Vengeance & Redemption

Invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Isaiah,

specifically Isaiah chapter 63. It's hard to believe, but after

Isaiah 63 · chapter mention

today we will have just three more sermons in Isaiah.

We'll be done at the end of May. If you're a pastor who preaches

through books of the Bible and goes through each passage as you

come to it, today's passage is one that you wish we could take

a break from some difficult things to reflect on today.

Listen, as I read to you from Isaiah chapter 63, verses one

Isaiah 63 · chapter mention

through 6. Who is this who comes from Edom

in Crimson, in Crimson garments from Basra.

He was splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his

strength. It is I, speaking in

righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red, and

your garments like he His who treads in the wine press?

I have trodden the wine press alone and from the peoples.

No one was with me. I trod them in my anger and

trampled them in my wrath. Their lifebloods spattered on my

garments and stained all my apparel.

For the day of vengeance was in my heart.

In my year of redemption had come.

I looked, but there was no one to help.

I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold.

So my own arm brought me salvation and my wrath upheld

me. I trampled down the peoples.

In my anger I made them drunk. In my wrath I poured out their

lifeblood on the earth. Now with those cheery words,

let's turn our eyes to the Lord and pray.

Our Father, as we come to this portion of Your word, we pray as

we do for every portion that You would open our eyes and our

hearts and our minds and help us to see and to hear and to learn

what You want us to see and hear and learn.

We pray, Father, for the Holy Spirit to be at work in these

moments as we read Your word and as we reflect on it.

May the Holy Spirit be at work to change us even in these

moments, for we ask it in Jesus name, Amen.

Well, as you know, we've been studying the book of Isaiah and

as we've talked about, many of the events that we read about in

the book of Isaiah took place during Isaiah's day, which was

in the 8th century BC. But we've also seen that some of

what Isaiah wrote about was what would take place in the early

6th century BC, when Judah would be conquered, would be defeated

and taken into exile in Babylon. And then we've also seen that in

especially in these last chapters, that some of what

Isaiah wrote was about when they would return from exile in the

500 and 30s BC, the conquering of Israel and Judah, the

destruction of the city of Jerusalem and of the Temple.

But that's not the last time that that happened.

In 70 AD, there was a Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire.

The Roman army was sent, led by General Titus sent to put the

revolt down. There were months of brutal and

ruthless fighting, and eventually Titus and his army

breached the Jewish defenses and besieged Jerusalem, destroying

the temple that had been rebuilt.

After they returned from exile, the city was raised, killing and

slaving and displacing most of the population of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was in ruins. Much of the city was on fire.

The temple had been reduced to a smoldering rubble.

The accounts of the battle say that Titus, after the battle was

one, moved through the city that he had conquered.

No one was left to fight. His work had been finished and

completed. The resistance had been crushed.

No more war, just the aftermath of what had happened.

No one was able to stand in Titus's way.

The VV was devastating and complete, absolute and finished.

These first verses of Isaiah chapter 63.

Isaiah 63 · chapter mention

A watchman, or perhaps Isaiah himself, sees a figure coming to

the city in the distance, coming from Edom garments that were

stained red, marching in the greatness of his strength,

returning from a battle, from a war with his enemies, those that

he utterly defeated, he took them out.

No one was able to stand against him.

It was a devastating victory. But this was not just a

political or military victory. This was divine justice, waging

war with the enemies of God. Both in Scripture and in

history, we get glimpses of what an overwhelming judgment and

vengeance looks like. We see a city that is conquered

or a country that is conquered. We see an army that is

devastated. But what we see here in Isaiah

Isaiah 63 · chapter mention

chapter 63 shows a much more intensified image of vengeance

and judgment, the wrath and the justice of the Almighty God

being poured out on his enemies. And the victory is total,

absolute, complete, finished, eternal.

Now the questions that we all have to answer today, whose side

am I on and what difference does that make for how I live my

life? So let's take a few moments and

let's ask some questions about these verses that we're reading

today. And then let's consider what

difference they make for us. First of all, who is this figure

that we're reading about? Now?

We need to understand the setting, the the the scene that

we're reading here, that there are two main figures in these

verses. There's a watchman, or perhaps

it's Isaiah himself who sees another figure coming in the

distance. And this watchman is the one who

asks the questions at the beginning of verse 1 and in

verse 2. And then there's another figure,

the one that he sees who is coming and approaching the city.

That's the scene that we have here.

So who is the figure that the scene that the that the watchman

sees? Well, the figure answers the

watchman's questions of who he is at the end of verse one.

And what does he say? It is I speaking in

righteousness, mighty to save. It is I that sounds very similar

to what Moses was told about who was speaking to him at the Bush.

I am the name of the Lord God Almighty, with no beginning and

no end, the sovereign Creator of the universe.

And notice he says he is the one who speaks in righteousness.

His His words are truth and he is mighty to save another name

used in the Old Testament for God, El Gabour the Mighty. 1 So

it's clear in Isaiah's vision here, the one who is coming

towards the watchman is none other than the Lord God Almighty

himself. And where is he coming from?

Well, the watchman tells us in the beginning of verse one, he's

coming from Edom. He's coming from Basra, which is

the capital city of Edom likely. Remember that Edom was the

country of the descendants of Esau.

Edom was a long standing, ever present enemy of Israel, going

all the way back to the conflict between Jacob and Esau.

And as we have seen earlier in Isaiah, the term Edom is is also

used more generally as a term for all of God's enemies, any

who would oppose the Lord God Almighty.

So what's being described here in these verses is God returning

from dealing with his enemies, dealing with those who oppose

him. And notice how he's dressed

beginning of verse one. He's splendid in his apparel.

The famous Isaiah scholar Alec Matir in his commentary points

out that the word that we have translated in our version here

is Crimson. It actually translates a Hebrew

word that means vivid or sharp color.

So as the watchman saw this figure coming from a distant, he

could see the figures garments and they were vivid.

They were sharp in color. And notice this one coming was

marching in the greatness of his strength, the sense of majesty,

power, strength. But then notice what happens

when the figure arrives at the watchman.

The watchman realizes that this figures garments are not just

covered with vivid and sharp colour.

Verse 2 tells us the garment is stained red, as if this one who

had approached the city had been in a wine press stomping on or

treading on grapes. Well, that leads us to ask the

question, what has he been doing?

What has this one been doing? What work is he returning from?

That's what we see in verses 3 through 6.

The Lord God Almighty explains that His garments are stained

with blood. With lifeblood?

Of who? Of the enemies of God?

Of all those who would oppose him, we read in verse three that

the anger and the wrath of the Lord has been poured out because

of the sin and rebellion and absence of faith of those who

are the enemies of God. Verse 4, The day of a righteous

vengeance of judgment had arrived for God's enemies.

And notice the Lord points out twice that this day of

vengeance, this day of judgment is something that only He could

bring. Beginning of verse three.

I have trodden the winepress alone, he says.

Verse 5. I looked, but there was no one

to help. I was appalled, but there was no

one to uphold this righteous judgement.

This righteous vengeance can only be brought by the Lord

Himself. And then in verse 6, we're given

a picture of God's enemies drinking the cup of God's wrath

and justice. The enemies of the Lord have no

one to drink that cup for them. They have to drink it down

themselves. We should have noticed something

that's very interesting. The day of vengeance.

The day of vengeance for God's enemies.

It brings something else. It brings something else.

What does the day of God's vengeance on his vengeance on

his enemy also bring? The the end of verse 4.

God's day of vengeance on his enemy also brings a year of

redemption. The end of verse 5.

God's day of vengeance on His enemies also brings salvation

from the arm of the Lord. There is wrath and vengeance and

judgment for those who are the Lord's enemies, for those who do

not believe in Him, for those who do not put their faith in

him, for those who do not worship Him.

Those that would rebel against the Lord and choose a life of

sin and disobedience with no repentance, Who would choose a

life of never turning from their sin and turning back to the Lord

for forgiveness and loving obedience.

But for those that are God's people, for those who are not

the enemies of God, those who are in a relationship with the

Lord, who seek to follow Him and love Him and grow in obedience

to His Word. For them there is redemption and

salvation. And notice, just like the day of

vengeance and judgement, only the Lord can bring salvation.

Verse 5. Again I looked, but there was no

one to help. I was appalled, but there was no

one to uphold, so my own arm brought me salvation.

The Lord says only the arm of the Lord can bring salvation to

His people. God's people can't save

themselves. No one else can do it.

It is only a work of the Lord. So this warrior that we see

returning from his battle against his enemies, who goes to

war and defeats his enemies, is also the Saviour who secures

redemption and salvation for his people through his own work.

As we've seen repeatedly in Isaiah, and especially as we

looked at chapters 52 and 53, the promise was given that a

servant would be sent, a servant was promised who would arrive,

and it would be the Lord himself.

And as we're told in Isaiah chapter 53, he would be despised

Isaiah 53 · chapter mention

and rejected by men. He would have no form or majesty

or beauty. He would be a man of sorrows.

He would be 1 acquainted with grief, one from whom men hide

their faces. He would bear grief and carry

the sorrows of people. He would be stricken and smitten

by God and afflicted. He would be pierced for our

transgressions. He would be crushed for our

iniquities. Chastisement would be put on him

that would bring us peace. He would be wounded so that we

could be healed. He would be crushed and put to

grief. And through the person and the

work of the suffering servant, we would be accounted righteous.

That description of that suffering servant in Isaiah 53

is quoted or alluded to about 40 times in the New Testament,

pointing to the person and the work of Jesus as that promised

suffering servant, that through the life and the death and the

resurrection of Jesus, the arm of the Lord brought salvation

for his people. Through the person and the work

of Jesus, our transgressions, our iniquities, our sins are put

on Jesus and we are accounted righteous with the righteousness

of Jesus. This is the salvation, this is

the redemption that is being spoken of here in Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 63 · chapter mention

63, and it belongs to those who are in Christ, who are in

relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Well, what do we do with all of this?

Three things today as we finish. The 1st is this question, Whose

side are you on? Whose side are you on?

All who live will either get a day of final vengeance and

judgement or final redemption in salvation.

When the warrior servant Savior returns or when we die, it will

either be a day of vengeance for us or a day of redemption for us

for all eternity. And it all comes down to this

Are you in Christ? Are you in Christ?

If you believe in Jesus and you have been united to him by

faith, then he drinks the cup of God's wrath and justice for you

day of redemption. But if you are not united to

Jesus by faith, then you will have to drink that cup yourself.

You will experience the day of God's righteous vengeance.

So who are you? And understand this?

No one gets some vengeance and judgement and some redemption

and salvation. No one gets mostly redemption

and a little bit of vengeance. No one gets mostly judgement and

a little bit of salvation. It's all or nothing when we die

or when the Lord returns. So if you're in Christ Jesus,

brothers and sisters, rest in that truth.

As Paul says in Romans, there is therefore now no condemnation

for those who are in Christ Jesus.

If you are a believer, if you are in Christ, there is no

condemnation for you. There is no day of judgement.

There is no day of vengeance, only the year of redemption.

Rest in that glorious reality and be filled with sustaining

hope. Let that truth fill your heart

with unshakeable joy. Yours is a day of salvation and

redemption. But if you're not in Christ,

know that there is no rest. There is no hope.

There is no joy. It doesn't work to live a life

that has more good works than bad to get into heaven.

God's Word tells us that you are either an enemy of the Lord or a

beloved son and daughter of the Lord.

And it all comes down to not being a pretty good person and

having more good works than bad in our lives.

It comes down to whether you have admitted that you are a

Sinner and that you need a Saviour, and that Saviour is

Jesus. It comes down to whether you've

been united to Jesus by faith. So first, whose side are you on?

Secondly, God's day of vengeance, God's day of

judgement, his year of redemption.

It brings an end to evil and to sin and to injustice.

We're told in God's Word that this day is coming, and when it

arrives, evil and wickedness are ended and sin will be no more,

and injustice will be eliminated and righted.

This is a truth that's been promised to us by the Lord

Himself. A day when the dwelling place of

God is with man, when he will dwell with his people and he

will be with them as their God. When he will wipe away every

tear from their eyes. When death will be no more, When

there'll be no more mourning or crying or sadness, no more pain,

no more mental anguish. Those things will have all

passed away. So if you're here and you are

experiencing injustice, you're feeling the weight of evil and

wickedness in this world, you're weary because of the fight, or

perhaps the lack thereof, of fighting against your sin.

Weighed down by the fallenness and the brokenness of this

world, this day that is coming is meant to fill us with great

sustaining hope. It is meant to give us strength

to persevere now, knowing that this day is coming.

If this is you, you need to come back to what God's Word says

about this glorious day that is coming over and over again.

Meditate on it. Think deeply about it.

Let the truth of it wash over your heart and your soul.

Fix your mind on this truth and don't stop until your heart is

warmed to the point that you are filled with a sustaining hope

that gives you the motivation and the strength that you need

to keep going. Persevere to the end.

Thirdly and lastly, there is work to be done.

There's work to be done now. The Lord is very clear in Isaiah

63 that the day of vengeance, the day of redemption, that's

God's work to do. He is the only one that can

bring those days. He looked around.

He saw that there was no one who could help him with his work of

vengeance and salvation. That was only the work that he

could do. We can't do that work, but there

is work for us to do. Over and over again in

Scripture, God's people are called to the work of

sanctification, growing in Christ likeness.

Now, to be clear, Scripture is also very clear that the that

sanctification in our life is first the work of the Holy

Spirit. But Scripture is clear that we

are enabled by the Holy Spirit to grow in godliness and

holiness and obedience through the work of the Spirit in our

lives. He enables us to do the work.

Psalm 119 says, when I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your

testimonies. I hasten and do not delay to

keep your commandments. The psalmist is saying he

considers his ways. He, he looks at his life, he

thinks about how he's doing and he recognizes all the ways that

he falls short of honouring the Lord.

And he then turns his feet back to the Lord, hastens without

delay to obey the word of God. Or Romans 2 verse 4 says, or do

Romans 2:4

you presume on the riches of God's kindness and forbearance

and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead

you to repentance? The kindness of the Lord is

meant to lead us, to drive us to repentance, to to greater

obedience. What is his kindness to us?

It is his grace. It is the gospel.

God's grace to us is meant to lead us to repentance and to a

growing in our faith, in our maturity, in our obedience to

the Lord. Or we could think about Titus 3.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior

appeared, He saved us not because of works done by us in

righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of

regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out

on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being

justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the

hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I

want you to insist on these things so that those who have

believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good

works. Isn't that amazing?

We have been saved by God's loving kindness and mercy, the

washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

We have been justified by his grace.

We have been made heirs according to the hope of eternal

life. And if these truths are glorious

and they are trustworthy, and we are to insist on these things,

why? So that we would be careful to

devote ourselves to good works. Again, it is the gospel, it is

God's grace to us that is meant to move us to good works.

Or we could think of Titus chapter 2.

Titus 2 · chapter mention

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for

all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly

passions, and to live self controlled, upright and godly

lives. In this present age.

What is it that trains us to renounce ungodliness?

What is it that trains us to renounce worldly passion?

What is it that trains us to live self controlled, upright,

godly lives in our present age? It is the grace of God that has

appeared. It is Jesus himself again.

It is God's grace that is meant to move us to greater faith and

repentance and growth and grace, holiness and sanctification.

This is the work that the Lord calls us to do.

This is the work that the Lord enables us to do, and it's hard

work to say no to our sin and to turn from it once again and turn

back to the Lord to follow the Lord's word more and more in our

lives. It is hard work for us, and it's

good on occasion for us to take a step back and to look at the

trajectory of our lives. Not just a snapshot of where we

are in any given moment, but the trajectory of our lives.

Do I see growth and grace in my life?

Do I see a maturing faith? Do I see a greater desire to

obey the Lord? Do I see a greater strength to

fight and to lean and not to give in to my besetting sins?

And when we don't like the trajectory that we see, when we

desire to see greater progress, the remedy is this.

Come back to God's kindness to you.

Come back to God's loving grace and mercy to you.

Come back to God's grace for you in the gospel.

Come back to what Jesus has accomplished for you.

Because these things are meant to lead us to repentance, faith,

love of God, and obedience to His Word.

Let's pray together.