He Fought Against Them

“In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.” (Isaiah 63:9-10)

Hello, my friend.

My pastor used this verse in his message last week. It was just a passing comment, then on to his main point; however, it struck deep to me.

Isaiah was one of the major prophets to the people of Israel during one of their times of captivity. In this portion of his prophetic message to the people of God, he was reminding them of how God had saved them repeatedly in the past, how God had delivered them, time and time again, from their enemies. I have talked before of the cycle we seem to live out in our lives, and in this chapter Isaiah is telling them of their behaviors.

We read that God was afflicted by their afflictions as they suffered under captivity. He felt their pain, He heard their cries for help, He knew their suffering. When the time was right, He sent one of His angels to save them: to redeem them. He purchased them back from their enemies through the blood that was shed on Israel’s behalf. God is amazingly patient and long-suffering. We read in another passage that He would have none perish, but that all would come to Him. So even in this twisted situation where the Israelites have rebelled, gotten captured because they failed to repent, and now found themselves under tyranical rule of heathen nations, God allows time and gives warnings to both sides. To His people, He commands them to repent – then allows them to set the timeline for their deliverance. If they repent quickly, He comes quickly. If they continue to rebel, He allows time and circumstance to drive them to repent out of fear for their very existence. To their captors God, again, gives warnings to release His people, then gives them time to obey Him (which, of course, they rarely did). Eventually, either by choice or by force (fear), both sides come to their senses: the Israelites recognize the God of their fathers and repent, and their enemy recognizes that they are fighting Someone bigger than they are. The Old Testament is full of examples of this – whether it is plagues, hailstones, fire, disease, or whatever, God eventually gets across to them that they are defeated unless they give in and release the Israelites. The main point, however, is that God is afflicted with our pain and sees us in our suffering.

Isaiah went on in this passage to tell how God carried the Israelites. He did this through a physical manifestation (a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night), supernatural provision (water in the desert, food in barren terrain, their clothes never wearing out while on their journey, and no sickness or disease as they followed His leadership). But just like us, once they were delivered, once they were satisfied, and their bellies were full, they turned and rebelled again, vexing His holy Spirit (the same one Who carried them). Then the passage gets ugly.

For all my life I have heard how God is a God of love – which He Is. I have heard forever about casting out demons, breaking the curses, renouncing the sins of our fathers, etc. Yet, that isn’t the picture Isaiah is painting here. Here we read that God (he) was turned to be their enemy and that God (again, he) fought against them. Jonathan Edwards preached a very powerful message decades ago entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” I suggest you look it up sometime soon and read it. Not just read it, but meditate on it, pray about it, and take it to heart.

We all fail in this matter, it seems. Just when life starts getting good, we forget WHY it’s that way. I am most blessed among men. I recognize that and I respect that. God has done amazing things for me these past few months. I give Him all the glory every chance I get. Yet even I sometimes have memory lapse and start thinking it is all my doing. How stupid can someone be? If it weren’t for God I wouldn’t draw my next breath. It is He Who gives me my heartbeat. It is He Who provides me with food and shelter. It is He Who saved me from sin and death. None of these things do I have control over. Yet, I find myself fighting (what I think is) an invisible army or enemy when all I have to do is look in the mirror.

Today, my friend, I encourage you to look at your heart. Probe your thought life. Search out your motives and intentions. If you have given your heart to God, everything you and I do must be to His glory. He deserves the glory, and the power, and the kingdom. All is His. Better said, all is Him. If you are still running from Him or in rebellion against Him, I can only assure you of one thing: you can either submit to Him now, or there will come a day before His Judgment Throne where every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The problem for you, my friend, is timing. If you do it now, you will live with Him forever. If you wait until then, it will be too late. Oh, you’ll still live forever. But it will be without His Presence, His mercy, His grace, His love, or anything else He is granting you right now. Hell is hot, it is real, and it is forever. Please do it now. I want to meet you in heaven.

Be blessed.