Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. 19And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.… Exodus 19: 17-19

…31As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households— all Korah’s men and all their possessions. 33They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.… Numbers 16: 31-33

Who acts for those who wait for Him - There has never been another God, of all the things that men invent and worship, there has never been a God that sought out men, revealed Himself to them, made a covenant with them, so marvelously revealed Himself as the Creator, and so eloquently explained their lost condition. He is God and there is no other, and so those that wait upon Him do not do so in vain. His is an eternal proposition, the others are the imagining of dust. 

…8None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9Rather, as it is written: “ No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.… 1 Corinthians 2: 8-10

…30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. 31But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 30-31

God is ready to help. He has everything in preparation before our needs begin. He has laid in supplies for all our wants. Before our prayers are presented, he has prepared his answers to them; blessed be his name! You remember how Paul uses this passage, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.” The spiritual man is a privileged man. - C. H. Spurgeon

…26Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. 27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”…

…29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”… Acts 16: 26-31

In our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved - They have sought deliverance from earthly foes, those who persecute and live ungodly lives, but when we contemplate the reality that God's judgment is just, then how shall we ourselves escape such wrath? If it is the righteous who are saved, then who can make such a claim? The land we lived in before was taken from people who God drove out because of their sin, and now we are no longer there because of our sin, and yet we have had more light than all. Oh, you just want to grab such humility as this, kiss it and hold on to it.

We have all become like one who is unclean - Even those who studied the law in order to follow it, were careful in it, could only at best compare themselves to others who did not do so well. The apostle Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees, zealous about the law, so much so that he first missed Christ and killed Christians. Isaiah uses the word "we" here, and so even one of the most blessed and gifted prophets has realized his uncleanness, but then he has seen the Lord upon His throne. He has heard the cry of Holy, Holy, Holy, and such glory has wrecked his mortal mirror. 

…5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless. 7But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.…

…8More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,… Philippians 3: 5-10

All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment - It is by grace and not your works, those works the Lord does find fitting are not walked in apart from grace. 

It is not a flattering picture that the prophet draws. Even our righteousnesses are like filthy rags, fit only for the fire; what must our righteousnesses be like? We, ourselves, are like the sere leaves on the trees; and just as the wind carries away the faded leaves of autumn, so our sins, like a mighty blast, carry us away. - C. H. Spurgeon 

There is no one who calls upon Your name - No one seeks the true God of their own accord, no one rouses themselves to grab the hem of the garment, but those called by God and convicted by the Holy Spirit, seeing themselves sinners, and now knowing they need a mediator.

…7But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me;…

…10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned. 12I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it.… John 16: 7-12

8-12. Behold, please look, we are all Your people - They appeal to His words, not their righteousness, His ability to uphold the covenant, for they have all failed the law on their part. They point out what is happening to them as His people, to His temple, which at the writing of this still stood. Isaiah is talking to a people about their children who will witness the destruction of the temple long after Isaiah is dead. They cry out from Babylon, and later will cry out from all over the world, "God, the only God, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, please look, hear us, heal us."

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#1041 Isaiah 63 Winepress

 

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:

Isaiah 34 

Psalm 137 remember the Edomites

…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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