Isaiah 63 – God, our awesome redeemer

In Isaiah 63:1, the prophet pictures the LORD in a rhetorical question. He emerged triumphantly in a conflict with Edom and Bozrah, her capital. The LORD is seen here adorned in majestic apparel, marching in the fulness of His strength in that conflict. In history, Edom hailed from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. The one whose birthright was cheated by the latter. In the Bible, Edom had been depicted as the enemy of God’s people. Here Isaiah uses Edom and Bozrah to represent the world power which the LORD has conquered. Responding to his own question, Isaiah tells us that the person dressed in majestic apparel is none other than the LORD, the one who spoke in righteousness and mighty to save.  

In verse 2 Isaiah then asks the next rhetorical question. “Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the winepress?” Again he gives the answer in the following verses. The stain on the His garment is the blood of those whom He has slain in His fury. Much like a person who has trodden the winepress and stained by the red juice of the wine, so His garment is stained by the crimson blood of the enemies whom He has judged.  It is a judgment that only He alone can undertake.

God had wished there were other means that salvation could be accomplished but He found none. Sin had to be judged and there was none righteous to carry out the task. So being the only righteous One, He undertook the task Himself. His own arm brought about salvation. There was no other way the perfect judgment could be executed and yet salvation effected.  

Christ is God’s perfect answer to the issue of sin. The consequences of sin have to be dealt with. There is none fit for the role to remove what sin had brought about in man. In sending Christ, through His finished works at Calvary, God has the perfect solution. Our Saviour’s blood was spilled so that ours could be spared. The blood that flowed from His wounds should have been ours. Now in what He has done God’s wrath is appeased. Every time God remembers what Christ has done, He remembers that the price for our sin and the blood required of it has been poured out. What a marvelous Saviour! We are forever grateful for all that He has done. So in response to His unfailing love, we must offer all that we are and all that we will become, to worship and serve Him eternally. It is the only worthy response!