Isaiah 63:7-14

⁷ I will detail the ways that Yahveh has shown his covenant loyalty, the praiseworthy deeds of Yahveh, because of all that Yahveh has dealt out to us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has dealt out to them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his covenant love. ⁸ Because he said, “they are really my people, children who will not deal falsely”; and he became their saviour ⁹ from all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his face that saved them; in his love and in his compassion he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the old days. ¹⁰ But they rebelled and grieved his holy spirit; so he became their enemy; he himself fought against them. ¹¹ Then they remembered the old days, of Moses his servant. Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put within them his holy spirit, ¹² who caused his magnificent arm to march at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself a permanent name, ¹³ who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. ¹⁴ Like cattle that go down into the valley, the spirit of Yahveh gave them rest. Thus you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name.

the old days

The prophet reminds his people of what their God did for them in the old days. He chose them to be his special people, and delivered them miraculously from bondage in Egypt. When they rebelled, he fought against them, because his people have to be true and obedient. Isaiah’s point is that God stepped in and made a difference each time, either to rescue his innocent people, or to punish them when they rebelled. That is how God worked in the old days, and that is how he works today.

LORD, we invite your presence. Rescue us, even if that might mean rescuing us from our own rebellion. We invite you to make a difference in our lives, just like you did in the old days.