Sharper Iron — The Fifth Evangelist - Isaiah 63:1-14: Why Are the LORD’s Garments Red?

The prophet sees a Mighty Warrior coming; He identifies Himself as the LORD. The prophet has questions concerning the Warrior’s stained garments; the LORD says that they are red from the blood of His enemies, whom He has conquered on the day of His vengeance for the year of His favor. Upon seeing the LORD in this way, Isaiah leads the people in praising the LORD by proclaiming His deeds of old, especially from the Exodus. Even though His people rebelled against Him, and He became their enemy for a time, the LORD remembered His promises. For the sake of making His everlasting name glorious, He brought salvation to His people.

Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Brenham, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Isaiah 63:1-14.

“The Fifth Evangelist” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through Isaiah 40-66. Though Isaiah lived one hundred years beforehand, he writes to the people of God in exile in Babylon to assure them that their God reigns and will rescue them through the work of His servant. These promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose work Isaiah proclaims vividly seven hundred years beforehand.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

Isaiah 63:1-14

The Lord‘s Day of Vengeance

63 Who is this who comes from Edom,
    in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
    marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
    mighty to save.”

²Why is your apparel red,
and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?

³“I have trodden the winepress alone,
    and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
    and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifeblood^[a] spattered on my garments,
    and stained all my apparel.
⁴For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
    and my year of redemption^[b] had come.
⁵I looked, but there was no one to help;
    I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
    and my wrath upheld me.
⁶I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
    I made them drunk in my wrath,
    and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

The Lord‘s Mercy Remembered

⁷I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
    the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
    and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
⁸For he said, “Surely they are my people,
    children who will not deal falsely.”
    And he became their Savior.
⁹In all their affliction he was afflicted,^[c]
    and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

¹⁰But they rebelled
    and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
    and himself fought against them.
¹¹Then he remembered the days of old,
    of Moses and his people.^[d]
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
    with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
    his Holy Spirit,
¹²who caused his glorious arm
    to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
    to make for himself an everlasting name,
¹³    who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
    they did not stumble.
¹⁴Like livestock that go down into the valley,
    the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
    to make for yourself a glorious name.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 63:3 Or their juice; also verse 6
Isaiah 63:4 Or the year of my redeemed
Isaiah 63:9 Or he did not afflict
Isaiah 63:11 Or Then his people remembered the days of old, of Moses

Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).