The Gospel According to Isaiah
The Gospel According to Isaiah.
WANTED: An imaginative scribe who can write exquisite poetry. A faithful, articulate believer in Yahweh who can switch from one extreme to another at the Lord’s command… from a sublime vision of God’s glory to a ridiculous demonstration of shameful nakedness; from confronting the people over their sinfulness to comforting people with hopefulness; from being an outspoken messenger one minute to a living object lesson the next; from having one foot in the immediate surroundings one minute to one foot in the future messianic realm the next. Must be adaptable, thick-skinned, and extraordinarily brave. Person who answers “Here I am. Send me!” will be especially considered. (from The Jerusalem Post, 740 BC).
Isaiah-At-A-Glance. Isaiah, whose name means “Lord Saves,” was a young, highly literate, and well-educated scribe in the royal palace of Jerusalem, sometime around 750-740 BC. He was married with children, his wife being a prophetess. His prophetic ministry lasted many decades, with some scholars estimating as many as 60 years. He was committed to staying close to home in Jerusalem for all that time, serving as prophet during the reign of five different kings of Judah. He started his ministry during times of relative peace and prosperity, and so because there wasn’t as much of a hard edge to his messages, he was initially well-liked and generally popular with the people. But soon Isaiah spoke words of the Lord’s judgment and coming punishment for their sins. He was very active in addressing the shortcomings of those five different kings during his ministry, and continued to call them to repentance. Because his messages from the Lord became very difficult to hear, the people and the kings often rejected what he had to say. Isaiah grew to be quite unpopular during much of his ministry, especially the first few decades when he warned them of God’s judgment for rebellion (1:2), abandoning God (1:3), corruption (1:4), violence (1:15), injustice (1:16-17), apostasy (1:10-23), materialism (2:7), idolatry (2:8), immorality with women (3:16-26), and occultism (1:6 and 8:19). Hosea and Micah were contemporaries of Isaiah during this time and they spoke much the same messages. Nonetheless, he also continued to speak powerful words of comfort and encouragement to his people in the last part of his book in chapters 40-66. He was considered by most Biblical scholars to be the greatest of all the prophets, and his book is the first of the writings of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Isaiah was by far the most quoted prophet in the New Testament, over 50 times. He was highly gifted as a poet, and his writings are considered literary masterpieces. He combined the simple and the complex into what has been called a “Salvation Symphony.” His writings are still accepted as unsurpassed works of art, and they poetically, prophetically point to events that would happen soon, and events that would happen in the distant future. Isaiah discussed Messiah more than any other book of the Hebrew Bible, referring to the Anointed One in many ways, from the Suffering Servant to the Sovereign Lord to the Everlasting Savior. As Eugene Peterson once wrote, “Isaiah is the supreme poet-prophet to come out of the Hebrew people.” Jewish tradition has Isaiah dying a martyr’s death, executed under the reign of the wicked king Manasseh. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the last thing Isaiah saw in his life was the very first thing he witnessed all those years before… Yahweh in all His glory, high and lifted up. fiery angels attending Him, shouting praises to the King on His throne. That would truly be a sight for sore eyes.
Mr. Flexibility. Much like so many of the other prophets, the people refused to take his words to heart. They wouldn’t listen to Isaiah’s messages from God. He would announce God’s judgment only to be ignored. But Isaiah was adaptable. He would both confront the people and comfort the people. Sometimes he was harsh and condemning, and sometimes he was soothing and hopeful. His encouraging words were based on God’s promise of a future Messiah who would redeem and heal them, and save them from permanent judgment. So Isaiah spoke of God’s justice one minute and God’s mercy the next. He spoke more about the coming Messiah than any other prophet in the Hebrew Bible. His poetry painted a picture of both woe and hope, and is probably the finest in all of Scripture, so the reader has to be adaptable as well and get ready for metaphor, simile, analogy, exaggeration, symbol, and imagery.
A MONUMENTAL PROPHET OF GOD:
- A Prophet of the Light. Isaiah seemed to be especially focused on light in his writings… light to represent the presence of God and His glory, light to symbolize the Lord’s salvation that brings divine light and healing to the desperate darkness of the entire world, light to represent spiritual enlightenment and understanding to replace the darkness of ignorance and foolishness, light of hope and restoration in the era of God’s favor. Each of these passages are certainly worthy of a deep dive into what we can learn about light, according to the gospel of Isaiah.
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord Yahweh, to the House of the God of Jacob that He may teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths… House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (2:3,5);
“Woe to those who call what is evil, good, and what is good, evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who think themselves wise and believe themselves enlightened.” (5:20-21);
“To the word of instruction and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn, they do not see the light of day.” (8:20).
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Light has blazed forth for those who lived in a land of deep shadow dark as death.” (9:1);
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness, in saving justice; I will grasp you by the hand, I will keep you and shape you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, to free from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (42:6-7);
“I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, and the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do – without fail, and I will not forsake them.” (42:16);
“I am the Lord Yahweh, and there is no other; there is no other God except Me; I equip you, though you do not know Me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me. I form the light and I create the darkness; I make well-being, and I create disaster; I the Lord, do all these things.” (45:7);
“It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach to the remotest parts of earth.” (49:6);
“Who among you fears the Lord with reverence and awe, and obeys the voice of his prophet-servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindles his own fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: You shall lie down in torment!’ (50:10-11).
“Give attention to Me, My people, and give ear to Me, My nation; for a teaching will go out from Me, and I will make My saving justice a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near, My salvation has gone out, and My arms will judge the peoples.” (51:4-5);
“Is not this the sort of fast that pleases Me: to break the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth, blazing out like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, ‘Here I am!’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, the clenched fist, and malicious words, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” (58:6-10);
“Arise, shine out, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Look! Though the darkness of night still covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples, upon you the Lord is rising and over you His glory can be seen. The nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning brightness. “ (60:1-3);
“You shall call your walls ‘Salvation,’ and your gates ‘Praise.’ The sun shall no more give you daylight nor moonlight shine on you, but the Lord will be your everlasting light, your God will be your glory and splendor. Your sun will set no more, nor will your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” (60:18-20).
2. A Prophet of the Holy One. When we read “the Holy One” in Isaiah, the literal translation is “The Holy,” and the “One” is assumed. Yahweh God, the Lord of the universe, is The Holy. Isaiah calls the Lord “The Holy” 25 times in his book, which makes it his distinctive catch-phrase. It’s not that God is merely in another category by Himself, it’s that God can’t be categorized. There is no comparison to God in this world, there are no parallels. The Lord is utterly distinctive, set apart in every imaginable way, and then some. Because God is Wholly Other, He is worthy to receive one-of-a-kind honor, respect, reverence, and adoration. He is completely separate from any taint of sin, any meager hint of evil, and He has perfect freedom from anything that would compromise His character. God is Truth dwelling in his sacred Spirit. He is comprised of uncreated light. God is high and lifted up, above and beyond comprehension and imagination. Yahweh God has no personal shape or form, and yet remains a Person, Someone in whose image we are all made. God is the source of whatever holiness exists in the world, so God is the only Being for whom the word holy truly applies. When Isaiah 6:3is recited in the Jewish daily liturgy, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might! Heaven and earth are full of your glory!“, it is customary for the worshippers to stand on their tiptoes and stretch upwards three times. This is a wonderful picture of our rising up to grasp at the unreachable holiness of God. (Rabbi Arthur Green). In the universe, on the one hand there is The Holy, and then on the other hand there is everything else. To describe the indescribable Holy One is like a slug attempting to explain how a human brain functions.
3. The Prophet of Holy Foolishness. Throughout his ministry, Isaiah was called more often to be a literary and vocal mouthpiece than an audacious object lesson. But the one main exception was a doozy (chapter 20). Isaiah was instructed to be a visual aid to God’s judgment of Egypt. The Lord asked Isaiah to “remove the sackcloth from your loins” and appear like a prisoner of war. In other words, Isaiah was told to walk around naked and barefoot, to demonstrate how Assyria was going to take Egypt captive. This was also an allusion to what might happen to Israel and Judah if they agree to unwise foreign alliances. One hopes that God would allow Isaiah to at least wear his underwear loincloth. To walk “naked” could mean wearing nothing but one’s underwear. One would hope so. Otherwise, God would be illogically asking Isaiah to be obscene, which somehow doesn’t fit with the Lord’s character. But even walking around in nothing but one’s underwear is bad enough. It is humiliating and shameful. Imagine all the mothers putting their hands over the eyes of their children as Isaiah walked by. Not to be too graphic, but in announcing His instructions to Isaiah, this street theater rated “R”, the Lord wanted the people to know that the Egyptian captives would have “their buttocks bared.” Please, please, not Isaiah’s. Amazingly, Isaiah did just what God asked, for three years! Isaiah must have been ridiculed, jeered, avoided, and publicly scorned during that difficult time in his ministry. Certainly, Isaiah became a laughingstock, and he earned the title of holy fool of God. It’s a wonder how Isaiah recovered from this episode, but apparently he did just fine once he got his clothes back on.
4. A Prophet of Obedience. When Isaiah responded to the Lord’s call in 6:8 with “Here I am, send me!” the Hebrew word “Hineni” was used, which literally means, “Behold, I am!” but is generally translated in the Hebrew Bible as “Here I am.” In Scripture it is a response of someone to someone else asking for attention. The Biblical “Here I am” means you have my full attention; I am at your service; I am completely available to you; whatever you want, I’m all in; I am in total readiness to hear and obey you; I have no hesitation in responding to you. Most of the time in Scripture the person saying Here I am doesn’t yet know what the caller wants from him. So hineni can essentially be a statement of faith. Generally, hineni is often stated in a pivotal moment of that person’s life. Clearly, Isaiah was ready, willing and able in God’s presence to obey His orders.
MORE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GOSPEL OF ISAIAH:
2:2-4: Peace at Last. “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the nations will stream there. Many people will go and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob! He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion will go forth Torah, the teachings of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war.”
6:1-4: A Vision of the Throne Room. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Above it stood seraphim, each one had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, more holy than the holiest holiness! The whole earth is filled with His glory!’ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”
6:8: The Need for Cleansing. “Then I said, ‘Woe to me! I am doomed! I am a man with unclean lips, living among people with unclean lips, and have seen with my own eyes the King, the Lord of Hosts!’ One of the seraphim flew to me with a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it and said, ‘Here! This has touched your lips. Your iniquity is gone, your sin is covered over.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
7:14 – The Son Named Immanuel. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
8:13-15: The Stumbling Stone. “The Lord of Hosts, consecrate Him! Let Him be the object of your fear and awe! He is there to be a sanctuary. But for both the houses of Israel He will be a stone to stumble over, a rock obstructing the way; a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many of them will stumble and fall, be broken and trapped and captured.”
9:1-2: From Darkness to Light. “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the land that lies in the shadow of death light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice in Your presence as if rejoicing at harvest time, the way men rejoice when dividing up the spoil.”
9:6: Shalom. “For unto is a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and dominion will rest upon His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
11:1-3: The Sevenfold Spirit. “There shall emerge a Branch from the trunk of Jesse, and a shoot shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness. He will be inspired by his devotion to the Lord, for His delight is in the fear of the Lord.”
11:6-8: The Peaceable Kingdom. “The wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard lie down with the kid; calf, young lion and fattened lamb together, with a little child to lead them. Cow and bear will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. An infant will play on a cobra’s hole, and a toddler put his hand in a viper’s nest.”
11:9: Complete Intimacy with the Lord. “They shall not hurt nor destroy anywhere in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And on that day there shall be the Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”
12:2-6: The First Song of Isaiah. “Surely it is God who saves me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, and He will be my Savior. Therefore, you shall draw water with rejoicing, from the springs of salvation. And on that day you shall say, give thanks to the Lord and call upon His Name; Make His deeds known among the peoples; See that they remember that His Name is exalted. Sing the praises of the Lord, for He has done great things, and this is known in all the world. Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, for the Great One in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.”
33:5-6: Reverence and Awe. “The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; Reverence for the Lord is the key to His treasure.”
35:1-10: The Messianic Age. “The desert and the dry land will be glad; the desolate place will rejoice and blossom like the lily. It will burst into flower, will rejoice with joy and singing, will be given the glory of Lebanon, the splendor of Mt. Carmel and the Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen your drooping arms, and steady your tottering knees. Say to the fainthearted, ‘Be strong and unafraid! Here is your God’… Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped; then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the mute person’s tongue will sing… A highway will be there, a way called the Way of Holiness… Those ransomed by the Lord will return and come with singing to Zion, on their heads will be everlasting joy. They will acquire gladness and joy, while sorrow and sighing will flee.”
40:3-5: A Voice Not a Name. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God… The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
40:1,10,11: Hope and Encouragement. “Comfort, yes, comfort my people and keep comforting them! says your God… Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand. And His arm shall rule for Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom. And gently lead those who are with young.”
40:12-14: As Quoted in Romans 11:33-36.“O the depth of the riches and the wisdom and knowledge of God! What a deep wealth of wisdom and knowledge He has! How incomprehensible are His decisions, how unsearchable His judgments! How undiscoverable are His paths, how mysterious His ways, beyond finding out! Who has understood the mind of Yahweh? Who knows how the Lord thinks, or what His thoughts are? Can anyone discern the Lord’s intentions, His motivations? Who knows enough to give Him advice? Is there anyone qualified to be His counselor? Who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back? Who could ever have a claim against Him? For everything was created by Him, everything lives through Him, and everything exists for Him; So to Him must be given the glory forever! Amen!”
40:28-31: Hope for the Powerless. “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall grow tired and be weary, even the fittest may stumble and fall. But those who wait with hope on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up and soar aloft as with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint with fatigue.”
42:1-10: The First Servant Song. “Behold, my Servant whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom my soul delights! I have put my Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A broken reed He will not snap off, or snuff out a smoldering wick. He will bring forth justice according to truth… I the Lord have called you righteously, I took hold of you by the hand, I shaped you and made you a covenant for the people, to be a light for the nations, so that you can open eyes, free the prisoners from confinement, those living in darkness from the dungeon. I am the Lord; that is my name. I yield my glory to no one else… Sing to the Lord a new song! Let His praise be sung from the ends of the earth!
43:1-7: Fear not! “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I am calling you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the water, I will be with you; when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you will not be scorched. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… Bring everyone who bears my name, whom I created for my glory. I formed him, yes, I made him.”
47:1-7: The Second Servant Song. “The Lord called me from the womb; before I was born, He had spoken my name. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword while hiding me in the shadow of His hand. He has made me like a sharpened arrow while concealing me in His quiver. He said to me, ‘You are my Servant, Israel, through whom I will show my glory.’ … Here is what the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, says to the One despised, whom the nations detest, to the servant of tyrants: ‘When kings see you, they will stand up; princes too will prostrate themselves, because the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”
50:4-7: The Third Servant Song. “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. Each morning He awakens My ear to hear like those who are taught. The Lord God has opened My ear, and I neither rebelled nor turned away. I offered My back to those who struck Me, My cheeks to those who plucked out My beard; I did not hide My face from insult and spitting. For the Lord God will help. That is why no insult can wound Me.”
52:7-8: Announce the Gospel. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’ Listen! Our watchmen are raising their voices, shouting for joy together. For they will see, before their own eyes, the Lord returning to Zion. Break out into joy! Sing together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem!”
52:13-53:12: The Fourth Servant Song. “Behold, my Servant will prosper; He will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw Him. His face was so disfigured He seemed hardly human, and from His appearance, one would scarcely know He was a man… My Servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth. Unjustly condemned, He was led away. No one cared that He died without descendants, that His life was cut short in midstream. But He was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But He was buried like a criminal; He was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush Him and cause Him grief. Yet when His life is made an offering for sin, He will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in His hands. When He sees all that is accomplished by His anguish, He will be satisfied. And because of His experience, my righteous Servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for He will bear all their sins. I will give Him the honors of a victorious soldier, because He exposed Himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.”
Isaiah 55:6-11: The Second Song of Isaiah. “Seek the Lord while He wills to be found; Call upon Him when He draws near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the evil ones their thoughts; And let them turn to the Lord, and He will have compassion, And to our God, for He will richly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as rain and snow fall from the heavens and return not again, but water the earth, bringing forth life and giving growth, seed for sowing and bread for eating, so is my word that goes forth from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish that which I have purposed, and prosper in that for which I sent it.”
57:15: Live High, Look Low. “For thus says the High and Lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, yet also with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to restore the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
58:6-8: Caring for the Least of These. “Is this not the fast that I want: To release those who are unjustly bound, to untie the thongs of the heavily burdened, to let the oppressed go free, to break every yoke of bondage? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.”
60:1-3,11,14,18-19: The Third Song of Isaiah. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you. For behold, darkness covers the land; deep gloom enshrouds the peoples. But over you the Lord will rise, and his glory will appear upon you. Nations will stream to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawning. Your gates will always be open; by day or night they will never be shut. They will call you, The City of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Violence will no more be heard in your land, ruin or destruction within your borders. You will call your walls, Salvation, and all your portals, Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day; by night you will not need the brightness of the moon. The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”
61: [Please refer to all the articles in the blog’s category of The Good News of Isaiah 61 for more on this important chapter in Isaiah].
63:7-10: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “I will mention the mercies of Yahweh, 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, in keeping with the greatness of His grace. For He said, ‘Surely they are my people, children who are not disloyal.’ So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, in all their troubles He was troubled. And the Angel of His Presence, the Angel of Yahweh, saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit.”
64:1 – Shades of Jesus’ Baptism. “Oh, that you would tear apart the skies, that you would come down! We wish you would rip open heaven and come down to us, so the mountains would shake at your presence!”