7-30-18 Today in the Word

Today in the Word
July 2018
The Book of Isaiah: Seeing the Glory of God
CRIMSON MERCY
Monday, July 30, 2018 | Isaiah 62–63
The opening lines of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” used to be taught to nearly every American school-aged child:
“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on.”
Some of the images in this hymn of the coming wrath of God and truth of God are drawn from Isaiah.
The major image in our reading today is that of the crimson-stained Lord coming to save. His salvation has two aspects. First, He comes to destroy the enemies of God. In His perfect justice, He will slaughter His enemies and be splattered with their blood (63:3–7). The picture of the wrath of God is akin to someone standing in a winepress to tread grapes. The Lord crushes those in rebellion against Him to release the grapes of wrath.
The second aspect of salvation is God’s rescuing of His people. In this same vision, Isaiah reveals the Lord as One full of pity, mercy, compassion and love for the children of God. The Lord is One who pours out His Spirit upon those in need of redemption. With the arm of His power, He frees His people from captivity.
The great contrast between the fate of the enemies of God and the fate of His own people should cause us to remember the mercy of the Lord (63:7). We once were the enemies of God, but Christ saved us while we were enemies and sinners! We once were the objects of wrath, but now we will be saved through Christ from the terrible wrath of God (Rom. 5:9–11).
APPLY THE WORD
We need to ponder long and hard the reality of hell. It is a conscious, dark, fiery, evil, horrid, everlasting place of punishment forever away from the presence of God, His mercy, and His joys. People without salvation in Christ are tormented there for all eternity. We have been rescued from hell by Christ. Many have not. What must we do?

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