Mighty to Save: Isaiah 63, 64(3)

Pray Psalm 66.1-4.
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
Say to God,
“How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name.”

Read Isaiah 63.10-14.

Reflect.
1. The “he” in verse 11 refers to Israel. What are the people remembering? To what end?

2. What ultimately is Isaiah seeking?

Meditate.
As was so often the case throughout the Old Testament, God’s people had a hard time keeping their end of His covenant. And when they strayed, as they were doing again in Isaiah’s day, they “grieved” the Holy Spirit of God, and caused the Lord to turn against them. And in Isaiah’s day, that turning against them took the most drastic form yet: the destruction of their city and temple, deportation to Babylon, and the end of the Davidic monarchy.

Isaiah has the people of God speaking as one in verse 11: “Then he remembered the days of old…” Here is a solid argument for remembering God’s work in the past. The people remembered that God had delivered His people from captivity by the hand of Moses. He had sent His Spirit to be with them in the wilderness. He had delivered them through the sea in an unprecedented manner, by a miracle of saving grace. Perhaps He will do this again?

Of course, Isaiah has been saying all along, “Yes, yes, He will! He is! So as you look back, look up to God, look ahead to His promises, and cry out for Him to lead You and to glorify Himself through your deliverance again” (v. 14).

We, too, should look back to the times God has delivered and revived His people – many times, not only in Scripture, but throughout the history of the Christian movement. And we should look up to Him, taking no rest and giving Him no rest until He revives and renews His City once again (Is. 62.6, 7). Believers who will not pray for revival in this day of rising secularism are not following the counsel of the prophet or the example of our forebears in the faith. We cannot expect God to revive His Church if we will not seek Him earnestly for it (2 Chron. 7.14).

The Lord remembers His covenant. We need to remember that, and to seek Him diligently.

Prepare.
1. How do God’s people rebel against Him and grieve His Spirit today? When we do, what should we expect (Heb. 12.3-11)?

2. How much do you know about great revivals of Christian faith in the past? What could you do to learn more about these? Why is it a good idea to know and remember the mighty works of revival God has accomplished in the past?

3. God always leads His people to make for Himself “a glorious Name.” How is He leading you today?

The question turns on this point: "God exercised his kindness towards our fathers for a long time; why do not we experience the same kindness? Is he unlike himself?" By no means; but we ourselves, by our rebellion, refuse and even drive away his goodness. John Calvin (1509-1564 AD), Commentary on Isaiah 63.10

Lead me to glorify Your Name today, O Lord, as I…

Pray Psalm 66.
As you pray this psalm, think of your own deliverance, how God brought His salvation to you, and give Him thanks and praise. Whom can you tell about this today?

Sing to the Lord.
Psalm 66 (Regent Square: Angels from the Realms of Glory)
Shout for joy to God, all people, sing the glory of His Name!
Give Him glorious praise and say, “How great Your pow’r and great Your fame!
All the earth shall worship gladly as they praise Your glorious Name!”

Great and awesome is our Savior in the works which He has done.
He the sea and river dried to let His people cross as one.
Then our joy was great to worship Him our mighty, sovereign One.

He the nations watches ever – all you rebels, humbled be;
bless our God, all men and nations, praise His Name eternally!
He preserves our souls, and He will keep His paths beneath our feet.

You have tried us, Lord, as silver, and have brought us into nets,
made us carry heavy burdens, let men trample o’er our heads.
But through all Your grace sustained us and has brought us through to rest.

To Your house we come with off’rings, what we vowed, Lord, help us do.
O, receive our praise and homage as we give ourselves to You.
Come and listen, all who fear Him: hear what this great God can do!

When we cried to You, You answered, filled our mouths with highest praise.
Let not sin abide within us, lest we languish all our days.
Bless the Lord, Who hears our pleadings and preserves His love always.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).