By Rev. Thomas Shepherd
Stuart United Methodist Church
Isaiah 63:7-14 is a passage that is full of emotion, God’s emotions.
As Isaiah writes this passage Israel is in a bad place in their history. They are in captivity in Babylon, Jerusalem is destroyed and all seems lost. They know they have been disobedient to the commands of God. They know they have not followed the Commandments or the Law. They know that they have worshiped false gods and idols instead of the one true God. They know they turned their backs on God and this is judgment and correction.
The first emotion that Isaiah mentions is the love of God shown in all the kindness that God had already given His people. Isaiah reminds the people of the mercies of the LORD. He reminds them how it was the LORD who made them His people. He reminds them how it was the Lord who delivered them out of Egypt and opened the Red Sea so they walked across on dry ground (Isaiah 63:12). It was the LORD who brought the people to the Promised Land (Isaiah 63:14). Isaiah reminds the people of all the mercies the Lord has bestowed upon them. All they have to do is remember their history and they can see how God has loved them.
Next Isaiah reminds them of the saving grace of the LORD who gathered this people together as His children and became a Savior to them (Isaiah 63:8). Who else in all of scripture is named “Savior”? The answer is Jesus whose name means savior. God loves us so much that He is coming to save us.
We can see many times that in the Old Testament that God brings judgment. This is true. If you do something wrong, then you are responsible for the penalty. But when you read and study closely you will find that there is more mercy than there is judgment. The judgment is the result of un-repentance.
Isaiah brings to remembrance the idea of the LORD lifting up and carrying His people (Isaiah 63:9). God saves a remnant, a small group, which will continue as His people. God saves them for this purpose. Look at what the LORD has done for us! Through God’s mercy He offers redemption through His Son Jesus Christ who when we place our trust on Him brings us new life. Look at the mercy of God who carries us through our darkest hours. But just as God brought His people through the fiery ordeal of captivity, so too will God bring each of His children through our fiery ordeals.
We, like Israel, are a disobedient people. Our society and even the church so messed up that even when we think we are doing right it might still be wrong in the eyes of God. Sometimes we accept the “lesser” of two evils and feel good about our choice. But God sees evil as evil – period. So, what does Jesus do about all this disobedience? He loves us.
We are about to embark on the Christmas season where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Immanuel – God with us. Jesus knows how bad we have been, and He loves us anyway. Let that sink in!
Remember this, you are not alone! God is with us – Emmanuel! Jesus is God in the flesh. Just as God saved Israel and restored them as a people so too will God through Jesus restore us if we come to the Lord in repentance. He is the savior of all who call upon him in faith. hat is God’s Mercy! That is God’s love! That is God’s gift to the world – salvation through Jesus for all who repent and call upon him for salvation. I encourage you this Christmas season to call upon the Lord Jesus and receive with joy the gift of God – salvation in Jesus! Merry Christmas!
