GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | 恩道堂

Isaiah sees the Messiah returning from battling with Edom, one of the nations the Messiah will defeat in the end times. The battle is at Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21). He will crush His enemies like crushing grapes in a winepress, which was a hollow hole in stony ground. He will defeat His enemies all by Himself, with no human help (v.3).

After seeing the victory of the Messiah, Isaiah looks back at God’s goodness to Israel starting from Moses. The Angel of the Lord (aka Jesus, Ex. 14:19) delivered them from bondage of slavery in Egypt, but instead of being thankful to God, the people rebelled against Him. God showed them both grace and discipline. Even in their affliction, God identified with them (v. 9). After looking back at God’s goodness to Israel, Isaiah looks up to pray for mercy. He prays to God to graciously act upon His promise to save Israel much like Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:3-19.

In all our troubles, such as death and suffering, we must see the final victory of Messiah in the end times. He will get rid of everything that is wrong in the world including death and suffering. Death and suffering do not have the final victory, Jesus does. In our struggles, we also need to remember God’s mercy in the past and His promises of daily grace to us (Matt. 28:20). Such remembrance should lead us to pray to God persistently, knowing that He loves us (Luke 18:1-14). Pray to God in all your troubles. He is compassionate to answer.

以赛亚见到弥赛亚与以东争战后回来；以东是弥赛亚末日时将打败的其中一国。这场斗争就是大决战（启19:11-21）。祂将彻底击败祂的仇敌，如在酒醡中踹葡萄一样（酒醡是石头地上的一个中空的洞）。祂将独自打败自己所有仇敌，无需人类帮助（3节）。

见到弥赛亚得胜后，以赛亚回顾神自摩西以来对以色列的良善。神的使者（即耶稣；见出14:19）救以色列脱离埃的困锁，不再作奴役，但以色列没感激神，反倒悖逆了祂。神向他们既施恩又管教。即便在苦难中，神仍与他们同在（9节）。回顾神对以色列的良善后，以赛亚抬头祷告神怜悯他们。他求神发恩慈，按祂的应许拯救以色列。这与但以理在但以理书9:3-19的祷告相似。