Translation and sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ the Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 22 June 2008
1. Who is this coming from Edom,
garments garishly-stained from Bozrah –
this one majestic in His clothing,
bulging with the greatness of His strength?
It’s me speaking in righteousness, great to save!
2. Why red for your clothes, and your garments like one who treads in a winepress?
3. I have trodden the crushing-trough alone,
and there was not a man with me from the peoples,
and I trod them in my anger,
and I trampled them in my fury,
and their vigor sprinkled upon my garments,
and I defiled all my clothes.
4. For a day of vengeance was in my heart and the year of my redeemed ones came.
5. And I looked, but there wasn’t a helper,
and I was astonished, but there wasn’t a supporter,
so my arm caused to save for me,
and my own wrath supported me,
6. and I stepped on peoples in my anger,
and I intoxicated them in my fury,
and I brought their vigor down to the earth.
How many of you struggle with God’s promises, wondering if they can all possibly come true? Our world is so corrupted by sin, it’s hard to imagine any way in which all the problems could be solved:
o It seems like every time you turn around, there is some new, deadly disease,
o Every time you answer the door or answer the phone or check your email, there is some new huckster seeking to defraud you,
o For every country that our soldiers enter to fight terrorism, two more go from bad to worse,
o Governments are so corrupt, with lawmakers being bribed by lobbyists, police officers that strain out gnats and swallow camels, and biased judges that turn laws on their heads.
o And look at the poverty situation. Even if you had a billion dollars to give away, you couldn’t solve all the poverty in even one country.
o Closer to home, we see the foolishness of our own hearts and despair to see our children committing the same sins and wonder if it’s possible to ever get past these things.
We have looked for the last couple of chapters at God’s wonderful promises of future blessing for His people. But it is a legitimate question for God’s people to wonder how these blessings can come to pass when there are still so many enemies of God’s people. Not only were they to be captured by the Babylonian army and exiled, but they also had enemies all around them. Release from captivity in Babylon would not do much good as long as there were jealous neighbor-nations, such as Edom.
ILLUSTRATION: It would be like the toddler at the birthday party who is released from captivity in his crib to join the other kids in hitting the piñata. As soon as the candy falls out, all the big kids snatch up the candy, and the poor toddler can’t get any candy because he’s too slow. What that toddler needs is a Daddy who is bigger and faster than all the other big kids and who can make sure that his little toddler gets his fair share of candy at the piñata!
The prophecy of chapter 63 tells us that God will step in with mighty power in order to save and secure the blessings for His people. It comes in the form of a vision of a man coming out of a winepress. Isaiah asks, “Who is this??”
v.1 – who is this that comes from Edom… from Bozrah?
v. 1 “Dyed/crimsoned/stained/bright/glowing colors”
All instances in Bible refer to the negative influence of sin, whether symbolically of leaven in Passover or morally in the heart.
o Exodus 12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt…
o Psalm 71:4 Deliver me, O my God… out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
o Psalm 73:3-22 I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked… 13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence… 16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end… 21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.
o The use of this word supports a figurative understanding of Isa. 63 where the stain represents sin.
But the garments themselves are:
v.1 “Splendid/glorious/majestic/honored/high garments”
o This kind of honor and splendor is attributed to God in 2:10,19,21, and 35:2
o Last place this occurred was in 53:2 where it says that Jesus “had no stately form or majesty.” Phil. 2 teaches us that this is because He emptied Himself of this glory so that he could become a man.
o
Isa 59:16b His arm caused to
save for Him, and His righteousness upheld Him, 17. and He put on
righteousness as the breastplate and a helmet of salvation on His head, and He
put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and He wrapped Himself in
zeal like the cloak. 18. As it is with paybacks, so He will bring closure:
wrath to His adversaries – payback to His enemies… 20. And a Redeemer will come
for Zion…
That’s what God did before He went down to Edom and conquered His enemies.
o God wears strength, righteousness, salvation to destroy enemies. He was a victorious warrior against Egypt in the Exodus: 51:8b but my righteousness will exist forever, and my salvation to generation upon generations. 9. Awake! Awake, arm of Jehovah! Put on strength! Awake like the days of old - the eternal generations. Were you not the one that cut Rahab to pieces, piercing the dragon? 10. Were you not the one that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep – the one that set a way (in the) depths of the sea for the redeemed ones to pass over?11. So the ransomed of Jehovah will turn and come to Zion with singing, everlasting gladness upon their head…
v.1 “striding/marching/travelling/lit. bending/bulging in the greatness of His strength”
o
God has power to do anything to
deliver His people:
50:2b Does my hand come up so very short from the redemption, and is there
not strength in me to deliver? Look, by my rebuke I dry up the sea; I
replace rivers [with] desert; their fish stink from there not being water, and
they die in their thirst. 3. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I place
sackcloth as their covering.
o “Strength” is parallel with “salvation” at the end of v.1 – both are described using the same adjective “רב - great/mighty” and both are in parallel positions as the last word of the line in Hebrew. God shows the acme of His strength through saving!
o
The Apostle Paul also describes
the greatness of God’s strength being for our salvation:
Eph 1:18-20 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so
that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the
glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing
greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with
the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in
Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in
the heavenly places,
o God’s saving power includes His power to regenerate our dead hearts toward Him, convict us of sin, and draw sinners to Himself, as well as to provide for their justification and to conquer Satan and all their enemies!
v.2 “Why are your clothes all stained like someone who has been treading in a winepress?”
o Because I HAVE been in a winepress!
o Circulate PHOTOS of winepresses from Unger’s Bible Dictionary, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:MigdalHaemek5.jpg, and http://z.about.com/d/santarosa/1/7/Q/0/-/-/defending-champs.JPG
o But why tread the winepress in the first place? That’s what the answer in verse 1 tells us, it is because God has moral absolutes, He is “righteous.” He defines righteousness as perfect obedience to the 10 commandments and all their ramifications. He also defines the punishment for breaking His moral absolutes and being unrighteous: “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23)
o Leon Morris wrote in his book, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, “It is no capricious passion but the stern reaction of divine nature to evil in man.” He goes on to note that as much as the New Testament talks about love, there are still 20 different words used in the New Testament to describe God’s wrath, and they are used 580 times throughout the New Testament!
o As Francis Schaeffer put it, “We live in a moral universe,” and must deal with the consequences of that truth either by being destroyed in God’s judgment or by being justified by Him so as to escape the sentence of death.
v.3 “tread crushing-trough alone”
o This is speaking particularly of Jesus’ 2nd coming as we see from parallel passages in Revelation:
o Rev. 14:9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared undiluted in the cup of His anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb… 14 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand sharp sickle… 18 And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to Him that had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress are trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
o Rev. 19:11 And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteous He judges and makes war. 12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written which no one knows but He Himself. 13 And He is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. 15 And out of His mouth comes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty... 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat upon the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone: 21 and the rest were killed with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
o No one else is righteous enough (v.1) to be qualified to judge sinners. And no one else is strong enough to knock out all our enemies and save the world.
v. 3b “I trampled them in my wrath”
o Yes God is love, but He also gets very angry over sin, whether in His own people or in the reprobate.
o We have already seen prophecies that God would “trample” nations because of sin, even Israel and Judah (Isa 26:5b, 28:3, 41:25)
o 42:13 Jehovah went abroad like a hero, like a man of war He stirred up His zeal; He shrieks, He even lets out a whoop, He makes Himself heroic over His foes… 15. I will lay waste mountains and hills and I will dry up all their vegetation, then I will arrange the rivers into islands and I will dry up the pools. 16. And I will cause the blind to walk in a way they do not know – in paths they do not know I will guide them. I will arrange the darkness before their faces into the light, and the crooked into straight. These are the things I have done, and I do not forsake them. 17. The ones who trust in the idols will be turned backwards and utterly put to shame… 24. Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to plunderers? Was it not Jehovah, against whom we sinned, and were not willing to walk in His ways and did not give heed to His law? 25. Then He poured upon him the fury of His anger and the force of battle...
o Throughout the Bible, it talks of God’s “fury” – including several times in this chapter:
o Isa 34:2 For anger belongs to Jehovah against all the nations, and fury against all their host. He has devoted them to destruction; He has given then over to the slaughter.
o Isa 59:18 As it is with paybacks, so He will bring closure: fury to His adversaries – payback to His enemies;
o Isa 63:5 my fury, it supported me.
o Isa 63:6 And I stepped on peoples in my anger, and intoxicated them in my fury…
o Isa 66:15 behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.
v.3c “Their lifeblood/vigor spattered … stained my clothes”
o Generally, the prophets who wrote before the time of Christ did not distinguish greatly between Jesus first coming (when He died on the cross) and His second coming (where he will bring an end to the world). Here in verses 3-4, I think we see a glimpse of Jesus’ first coming even though I think most of this prophecy is about His second coming.
o The only other mention of this sprinkling/spattering action in Isaiah is in 52:15 “He will sprinkle many nations,” and is used throughout the Pentateuch to describe cleansing from the impurity of sin and of sickness through the sprinkling of blood or water and of consecration of things for holy service to God, such as the priests themselves who were sprinkled with blood.
o At the same time, being sprinkled with any body fluid made one unclean. The lifeblood of the people stained Jesus with its sin and made Him unclean before God, causing Him to be forsaken by God on the cross.
o I believe this can be interpreted as a description of what theologians call “double imputation.” Here we have a picture of people’s uncleanness staining Jesus, the son of God who took upon Himself the sin of the world, and a sprinkling which symbolized cleansing from sin and being made righteous.
v.4 Why is all this happening? Because a “day of vengeance… year of my redeemed ones” is on God’s heart.
o Isa 34:8 [against Edom] Jehovah has a day of vengeance – a year of paybacks for the cause of Zion.
o Isa 35:4b Vengeance will come – God’s payback! He Himself will come, and He will save you.
o Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me... He has sent me to bind up those who are broken of heart, for the calling out of liberty to the captives, and opening of the eyes for those which have been bound, 2. for the calling out of a year of acceptance for Jehovah and a day of vengeance belonging to our God,
o “Year of redeemed” alludes to year of Jubilee when what was lost was restored (Lev. 25:54)
o This parallels 62:12 where the word “redeemed” is spelled exactly the same in Hebrew minus the first person pronoun “they will be called The People of the Holy One, The Redeemed Ones of Jehovah” so I opt for the KJV rendering “year of my redeemed” rather than the modern English versions which render it impersonally “year of my redemption.”
o
Interestingly enough, Edom show
up in the New Testament in the context of redemption: Mark 3:7 Jesus
withdrew with His disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from
Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Edom/Idumea and from beyond the Jordan
and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that He was
doing, they came to Him.
One of the people groups in the great multitude of people who followed
Jesus was Edomites – the spiritual fulfillment of their conquest by the Kingdom
of God!
v.5 “there wasn’t a helper”
o Egypt’s “help” would fail (30:7, 31:3);
o God is the only effective “helper” in the book of Isaiah (“The Lord Jehovah will help for me” 50:7-9, cf. 41:6-14), and if God is looking around for another helper, there is none; He is it!
o He already stated in v.3 that he was alone. When Jesus was taken to be executed by the Jews, all His disciples deserted Him. When He died on the cross, He was very much alone, crying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
o There was nobody who didn’t need saving who could help Jesus save us. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Jesus - and Jesus alone - could do the work of salvation. We can’t help Him by adding good deeds to help Him save us; we must rely upon Jesus alone to save us.
v.5 “Stunned/astonished/appalled/wondered/shocked that there wasn’t a supporter”
o When treading a winepress, you are standing on a very unstable surface of grapes that are squishing under you. For this reason, ancient winepresses had a pole or strap overhead that the treaders could hang onto to keep their balance. But in this figurative winepress, there was no such support.
o Isa 59:16 And He saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no intercessor, and His arm caused to save for Him, and His righteousness upheld Him
o This Hebrew word for “one who upholds/supporter” is the word used throughout the Old Testament to describe the sacrificial animal that people would place their hands upon symbolizing that the animal would bear their sins. (Exodus 29:10-19, Lev. 1:4, 3:2-13, 4:4-29, 8:14-22, 16:21, Num 8:12) There was no man on earth who could bear the sin of the world, no other person besides Jesus against whom God could unleash all His vengeance for the sin of the world.
o Isaiah has already written that Egypt wouldn’t work as a support for God’s people in 36:6 “it will puncture your hand if you lean upon it!”
o God and God alone is a sufficient support, as David wrote throughout the Psalms:
Ps. 3:5 I laid down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD upholds/supports/sustains me.
Ps. 37:17 the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD supports the righteous
Ps. 71:6 By you [O Lord] I been supported since birth
Ps. 145:14 The LORD supports all who fall…
v.6 “I trampled down the peoples… made them drunk in my fury”
o
The last time this phrase is
mentioned in Isaiah was when God said He would trample down the Assyrians in
the land of Israel (14:25).
Did He do it for Hezekiah? Yes!
o
God also promised to bring down
Babylon in the same way: Isa 49: 25 For thus says Jehovah, “Even the
captives of the mighty will be taken and the prey of the ruthless one will be
rescued, and I myself will fight against those who fight against you, and I
myself will cause to save your children, 26. and I will make your molesters eat
their own flesh, and they will be intoxicated with their own blood like
grape juice, and all flesh will know that I am Jehovah who causes you to be
saved and your Redeemer is the Mighty One of Jacob. (cf. 14:4-11, 51:21-23)
Did God do this to Babylon? He sure did.
o
Will He do it again for the
church? Yes He will.
Deut. 32:35-43 Vengeance is mine [by the way, He doesn’t want our help
in bringing revenge to people who hurt us. Veangeance is His.], and
recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their
calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.' 36 For the LORD will
vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants… 39b I kill and I make
alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand…
41b I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who
hate me. 42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall
devour flesh-- with the blood of the slain and the captives…' 43 "Rejoice
with Him, O heavens; bow down to Him, all gods, for He avenges the blood of His
children and takes vengeance on His adversaries. He repays those who hate Him and
cleanses His people's land."
v.6b “I brought down their lifeblood to the earth”
o God would do this to Tyre: Ezekiel 26:2-11 Because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha, she is broken… I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste:” 3 therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, “Behold, I am against you, Tyre… I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock… 7 Behold, I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen… 11 With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all your streets; he shall slay your people with the sword; and the pillars of thy strength shall go down to the earth.
o And He would do this to Edom: Obadiah 1:1 Thus says the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom… 3 “The pride of your heart has deceived you! You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that says in his heart, ‘Who shall bring me down to the ground?’ 4 Though … your nest be set among the stars, I will bring you down from there,” says Jehovah.
Most of the other prophetic books of the O.T. echo this same message:
o Jer 49:17 "Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters… 20 Therefore hear the plan that the LORD has made against Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of Teman: Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate… 22 Behold, one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains."
o Ezekiel 25:12 "Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, 13 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword. 14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.
o Joel 3:19 Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
o Mal 1:4 If Edom says, "We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins," the LORD of hosts says, "They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called 'the wicked country,' and 'the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.'"
o This was fulfilled for the literal country of Edom in the time of the Maccabes when Judas defeated the Edomites, John Hyrcanus forcibly converted the Edomites to Judaism, and later when Simon the Gerasine destroyed the land and fields of Edom. (F. Delitzsch)
o But inasmuch as Edom stands for everyone who is opposed to God and His people, the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is to be found in Christ’s second coming, which we’ve seen described in the book of Revelation. I like Franz Delitzsch’s commentary here, “He will take vengeance upon that Edom to whom the red-lentil judgment of worldly lust an power was dearer than the red life-blood of the loving Servant of Jehovah who offered Himself for the sin of the whole world.”
1. Fear God’s wrath against sin
o The day before the tornado that ripped through Manhattan, KS in the Summer of 2008, I looked at the sky and saw that it was pretty clear and thought, “At last, I’ll get a good night of sleep.” After I went to bed, my weather radio went off, “The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning... All residents are warned to take cover. This storm is 30 miles SE of Junction City and moving NE at 60 miles an hour. This warning is in effect until 2:00 am.” I didn’t heed the warning. I have been through so many tornado drills throughout my life and have never had a tornado even come close to me. I said, “I’m just going to roll over and sleep rather than letting this tornado warning disturb my peace!” But that was the wrong response. There was a real tornado out there going right over my neighborhood. When I heard the warning, I should have protected my family.
o Isa 63 is like that weather radio, sounding the alert. “People, there is danger. You are grapes sitting in a winepress that is going to be trodden by Jesus in His second coming. Life is not a game. There is real, horrifying punishment for sin, and if you don’t get right with Him, you are in danger!”
o The wrath of God against sin is real; it is to be feared. It should not be ignored like I ignored the tornado warning. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov. 9:10)
o “There are only two places you and I can be: in the wine press about to be trampled, or clothed in white, riding with Jesus (Rev. 19). We want His blood on us, not our blood on Him!” (Frank Barker)
o How do we do this? Through faith.
2. Trust in God’s work to deal with sin
o In His first coming, Jesus alone paid the price for sin by His death on the cross, and we can rest in His finished work, trusting that He has really and truly and completely reconciled us to God. This is called faith, and, together with an attitude of repentance rather than rebellion against God, this is all that is needed to escape the wrath of God.
o In His second coming, Jesus will return to destroy every evil that exists in this world. He will do away with every oppressive government that persecutes Christians. He will bring to justice every cruel person who has hurt you with words, cheated you, or abused you. He will cause every disease to disappear. He will remove everything that causes stress and bring His kingdom of peace. He will do this for you, so keep looking forward to it.
1. Don’t let yourself take revenge; wait for Jesus to take care of it.
2. Don’t give up hope; He is still coming!
3. And even now, start being like Him by stamping out sin in your life and in your sphere of influence. Fight the effects of sin, whether it be
§ fighting disease through medicine, or
§ fighting fraud through teaching integrity, or
§ fighting terrorists to defend the helpless, or
§ making and enforcing just laws to promote peace, or
§ fighting the ravages of poverty through generosity, or
§ fighting the chaotic foolishness bound up in the hearts of our children through gracious parenting,
§ or whatever else God has called you to do.
§ We will not save the world through these efforts, but to carry out this fight is follow Christ and to look forward to His ultimate victory in all these things.
God ascends with shouts of joy, and the Lord with ringing trumpets.
Sing praises, sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises to our king.
The Almighty wants to prepare for himself a victory celebration, since He Himself leads captivity captive.
Who shouts with joy for Him? Who is it who sounds the
trumpets? Who goes by His side?
Is it not God's army that sings of the honour of His name, His
salvation, praise, kingdom and power
With loud voices and to Him now for ever bring an Alleluia.
Indeed thousands upon thousands accompany His chariot to
utter songs of praise for the king of kings,
So that earth and heaven nestle beneath Him and what He has conquered
now submits wholly.
And the Lord , after He had spoken with them, was taken up to heaven and sits at the right hand of God.
My Jesus has now completed His work of salvation
and makes His return to the one who sent Him.
He ends His race on earth: you heavens, be open and take Him up once
more!
The Hero of heroes comes, the Ruler and terror of Satan,
He has felled death itself, wiped out the stains of sin, scattered the
horde of enemies;
You powers, hasten here and raise up the conqueror.
He is the one who by himself has trodden the winepress,
Full of sorrow, suffering and pain, to rescue those who were lost at a
great cost.
You thrones, bestir yourselves and place garlands on Him!
The Father has indeed for Him ordained an eternal kingdom:
Now is the hour near when He takes His crown after a thousand
hardships.
I stand here by the way and look towards Him with joy.
I see already in spirit how at God's right hand
He smites His enemies to help His servants out of their misery,
distress and disgrace.
I stand here by the way and look towards Him with longing.
Next to Himself He wants to prepare a dwelling for me
So that for eternity I may stand by His side, set free from woe and
lamentation!
I stand here by the way and shout gratefully to Him.
You prince of life, Lord Jesus Christ,
You who have been taken up to heaven, where your Father is and the
congregation of the righteous,
How should I rightly praise the great victory that you have won through
a hard war
And how should I sufficently honour you ?
Draw us after you, and we shall run, give us wings of faith!
Help us, so that we may flee far from here on the hills of Israel!
My God! when shall I travel there where I shall be joyful for ever?
When shall I stand before you to see your face? (English
Translation by Francis Browne)
NOTE: Another key texts not mentioned here is Psalm 137. Be sure to read commentary on that before your study of Isaiah 63 is complete!
Nate Wilson’s website – Isaiah Sermon Expositions
