1 Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
This is a picture of God walking into Judah. He is walking tall and proud, wearing clothes covered in red stains. Not, evidently, blood red, but wine red.
2 “Why are Thou red in thine apparel, and Thy garments like him that treads in the winefat?”
“Hey God, why does it look like you have been tramping grapes?”
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment.
“I was mad and punished those I was mad at, though no one helped me.”
4 For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me.
“It surprised Me no one wanted to help, so I did it all myself.”
But God is never surprised. Hmmm.
6 And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
Now we switch to Isaiah speaking.
7 I will mention the loving kindnesses 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, and according to the multitude of His loving kindnesses.
God is love and God is mercy. When the punishment is done, He restores His people.
8 For He said, Surely they are My people, children that will not lie: so He was their Savior.
God is making sure they understand this Babylonian captivity is not a permanent destruction, even though it looks like it. When the punishment is done, those who love Him will be restored.
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 bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
God hurts when His people hurt. He feels sorry for them and takes care of them.
10 But they rebelled, and vexed His holy Spirit: therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them.
Despite all the blessings and protection of God, Israel/Judah turned their backs on Him.
11 Then He remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, “Where is He that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He that put His holy Spirit within Him?
Even the people who had seen the ten plagues, seen the Red Sea open up and walked on the sea floor, who had eaten the manna from Heaven, had all rebelled against God.
12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make Himself an everlasting name?
13 That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?
14 As a beast goes down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest: so did Thou lead Thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name.
God took care of them against all odds.
15 Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of Thy holiness and of Thy glory: where is Thy zeal and Thy strength, the sounding of Thy bowels and of Thy mercies toward me? Are they restrained?
“God, why aren’t you protecting us now?”
16 Doubtless thou are our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: Thou, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer; Thy name is from everlasting.
God is the source of all life.
17 O Lord, why have Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our heart from Thy fear? Return for Thy servants' sake, the tribes of Thine inheritance.
“Why do You even allow sin and rebellion?”
This is a common question and the excuse many use to ignore God. “If there is a God, He wouldn’t allow evil.”
But at the very beginning of Genesis God gave us a choice. “Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat.” To take away that choice is to lie. It truly is the option of every human whether they will serve God or not.
And why did God set it up this way?
We were created in the image of God. Not His physical image because He is a spirit, but His spiritual/emotional/intellectual image.
God's purpose in creating us in the first place was to have a people to love Him.
Love must be a choice. Without choice, it is compulsion. This is the nature of love with God, and so, with us.
Without the honest, true choice to pick evil, we are not loving God when we pick good.We would be just acting according to nature.
So, in order to accomplish His will of having a people who love Him, He had to give us the choice to not love Him, to be evil.
And if there is no God, where did the knowledge of good and evil come from? How does the atheist know there is evil in the world if God's law isn't written in his heart?
18 The people of Thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary.
“It seems such a short time that Judah has owned their land.”
19 We are Thine: Thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by Thy name.
“If we are Your people, why have those who don’t know You won?”