Everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing, let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior, the Hope of nations

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave…

(Songwriters: Ben Fielding / Reuben Morgan)

“Mighty to Save”, sung by Hillsong is playing in the background of my mind this morning as I read our next chapter of Isaiah.  God is indeed mighty to save in all kinds of troubles and circumstances that are self-imposed or not.  How grateful are we? Do we give credit where credit is due?  When we get to the other side of our troubles, do we thank the One who saved us?  Sometimes all that God does for us is forgotten as we trudge through life, distracted by shiny objects, going from challenge to challenge thinking we don’t need God—until we do.  It is only then, it seems, when all else is exhausted as help, that we realize His love, compassion, mercy, and grace—our only Hope of salvation forever.  So, do we really believe what God says really real?

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
And now I surrender (I surrender)

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Isaiah 63, The Message

Who Goes There?

The watchmen call out,
“Who goes there, marching out of Edom,
    out of Bozrah in clothes dyed red?
Name yourself, so splendidly dressed,
    advancing, bristling with power!”

“It is I: I speak what is right,
    I, mighty to save!”

² “And why are your robes so red,
    your clothes dyed red like those who tread grapes?”

^3-6 “I’ve been treading the winepress alone.
    No one was there to help me.
Angrily, I stomped the grapes;
    raging, I trampled the people.
Their blood spurted all over me—
    all my clothes were soaked with blood.
I was set on vengeance.
    The time for redemption had arrived.
I looked around for someone to help
    —no one.
I couldn’t believe it
    —not one volunteer.
So I went ahead and did it myself,
    fed and fueled by my rage.
I trampled the people in my anger,
    crushed them under foot in my wrath,
    soaked the earth with their lifeblood.”

All the Things God Has Done That Need Praising

^7-9 I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
    love extravagant.
He said, “Without question these are my people,
    children who would never betray me.”
So he became their Savior.
    In all their troubles,
    he was troubled, too.
He didn’t send someone else to help them.
    He did it himself, in person.
Out of his own love and pity
    he redeemed them.
He rescued them and carried them along
    for a long, long time.

¹⁰ But they turned on him;
    they grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned on them,
    became their enemy and fought them.

^11-14 Then they remembered the old days,
    the days of Moses, God’s servant:
“Where is he who brought the shepherds of his flock
    up and out of the sea?
And what happened to the One who set
    his Holy Spirit within them?
Who linked his arm with Moses’ right arm,
    divided the waters before them,
Making him famous ever after,
    and led them through the muddy abyss
    as surefooted as horses on hard, level ground?
Like a herd of cattle led to pasture,
    the Spirit of God gave them rest.”

^14-19 That’s how you led your people!
    That’s how you became so famous!
Look down from heaven, look at us!
    Look out the window of your holy and magnificent house!
Whatever happened to your passion,
    your famous mighty acts,
Your heartfelt pity, your compassion?
    Why are you holding back?

You are our Father.
    Abraham and Israel are long dead.
    They wouldn’t know us from Adam.
But you’re our living Father,
    our Redeemer, famous from eternity!
Why, God, did you make us wander from your ways?
    Why did you make us cold and stubborn
    so that we no longer worshiped you in awe?
Turn back for the sake of your servants.
    You own us! We belong to you!
For a while your holy people had it good,
    but now our enemies have wrecked your holy place.
For a long time now, you’ve paid no attention to us.
    It’s like you never knew us.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Isaiah is looking ahead, as prophets do, and sees Jesus Christ returning from the battle of Armageddon that climaxes the day of the Lord (Revelation 19:11–21).  In that day, people crushed grapes with their feet into a winepress that took the juice from the grapes.  In the process the juice would splash on the garments of the “crushers.”  Our Lord’s garments were dyed with blood as the result of the great victory over His enemies.

Isaiah looked back at what God has done for Israel. He praised God for His unfailing love and goodness, for the pity and love bestowed on Israel. God identified with Israel’s suffering as He does with His people’s suffering today.

Isaiah turns to God in prayer for the nations.  May God come down again and reveal His awesome power to all people, prays Isaiah.  May those who trust in dead, man-made idols turn to God and see what the living God of Israel can do! 

God answers Isaiah’s prayer.  God still answers today.  God is Mighty to save!  God sent Hope to save us for eternity.  Believe in Jesus, our Only Hope, and be saved for life!  Jesus, who conquered death once and for all!

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever, author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Shine Your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King, Jesus
Shine Your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King…!

Lord,

Thank you for saving us in such mighty miraculous ways! Thank you for saving us from ourselves.  Thank you for taking our sins to the cross and leaving them there.  Thank you for not only erasing the debt of sin but teaching us how to love you back, how to love and serve others, with wisdom and power to avoid temptations.  Thank you for renewing our spirits and restoring our joy when we fall and forget your benefits. Thank you for your loving patience with us.  Thank you for hearing our prayers, seeing our hearts and turning back to our repentant souls. Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will do as you abide in us and we abide in you.  Thank you for Hope, dear Jesus.  To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen