Isaiah 64:1

Isaiah 64:1 says, Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,  Isaiah said the people of Israel were calling on God to appear in a miraculous way and restore them to power.  He did appear in a miraculous way when Jesus Christ came to live, die, and be resurrected to make forgiveness of our sins available, but it wasn’t the way they were looking for God to restore them.  He didn’t melt mountains by His power, but He came as a humble servant.  We should not expect God to physically destroy all our enemies by a mighty display of power until Jesus Christ returns.  Instead, we should be humble servants of God reaching out to the lost world with His gospel. 

Verse two adds, As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!  Isaiah said that if God melted the mountains and caused the water to boil that their adversaries would then know the presence of God and tremble in His presence.  This is likely true, but they wouldn’t be obeying Him out of belief in Who He is, a God of love and compassion, but out of fear.  I don’t believe we should ever accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord because simply because we fear what will happen to us if we don’t. We should accept His gift of salvation because we know that He loves and wants to restore us to a right relationship with Him.  

Verse three continues, When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.  Isaiah said the people of Israel were calling on God to remember when He had come in power before, particularly when He delivered them out of Egypt.  Still, this was done not because the people of Egypt were less worthy of God’s redemption but because they refused to obey His command to them.  When Jesus Christ returns in judgment, those who are sent way to everlasting punishment will not be sent away because they are less worthy than those who He calls home with Him, but because they have refused to put their faith in Him.  The thing that God did in the past that we as Christians should look back on is His sending His only begotten Son to die in our place.  

Verse four states, For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.  Isaiah said that by their own ability people had never completely understood Who God is and the way that He works in the world.  We do not come to know Who God is by our own reasoning power but by God revealing Himself to us if we come to Him in repentance and faith.  Even then, we cannot completely understand God.  We just have to wait by faith for the time when we will be called to our heavenly home, and even then, I don’t think we will ever know everything about God. 

Verse five adds, Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.  Isaiah said that God met those who rejoiced in the Lord and obeyed His commandments.  This does not mean that we can become acceptable to God by our own righteousness, but that we meet Him through accepting the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  It is by His righteousness that we can be saved, since as Isaiah pointed out, we are all guilty of iniquity, or sin, and sin separates us God.  Only when we confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord can we be saved. 

Verse six continues, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.  Isaiah continued to state the fact that all were spiritually unclean because of the sin in their lives and that their righteousness was as filthy rags.  By their own righteousness, they would fade away as a leaf fades away in the fall and winter.  This still applies to us today.  Our righteousness is still as filthy rags, and if we rely on it for salvation, we will one day fade away from the presence of God to go to everlasting punishment in hell. 

Verse seven concludes, And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.  Isaiah said that there was no one that God had not revealed Himself to and that those who believed in Him and accepted His gift of salvation would be saved.  On the other hand, those who didn’t but continued to live in sin, or disobedience to God, would face God’s punishment one day.  These are the only two choices. 

Isaah 63:14

Isaiah 63:14 says, As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.  Isaiah said that just as God caused the beast to find rest in the valley, He led the people of Israel to rest in the Promised Land, and He did it not so that they might be praised but so that He would.  As Christians, we should be at rest or peace spiritually even as we are doing what God has called us to do, and we should always give the glory to GOD. 

Verse fifteen adds, Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?  The rest of this chapter is a prayer that Isaiah prayed concerning the people of Israel and their relationship with God.  Isaiah asked that when God looked down from heaven, would He see their living in holiness, or set apart from the world.  He also asked if He could see their zeal for their righteousness given to them by faith in Jesus Christ.   I don’t believe Isaiah was bragging on the people, but He was lifting their obedience to God up for Him to view.  We should never go to God in prayer bragging about what we are doing for Him, but we might ask if He is watching us as we live our lives for Him. 

Verse sixteen continues, Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.  Isaiah said that even though Abraham had entered into a covenant relationship with God and was known as the father of the nation of Israel, he was dead and could not help them.  Therefore, he could know nothing of them, but God as the Heavenly Father could know them, since He is eternal.  Our salvation will never come through any earthly father but will always come from the Heavenly Father and our relationship to Him as such. 

Verse seventeen states, O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.  Isaiah seems to imply that God was responsible for the people of Israel turning away from following Him, but He did then ask that God return to them. Matthew Henry says that instead of blaming God that Isaiah was pointing out the sin of the people in not following Him.  I do know that when we sin against God that He will not be the cause of it, but our lack of faith and obedience to Him will.  Isaiah asked that God return to them, but He never left.  If we are separated from God by sin in our lives, He will always be calling us to return to Him.

Verse eighteen adds, The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. Isaiah said that most of the people of Israel had possessed the holiness of God for a while, but then their adversaries had trodden them down.  Still, there was always a remnant that remained true.  This was because they had rejected following God and had begun to worship false gods and was not something that God had caused.  If we are a follower of Jesus Christ, we will always be a part of God’s kingdom, but we may lose the joy of our salvation by allowing sin back into our life. 

Verse nineteen continues, We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.  Isaiah said that those who remained faithful to their covenant relationship with God were His people still.  Those who had turned away to serve other gods were not.  They were people of Israel by birth but not by rebirth in faith.  Not everyone in the church today has a personal relationship with God, but all we can do is to make sure that we do.

Isaiah 63:7

 Isaiah 63:7 says, I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.  Isaiah said he would speak of the loving kindness of the Lord toward Israel after He entered into a covenant relationship with them.  We know many examples of this, from bringing them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land and culminating with sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we can enter into a covenant relationship with Him.  In our own life as Christians, we should be able to cite examples of His acting in loving kindness towards us. 

Verse eight adds, For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.  Isaiah said that God had proclaimed that the people of Israel were His people and were children who would not lie.  Because of this, He was their Savior.  If we are to be a part of God’s family, we must not lie about Who He is and who we are and the only Way to become a part of His family, which is by putting our faith in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ.  After we become a part of His family, we should always speak His truth, no matter how the world may view us when we do. 

Verse nine continues, 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; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.  Isaiah said that when the people of Israel were afflicted that God was afflicted with them.  He also said that the angel of God’s presence saved them and out of His love and pity, or compassion, He redeemed them.  Though some people understand this as being a real angel, I believe as does Matthew Henry that it ultimately refers to Jesus Christ, the only One Who can bring everlasting salvation to anyone. 

Verse ten states, But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.  Isaiah then said that since the people then rebelled against God and vexed His Holy Spirit that He became their enemy.  This was not because God changed but because the people of Israel did.  They were chosen by God, but they weren’t choosing to obey Him.  If we are saved, we are chosen by God, but we can still rebel against Hiim and invite His wrath.  The people of Israel were God’s people because He had chosen them and entered into a covenant relationship with them, but this didn’t give them the right to then fall back into sinful ways.  Once we are redeemed by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we are not free to continue to sin, and if we fall back into sinful habits, we will vex the Holy Spirit.   

Verse eleven adds, Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?  This verse calls on the people of Israel to look back to the days of Moses when they questioned who God was and remember that God was the one Who worked through Moses to bring them out of bondage in Egypt.  They needed to realize that He was the same God.  If we begin to rebel against God as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to look back to the day He redeemed us and remember that He is still the same God Who saved us.

Verse twelve continues, That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?  The people of Israel were asked to remember how God through Moses had led them through the parted waters of the Red Sea out of captivity and towards the Promised Land.  We were just as captive to sin until God sent His only begotten Son, Jesús Christ to redeem us by paying the death sentence of sin for us.  If we are straying away from God, we need to remember that we are in a covenant relationship with Him, and He will never fail in His part of the covenant. 

Verse thirteen concludes, That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?  Isaiah said they needed to remember that God had provided a way for them to travel without stumbling.  If we are faithful to God as Christians, He will lead us through life so that we don’t stumble spiritually, if we will allow Him to.  If we do stumble back into sin, we just need to remember that God is ready to restore us and put us back on the path of righteousness if we will repent and turn to Him again.  We also need to realize that even if we are off the path of righteousness that if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior that we are forever saved even if we have failed to make Him Lord for a time. 

Isaiah 63:1

Isaiah 63:1 says, Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.  Edom had been an enemy of Israel for years, but they were not victorious.  Isaiah asked Who was the coming Deliverer Who would be clothed in glorious apparel and traveling in the greatness of His strength.  Through Cyrus was going to deliver the people of Israel from their captivity in Babylon, this Deliverer is Jesus Christ.  If we are a Christian, we need to speak in the righteousness of God so that we might reach others. 

Verse two adds, Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?  The question was asked why this coming Deliverer’s garments were covered in red.  We know that it is through the shed blood of Christ that we are saved and that His blood covers all our sins.  The question was also asked if this One had been treading grapes for wine and that was the reason their garments were red.  Treading grapes was the job of servants and not of a conquering hero, but Jesus Christ came in a servants role and not as a Hero.  People today still question Who He is and many don’t want to accept the fact that it is by His blood that we are saved. 

Verse three continues, I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.  Isaiah said that this coming Messiah proclaimed that He had tread the wine press alone without any help from others.   He then says He will tread on those who do not put their faith in Him with fury and their blood would stain His garment.  We can either accept salvation through putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, or we can one day face His judgment. 

Verse four states, For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.  Isaiah said that God was ready to have His day of vengeance.  It may be a long time in coming, and it certainly has since Isaiah’s day, but we can rest assured that it is coming when God says the day is here, but if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, we won’t feel His vengeance.  Of course, there was a day of deliverance when God brought the people of Israel out of Babylon and before that when He bought them out of Egypt, but these were temporary deliverances and not the day of vengeance of the Lord. 

Verse five adds, And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.  God said that He looked and there was no one to help Him deliver people from the bondage of sin I believe.  God could find no one qualified to redeem His people, so He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to redeem them by dying in their place.  The death penalty for sin has already been paid, but if we don’t accept God’s gift of salvation, one day we will know His vengeance. 

Verse six continues, And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.  God said that when His day of vengeance came, that He would destroy all His enemies.  We might say that God shouldn’t act out of wrath, but we have to understand that He acted out of love first.  I believe that His wrath comes from His making salvation possible and people refusing to accept it.  Sin must be punished, and if we don’t accept Jesus Christ’s payment for it, then we will have to pay the penalty for our sins, and that is everlasting punishment separated from God.  

Isaiah 62:6

Isaiah 62:6 says, I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,  God said He had set a watchman on the wall.  This refers to preachers, but I believe it also refers to all Christians.  We are to be ever alert to the threat of evil and we should never stay quiet when we see evil in the world.  God has given us the responsibility of being alert for evil and crying out when we see it, and this is not just the responsibility of preachers. 

Verse seven adds, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.  Isaiah said this watchman would have no rest until God was established and until He made Jerusalem the praise of the earth.  This will happen when Jesus Christ returns to claim His church, and until then we must continue to reach out to the lost world with the gospel 

Verse eight continues, The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:  Isaiah said God made a promise that the people of Israel would be protected by His strong right arm and would not be enslaved again.  I believe this means spiritually, and once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are secured by His power and will never be under the death sentence of sin again.

Verse nine concludes, But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.  Isaiah added that no one else would eat the fruits of their labor.  The fruits of our labor as Christians should be the spreading of the gospel, and if we accept God’s gift of salvation, no one else will be able to take it away from us. 

Verse ten states, Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.  This passage refers to the Jews being delivered from Babylon and rebuilding Jerusalem and other cities, but in the broader context, it applies to Jesus Christ coming to deliver those who put their faith in Him when He first came and to our continuing to put our faith in Him until He returns. Isaiah said that the people of Israel were to proclaim God’s word everywhere.  They were to go through His gates and lift up His standard.  Jesus Christ is the only gate that we can go through to be restored to a right relationship with God, and He is the standard that we should lift up.  We are also to proclaim this as we call on people to prepare the way for the return of Jesus Christ. 

Verse eleven adds, Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.  The people of Israel were promised that salvation was coming.  They would need to put their faith in this coming Messiah and He would bring their reward, which was everlasting life with God in heaven. Jesus Christ is the only One Who can bring us salvation. 

Verse twelve continues, And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.  Isaiah said once the people of Israel began to live by faith in God and the coming Messiah that they would be called a holy people and others would seek them out to learn how to become a part of God’s kingdom as well.    We, as followers of Jesus Christ are a holy people, or set aside from the world by our faith in Jesus Christ.  It would be nice if people sought us out to hear the gospel, but too often, we have a hard time getting people to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord when we seek them out.  Still, we should never stop trying to reach them.

Isaiah 62:1

Isaiah 62:1 says, For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.  Isaiah was a prophet, and Matthew Henry points out that the purpose of a prophet is to preach and pray. and he said he wasn’t going to rest until righteousness shined with brightness in Zion.  Isaiah may have spoken the wrods, but it was God Who was going to do what he prophesied.  He was not going to do this so he would be praised, but he was going to do it because God had called Him do it and for the sake of the people.  We as Christians need to be at work sharing God’s word today, and we should realize that the primary purpose of preachers is to preach and pray.  God has called other people to take care of the everyday business of the church if they will only answer His call.  Of course, the goal of the preacher should be to reach the lost and strengthen those who are believers in Jesus Christ and should never be to make themselves look powerful nor to make themselves rich materially.  Isaiah also said he would not hold his peace, which I believe means he would proclaim God’s word even if it put Him in danger.  As Christians, we should never allow fear to keep us from proclaiming God’s word.

Verse two adds, And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.  Isaiah said that when the word of God was proclaimed that the Gentiles would see the righteousness of the people of Israel.  This was not their righteousness, but the righteousness of God reflected in them.  When we become a follower of Christ, we should reflect His righteousness to those around us so that they will want to become a part of His kingdom. Isaiah also said they would have a new name.  Some denominations give themselves a new name when they accept Jesus Christ, but I don’t believe that this is what this verse means.  God would give them new name.  To me, it means that we will now be called God’s sons and daughters and not sons and daughters of Satan. 

Verse three continues, Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.  Matthew Henry says this is one new name that those who come to God in faith will be called.  They will be called a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord.  The crown will not be to adorn the one who is called a crown, but will be to adorn God, Who made salvation possible.  We are never to serve God because we expect to be glorified, but we are to serve Him so that He will be. 

Verse four states, Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.  Then, we have two name changes stated in this verse.  The name Hephzibah means ‘ My delight is in her.’  As stated earlier, we will no longer be strangers to God who displease Him, but we will be His child and He will delight in us, not because we have done anything to deserve it, but because we have accepted His gift of salvation.  Isaiah also said that their land would be called Beulah, which Matthew Henry says means married.  As Christians, we are the bride of Christ and are spiritually married to Him. 

Verse five adds, For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.   Matthew Henry says this refers to the people of Israel being married to their own land, or to the kingdom of God that they became a part of.  When they were a part of His kingdom, God would rejoice over them like a groom does over his bride.  God still does this with Christians today.

Isaiah 61:7

Isiaih 61:7 says, For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.  God said that for the shame that the Jews had suffered in captivity, which was caused by their own failure to trust God, that they would be given double what they lost when they returned after repenting and putting their faith in Him once more.  I don’t believe this meant twice the material wealth, since their houses nor the Temple were as great as they were before, but it means they were spiritually blessed so much more than before.  God also said they would rejoice in their portion.  We should always rejoice in the Lord when He meets our needs and never desire what someone else has been blessed with.  This was to be everlasting joy, no matter what their portion might be.  As followers of Christ, we should have everlasting joy, because we have been given everlasting spiritual life with God. 

Verse eight adds, For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.  God said He loved judgment, which I believe means righteous judgment.  Other people may try to oppress Christians, but we don’t need to be their judge.  God is, and one day He will pass His judgment on those who refuse to accept His gift of salvation.  God is the God of truth, so sacrifices made just for show or for ones own glory will never be acceptable to Him.  Then, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, He enters into an everlasting covenant with us.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, God seals us as His forever. 

Verse nine continues, And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.  God said that the Gentiles who saw the Jews would acknowledge that they were blessed by God.  This would be true of their descendants as well.  This was when they had returned to God and were being obedient to Him and not just because they were descendants of  Jewish parents.  God never intended for the nation of Israel to be declared better than other people because of the fact that they were born into the nation of Israel, but they were to be made better because of their relationship with Him.  We as Christians are not better than anyone else based on our own goodness, since we are all sinners saved by grace, so we should never feel that God loves us more than anyone else. 

Verse ten says, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.  Isaiah said that he would greatly rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in his God, and so should we as followers of Christ today.  This is made possible because we are covered by the robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ.  He is the Bridegroom and we as the church are the bride. 

Verse eleven adds, For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.  God said He was going to cause righteousness and praise to Him to spring forth like the seeds or buds that were planted brought forth new life.  As Christians, we are to be rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ and we should bring forth fruit as we reach out to the whole world with the gospel of Christ.