Isaiah 63:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Who is He who has raised the shepherd of the flock from the earth? These phrases evoke the resurrection of Christ, our Savior. He who declared, rather than He who merely raised up the supreme Shepherd of all, was not only resurrected from the dead but was also distinguished among men; for the only begotten Word of the Father became like us, born of the flesh from a woman. However, as I noted, the prophet observed that Israel had forgotten entirely the glorious deeds of God, which caused him sorrow, as he lamented over those who had grown so indifferent, asking, "Where is the one who placed the Holy Spirit in them, who imparted His divine and redemptive Spirit?" For the Spirit, as he states, descended from the Lord and guided them. The divine David also proclaimed, "Send forth Your word and heal me" (Ps. 106:20). The Lord is the Spirit, for He operates through the united Spirit. Where, therefore, is He? Instead of neglecting and failing to seek Him, it is evident that to remember Him and to love Him is crucial. Where is He who elevated Moses with His right hand? Moses was indeed great, renowned, and exalted in glory. This is indicated by the expression "He who raised him up," for the right hand of God acted through him. The arm of glory triumphed over the nature of the waters, solidifying them; for it is written that it drove them like a wall. Or He overcame the waters themselves, so that they were forced into solidity, despite being liquid by nature (Ex. 14:29; Ex. 8:14; Ex. 22:29; Ps. 77:13). And He filled them, He says, to establish for Himself an everlasting name: for although it was carried out through the wise Moses, it was ultimately for God's glory. Having solidified the waters, He guided them like a horse or cattle, leading them through the sea as if it were a field. The Psalmist likewise conveys this, stating, "And He led His people like sheep; He guided me like a flock in the wilderness" (Ps. 77:52). And consequently, as I have mentioned, the Spirit of the Lord directed them. Thus, You have led Your people so that You may be regarded as glorious. Two outcomes were achieved simultaneously: not only was Israel saved and freed from their oppressors, but the culmination of these miraculous events was that the sovereign God should receive the glory befitting Him.

Thus, while God indeed promises to guide His people, He does not indicate He will send an angel, but rather His own Spirit, who surpasses the angels and leads them faithfully. This illustrates that the Spirit is not merely a creature or an angel, but is exalted above all creation and is united with the divine essence of God the Father. For it is through the Word in the Spirit that God Himself directed the people, a truth that is consistently reflected throughout Scripture.

Thus, He led His people through great waters before their eyes, to secure for Himself an everlasting name. He guided them through the depths like a horse through the steppe, without weariness, and as cattle across the plain, with the Spirit sent by the Lord as their leader: so You have guided Your people to establish a glorious name for Yourself. The Lord, who turned from being a protector to an adversary to the people of Israel and had stirred His Holy Spirit to anger, recalled the days of old when Moses interceded for them in the wilderness, asking, “Either forgive their sin, or if not, erase my name from the book You have written” (Ex. 32). In light of this, Isaiah reflects on the ancient narrative, asking: Where is that Moses who led them through the Red Sea? Where is the shepherd of His flock? Where is the one who toiled alongside the other shepherds of the Lord's flock? Who achieved the Spirit of God and, through fervent supplication, instilled Him in the Lord's flock? Alternatively, might this question reveal where is the mercy of the Lord, which once showed compassion to His people, granting them the grace of the Holy Spirit, guiding Moses, His servant, with power and majesty, who divided the waters to forge an everlasting name that His greatness may be acknowledged to this day? For He led His people through the enormous depths of the sea, as a horse moves through the open fields and cattle through the plains, with the Spirit of the Lord as their driver, that is, of the Lord's flock (Ex. 14). Here, the spirit is to be understood as the angel, who led the people of Israel as it is written: “He makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire” (Ps. 104:4), and in the letter to the Hebrews, it states: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14). Consider also what is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and he was no longer seen by any man (Acts 8:39); should we not interpret this as referring to an angel? There are those who assert that an angel was responsible for this concerning the Holy Spirit. We often hurry past clear truths to linger on the more obscure.

It was through the might of Moses, particularly with his staff, that they were astonishingly able to cross the Red Sea, where the waters were divided at the command of the Lord, ensuring that His name would be glorified in a lasting manner.