Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 63
Overview:
Christ's victory over his enemies.
(1-6) His
Mercy toward his
Church.
(7-14) The
Prayer of the
Church.
(15-19)
1-6 The
Prophet, in
Vision, beholds the
Messiah returning in
triumph from the conquest of his enemies, of whom
Edom was a
Type. Travelling, not as wearied
By the combat, but, in the
greatness of his strength, prepared to overcome every opposing
power.
Messiah declares that he had been treading the
Wine-press
of the wrath of
God, Re 14:19; 19:13, and
By his own power,
without any human help, he had crushed his obstinate opposers,
for the
Day of vengeance was determined
On, being the appointed
season for rescuing his
Church. Once, he appeared
On Earth in
apparent weakness, to pour out his precious
Blood as an
Atonement for our sins; but he will in due time appear in the
greatness of his strength. The vintage ripens apace; the
Day of
vengeance, fixed and determined
On, approaches apace; let
sinners seek to be reconciled to their righteous
Judge, ere he
brings down their strength to the
Earth. Does
Christ say, "I
come quickly?" let our hearts reply, "Even
So, come; let the
Year of the redeemed come."
7-14 The latter part of this
Chapter, and the whole of the
next, seem to express the prayers of the Jews
On their
Conversation. They acknowledge
God's great mercies and favours
to their nation. They confess their wickedness and hardness of
Heart; they entreat his forgiveness, and deplore the miserable
condition under which they have
So long suffered. The
only-begotten Son of the
Father became the
Angel or
Messenger of
his
Love; thus he redeemed and bare them with tenderness. Yet
they murmured, and resisted his Holy
Spirit, despising and
persecuting his prophets, rejecting and crucifying the promised
Messiah. All our comforts and hopes
Spring from the
loving-kindness of the
Lord, and all our miseries and fears from
our sins. But he is the
Saviour, and when sinners seek after
him, who in other ages glorified himself
By saving and feeding
his purchased flock, and leading them safely through dangers,
and has given his Holy
Spirit to prosper the labours of his
ministers, there is good ground to
Hope they are discovering the
way of peace.
15-19 They beseech him to look down
On the abject condition of
their once-favoured nation. Would it not be glorious to his name
to remove the
Veil from their hearts, to return to the tribes of
his inheritance? The Babylonish
Captivity, and the
after-deliverance of the Jews, were shadows of the events here
foretold. The
Lord looks down upon us in tenderness and
Mercy.
Spiritual judgments are more to be dreaded than any other
calamities; and we should most carefully avoid those sins which
justly provoke the
Lord to leave men to themselves and to their
deceiver. "Our
Redeemer from
Everlasting" is thy name; thy
people have always looked upon thee as the
God to whom they
might
Appeal. The
Lord will hear the prayers of those who belong
to him, and deliver them from those not called
By his name.