Isaiah 63:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, since they mistakenly believed that Moses had been the one to lead them out of Egypt, exclaiming, 'Where is Moses who brought us out of Egypt?' (cf. Exodus 32:23), the prophet aims to correct this misunderstanding by clarifying that it was not Moses who led them out, but rather Moses was brought out by God's power alone. He instilled His Holy Spirit within him: we understand that they were not informed about the Holy Spirit, yet He resided within them, just as He did in their leaders, Moses and the seventy elders.

Who is it that remembers? Who is it that raised up from the earth the Shepherd of the flock? These expressions seem to reflect the resurrection of Christ, our Savior. Rather than stating He raised up the supreme Shepherd of all, it is noted that He was drawn from among men; the only begotten Word of the Father became like one of us, born in the flesh from a woman.

However, as I mentioned, the prophet recognized that Israel had entirely forgotten the wondrous deeds of God, prompting astonishment and lament over those who had descended into such insensitivity, asking, Where is He who infused them with the Holy Spirit, the one who imparted His divine and saving Spirit? For as he states, the Spirit descended from the Lord and directed them. Also, David proclaimed, Send forth Your word and heal me (Ps. 106:20). But the Lord is the Spirit, for He works through the indivisible Spirit. Hence, where is there? Instead of neglecting and failing to seek Him, it becomes clear that we remember Him and love Him. Where is He who elevated Moses with His right hand? Moses was esteemed, renowned, and celebrated for his glory. This is suggested by the phrase, He who lifted him up, because the right hand of God operated through him. The might of glory triumphed over the nature of the waters, solidifying them, as it is said that He drove them like a wall of water; or He conquered the waters themselves, bringing them to a solid state, even though they were naturally liquid. And He replenished it, that He might create for Himself an everlasting name; for although it was achieved through the wise Moses, it was ultimately for the glory of God. Having made the waters solid, He spoke as a horse or cattle, leading them through the sea as through a pasture. The Psalmist also affirms this, stating, And He led His people like sheep, guiding me as a flock in the wilderness (Psalms 77:52). The Spirit of the Lord directed them, as previously mentioned. Thus, You have guided Your people so that You might be called glorious. Two significant outcomes occurred simultaneously: not only was Israel rescued and liberated from their oppressors, but the purpose of these marvelous events was to ensure that the sovereign God received the glory that is rightfully His.

Since God promises to guide His people, it is notable that He does not merely promise to send an angel, but rather to provide His own Spirit, who surpasses all angels and directs the people. This illustrates that the Spirit is neither a created being nor an angel but transcends creation and is unified with the Father in the Godhead. Therefore, it is through the Word in the Spirit that God led the people, which is consistently affirmed throughout Scripture.

He led His people through the great waters before them to establish an everlasting name. He navigated them through the abyss as a horse across a meadow, and they did not grow weary; like cattle through the plain, the Spirit came from the Lord to guide them. You have led Your people to manifest a glorious name.

The Lord, who transitioned from being a protector to an adversary of the Jewish people, who stirred His Holy Spirit to anger and waged war against them, remembered the olden days when Moses interceded for them in the wilderness, saying, “Either forgive them this sin, or, if not, blot me out of the book which You have written” (Ex. 32). Thus, Isaiah, reflecting on the ancient story, asks, Where is that Moses who led them through the Red Sea? Where is the shepherd of the flock? Where is he who labored alongside the other shepherds of the Lord's people? Who attained the Spirit of God and fervently instilled Him in the Lord's flock? Alternatively, one might ponder: Where is the mercy of the Lord, which once extended grace to His people, endowing them with the gift of the Holy Spirit? Who guided Moses, His servant, on the right path by the strength of His majesty, parting the waters to forge a name that lasts to this day—so that His might might be recounted? For He led His people through the boundless depths of the waters, as a horse through the plain, and cattle across the fields, with the Spirit of the Lord directing them—that is, the flock of the Lord (Ex. 14).

By "spirit" here, we reference the angel, who served as the guide for the people of Israel, as it is written: “He makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire” (Ps. 104:4). Moreover, in the epistle to the Hebrews, it is stated that they are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14). We must also consider what is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, where the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and he was not seen by anyone (Acts 8:39). Should we not understand this as an angel acting under the Holy Spirit? Some contend that it was an angel who accomplished this concerning the Holy Spirit. The obvious matters we often overlook quickly to concentrate on the more obscure ones.

God recalled these kindnesses with deep sorrow for their loss. The ensuing words express this sorrow. The people lament, “Where has He who shepherds His flock emerged from the earth?” During their captivity in Babylon, they reminisced about the liberation from Egypt. However, the Lord showed mercy to the oppressed by sending Moses as their shepherd and guiding them out of Egypt. The people now cry out, “Where is He who delivered His people from Egypt but has not freed them from Babylon? Where can He be?” They further ask, “Where is He who fills them with the Holy Spirit?” In essence, they wonder where that grace is, which enabled the Lord to imbue His flock with courage against their foes, through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit manifested in their leaders, Moses and Aaron.