Monday, January 19, 2009

Isaiah 63:3,5b,7

Who is our God? That is an impossible question to answer, but there are many attributes that we can at least start to understand or appreciate. However, usually we find ourselves focusing on one or two attributes or characteristics, which gives a poor description of God. However Isaiah 63 looks at two very different sides of God, and meshes them into one.

The first six verses are almost scary in how angry and punishing God is. For instance verse 3:

I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes’ (Isaiah 63:3)

He is talking here about Edom and Bozrah (vs. 1), the enemies of Israel who are His redeemed (vs. 4). But why is God so angry?

…Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;
And My own fury, it sustained Me.’ (Isaiah 63:5b)

This is salvation for His redeemed that He is bringing about, by the destruction of the evil that surrounds them. So although this is an angry scene, it is for the salvation of His redeemed. Verse 7 is a complete (and surprising) change of tone:

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD
And the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.’
(Isaiah 63:7)

This is straight after the mention of God treading down the peoples in His anger, spilling their blood and making them drunk in His fury (vs. 6).

You see, God is a merciful God all the time. That is who He is. But God is also a God that hates sin, and is completely just. Losing either one of those attributes loses the other. For in effect, the first 6 verses of this chapter are a complete act of mercy towards Israel, as expressed so lovingly in verse 7. And thus, without justice, there is no mercy.

There is no point in focusing only on the ‘lovingkindnesses’ of our LORD. Because without the severe punishment and application of justice, these lovingkindnesses have no meaning. Neither is there point in dwelling upon the judgment of the LORD, for we have been saved from it! No, it is best that both are remembered and praised, for God is glorious as a whole, in all His attributes, not just those that we find comfortable.

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