Isaiah 63:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In response to this, the prophet admonishes Israel for their insensitivity and lack of gratitude, pointing out their failure to recall the mercies bestowed upon them—mercies given solely for their deliverance from suffering. It was He alone who rescued them, without an intermediary or angel, but through His own mighty hand. He performed wonders in Egypt, with Moses as His instrument, yet it was through His own deeds that these miracles were accomplished. When Israel offered a sacrifice that provoked God's anger and He declared His intention to send an angel with them, Moses, filled with sorrow, declared, "If You Yourself do not go with us, do not bring us up from here" (Ex. 33:15). Therefore, He delivered them without seeking anything in return, motivated only by His immense love and care for them. This exemplifies His unparalleled compassion and divine mercy. He liberated them from their captors, strengthened them, and lifted them up. This aligns with His earlier statement, "I have begotten sons and exalted them," indicating His nurturing of them and making them glorious; yet they turned away from Him. The phrase "in all the days of the age" suggests a continuous action. The Almighty was exceedingly good to them, but they chose to disobey and persisted in provoking His Holy Spirit. The psalmist David echoes this notion, asking, “How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the wasteland” (Psalms 77:40). This indicates that they, in their violence and malice, acted without restraint, grieving the Spirit of Christ by ignoring His calls to salvation. Consequently, those who failed to acknowledge His mighty works and did not allow those glimpses of virtue to awaken a desire for righteousness would ultimately find themselves cut off from the love and care of the One who yearned to save them, leading to His eventual stance against them as an adversary.

Yet they did not believe and caused His Holy Spirit sorrow, leading Him to become their adversary, engaging in battle against them. The phrase in “in all their affliction He was not weary,” which in Hebrew conveys a negative adverb, might be understood as Him being weary, expressing that God Himself bore not only our sins but also our pains. For He who carried our weaknesses and bore our illnesses (Matt. 8:17). The Septuagint presents an idea not found in the Hebrew text: not a messenger or angel, but He Himself saved them, as we shall elaborate later. Thus, God, the righteous Judge of Israel, tempers the strictness of justice with the compassion of the One who judges, declaring, “I have raised up sons and lifted them high, but they have rejected Me” (Isaiah 1:2). However, since they are My people and have been called children, they will not perish eternally: if they turn from their rejection and denial, they will recognize the Savior in Him, for in all their suffering, He Himself bore the burden. Alternatively, He was not weary in order to withdraw for a brief time and, in their deprivation of His support, prompt them to pray. Or in another sense, He did not become weary of them; when others pursued them, He was their Helper, sending His angel to rescue them from peril. Until the Seventy, He did not rely on angels, prophets, or holy men to save His people, but He Himself descended to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to carry the ailing sheep on His shoulders, to seek the lost coin, and to joyfully receive the returning wayward son. Therefore, the bride in the Song of Songs declares, “Let the loveliness of her lips captivate me” (Song 1:1). Not through the patriarchs, Moses, nor the prophets, but let Him take my body, and let Him dwell in my flesh. Let the Word become flesh, and thus let Him love me, residing in me as Immanuel. Thus, not as a messenger, nor as an angel, but He Himself will deliver those who have been granted salvation, not by their deeds, but by the love of God. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). If the discerning reader, after thoughtful contemplation, questions why many have not been saved if He Himself redeemed them, loved them, and spared His children with His blood, a clear answer emerges: they did not believe and grieved His Holy Spirit, which in Hebrew is referred to as cadeso. Therefore, God desired to save those who were willing, extending the offer of salvation so that their will could be rewarded; yet, they were not inclined to believe. It is also recorded about John: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John; this man came for a testimony, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe” (John 1:6-7). It is not a fault if many refused to believe; it was the desire of Him who came to call that all should have faith and be saved. But if anyone offends and insults the Holy Spirit, who is Christ, he offends God: the Holy Spirit shares the same essence with the Father and the Son. Therefore, the apostle instructs, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed” (Eph. 4:30). This Holy Spirit departs from the body enslaved by sin, and wisdom does not enter a corrupt soul (Prem. 1). Consequently, David, aware of his transgressions, pleads, “And take not Your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 50:13). To comprehend that anyone who offends the Holy Spirit offends God, thus becoming an enemy, the Apostle Peter states in the Acts of the Apostles: “Why have you conspired to lie to the Holy Spirit? You have not lied to men, but to God” (Acts 5). This is the Holy Spirit concerning whom the Lord declared in the Gospel: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:15-16). Of Him, Wisdom, attributed to Solomon, states: “The Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from deceit and will withdraw from thoughts without understanding” (Prem. 1:5).