Mercy and Grace of the Triune God (Isaiah 63:7-14)
Rev. Myung-Sin Choi
7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. 8 For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior. 9 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 bore them and carried them All the days of old. 10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them. 11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: “Where is He who brought them up out of the sea With the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them, 12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses, With His glorious arm, Dividing the water before them To make for Himself an everlasting name, 13 Who led them through the deep, As a horse in the wilderness, That they might not stumble?” 14 As a beast goes down into the valley, And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest, So You lead Your people, To make Yourself a glorious name.
Introduction
In Italy, there is a famous conductor named Arturo Toscanini. Toscanini was really famous for conducting the Beethoven symphonies. But he never complimented his orchestra members and for having a quick temper. However one day, as Toscanini was conducting one of the Beethoven symphonies, he received a lot of applause. After he finished this conduction, Toscanini started wondering and the orchestra members wondered what he was going to tell him. Before his orchestra, Toscanini said, “Who am I? Who am I to you? I am nothing. You are nothing. Only Beethoven is everything. I want to give all glory to Beethoven.” This became one of his famous quotes. No matter how well Toscanini conducted the Beethoven music, he realized that he was nothing, it was only because Beethoven was astounding. If Beethoven was not alive, then he would’ve not been able to conduct once again. We need to realize something important here as Christians. We need to give all glory to our Creator God. If God didn’t exist, then you would’ve not existed. No matter how many good things you have done, that is nothing before God. God made us and Jesus Christ saved us. We need to give all glory and praise to the Triune God. Last week we spoke about how God avenged His people and poured out His love for His people. But today’s sermon, it said something different. For God’s people, the love that He has for us is astounding and tremendous. May we experience God’s grace through today’s main Biblical Scripture.
1. Lovingkindnesses of the Lord
1) God's love
Verse 7 - Isaiah spoke about God as he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Who is God? God has poured His great love for His people. God is the lovingkindness, which means that God is full of mercy and compassion. For His people, God has a heart of mercy and compassion. Secondly, it speaks about the praises of the Lord. This is what God is speaking about when He talks about His people. We have received the answer of God’s glory. Through us, God has given us love because we are able to give praise and glory to God. This love of God, it is not speaking about agape love but “Raham” love. This word means the mother’s womb. It is talking about the love of a mother. The greatest love in human form is the love of a mother. This is the amount of love that God has for us. God has given us the greatest gift. This beautiful gift was the love of God. This means that because God had mercy and compassion on us, He poured His love upon us from heaven above. What I am talking to you about is the love of God. The compassionate heart and love that God has for us, He is pouring out onto us. We can’t imagine how much God loves us.
2) The grace of salvation
Verses 8-9 - God called us His people and children. God was calling His people as the Israelites who were in captivity of Babylon. His people means that these Israelites were calling out and searching out for God. What is important is that when we call out and pray out to God, then God will absolutely listen and answer us. It may seem like the Israelites were deserted but those who call out and search out to God, God promised that He will answer and listen to them. People who are captives, it may seem like they make up lies but why would they not lie? Why did God call us? God called us to become His righteous and holy people of God. In other words, even though we sin before God and God’s wrath comes upon us, if we sincerely repent before God, then God will accept us again. Even though we come before God with filthy sins, God said that He will cleanse us once again. That is why God said that He will become our Savior. No matter how much we make God hurt, God said that He will accept us if we come back to God and repent. Nothing makes God happier than His people coming back to Him and repenting. When you repent before God and sincerely confess to God, then He is the happiest.
Not only that but in verse 9 - When the Israelites were suffering and afflicted, do you think God was suffering with the Israelites? That was not the case. God was also sad and was in distress when His Israelites were suffering and afflicted. He felt the pain and suffering of His people. Why is that? Because God has raham love for us. He has great love for us. That is why God understands our pain and suffering, and feels our hearts. When a baby inside the womb is suffering, of course, the mother will be in distress and agony. That is why when God sees us suffer, God said that He will save us with the presence of an angel. God will send His angel, and protect and save us. When you look in the Bible, anytime His people were in trouble, God always sent His angels.
Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” - When you hold onto God and pray, then God will absolutely send His angel and help you. This shows how much love God has for us.
Exodus 19:4 “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” - When the Israelites were coming out of Egypt. This shows the raham love of God. We need to experience the raham love of God. It is not just love but it is the love of a mother that God has for us. Do you have a problem or concern? God is loving you right now. God is giving you raham love. Truly hold onto that. When you are suffering, God is suffering more. When you face a crisis, God is more concerned than you are about that crisis. God is this love of God but what did the Israelites do in verse 10?
2. God's Message
1) The power of the cross of salvation
Verse 10 - God loves His people and hugged them to the land of Canaan but the people of God, the Israelites, rebelled against God. They rebelled means that they broke the covenant of God and forgot about the word of God. They made the Holy Spirit grieve. Making the Holy Spirit grieve means that you become apart from God. No matter how much God loves you but if you go against God and rebel against Him, then God will leave you. Then, what is the meaning of this passage?
Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” - Apostle Paul was saying not to make the Holy Spirit grieve. This means, do you know that you are separated from God? Do you know that you have rebelled against God? This is the reason why mankind is suffering. Until the day we are saved, then the Holy Spirit will continue to grieve. This is tremendous. The day of redemption was the day that Jesus Christ died on the cross. But if you don’t know and believe in this, then you will continue to suffer in this world. Have you received salvation or not? That is the most important question. There will be no change in your life at all if you don’t know and believe in this. Don’t make the Holy Spirit grieve but realize and repent before God. If you go back to God’s covenant then you return back to God and repent. Do you have problems or are suffering? Repent before God and enter back into the covenant of God.
2) The salvation ministry of God the Spirit
Verses 11-14 - God said something important here. This interpretation needs more clarification here. When you look in the King James Version, it said that God remembered the days of Moses and His people. The people remembered means that the people were resenting God. But if God remembers then this means that God was giving the Israelites another chance. I think the interpretation of the original version is better. God didn’t just speak to the Israelites but God was speaking about the roles of the Holy Spirit. God is saying to remember what He did for the Israelites on the Red Sea. God also saved Moses from the Red Sea and the Egyptians. That miracle, who performed it? It was God the Holy Spirit who delivered mankind from death to life. The Holy Spirit protects our lives. When you receive the filling of the Holy Spirit then you can experience your life being saved and protected. Secondly, God places His Holy Spirit within us. This means that the Holy Spirit was at work during the time of the Exodus. God was watching everything regarding the Israelites. As the Israelites were traveling through the wilderness, He heard all of their complaints about how cold and hot they were. When they were hungry, God gave them plentiful manna and quail. When they were thirsty, God split the rock and gave them water. The Triune God was at work to protect the Israelites as they were in the wilderness. Do you believe in this? This Triune God is protecting and taking responsibility over you. There is nothing for you to worry about. If God is with us, then there is nothing to worry about.
Verse 12 - Thirdly, God was imprinting into the Israelites to believe and trust in Him. God split the Red Sea before the Israelites and made it where they could cross through it safely. Isn’t that astounding? It was such a clear path that even none of their livestock or people would slip or fall as they crossed through it. Even if the livestock ran through it, none of their livestock would fall or slip. Even the children could run through it or the elderly could walk through it. What does this mean? God will take complete responsibility over our lives. This will absolutely happen to us. Even now, God is taking responsibility over us. Hold onto this God. Do not worry.
Verse 14 - God will lead His people into the abundant pasture and allow them to rest in peace. No matter what problems you have, God promised us peace.
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” - There is no need for you to worry or fear. This is because the Holy Spirit is within us. He will take complete responsibility over our lives. God wants to receive all glory and praise from us. God said that He will make our names glorious before Him. May we give all glory to God and receive all answers from God.
3. Prayer Enjoyed By Paul
1) Those who know the cause
Apostle Paul knew the reason and cause. Ephesians 1:17 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” - We talked about God today. God wants us to have abundant mercy and grace. Enjoy this God. How can we enjoy this God? Pray the 7 bartizan prayers. I receive so much grace from this prayer.
2) Those who know the solution
Acts 19:8 “And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.” - Secondly, Paul knew the solution and answer. Enjoy the kingdom of God and the heavenly throne. Enjoy the mystery of the raham love of God. Just like a mother who loves her child in the womb, this is how much God loves. This is how God is guiding us, He is giving us with raham love. Enjoy this.
3) Those who know the future
Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” - What is the hope that God has called us for? What is the abundance of hope that God has made? Through us, God has prepared unprecedented grace. May you receive unprecedented answers. Hold onto the 7 bartizans. Wherever we go, God has prepared guideposts. These are the answers that God has prepared for us.
Conclusion
Ephesians 1:19 “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” - We have received the message about the power of the Holy Spirit. As we follow and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may we experience the power of the Holy Spirit. The moment you believe in this, then amazing works will arise. Receive great answers this week.
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