“And they have rebelled and grieved His Holy
Spirit, and He turned to them for an enemy, He Himself has fought against them.
And He remembered the days of old, Moses, His people. Where is He who is
bringing them up from the sea, the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who is
putting in its midst His Holy Spirit?” (63:10-11)
The Prophet again confronts us for our separation from God's Love, and for turning Him into an enemy. We still blame Him for the outcome of our rebellious heart. We have to understand that our enemies are those who live for ego's fantasies and illusions, and the negative traits and trends in consciousness. Those are the “nations” and “peoples” that want to destroy the righteous goodness of Love's ways and attributes, which are our essence and true identity.
As soon as we turn away from God's ways and follow the fate of the nations, these become our mortal enemies, for they exist to destroy all that opposes their predicament. As we fall down to envy, lust, indolence, indifference, haughtiness, wrath and coveting, by default these become our mortal enemies, for they pursue the destruction of what are opposite to them.
The Prophet prays for God's presence in our hearts, and to allow His attributes to lead all aspects and dimensions of our consciousness.
“Leading by the right hand of Moses, the arm of His glory, cleaving waters from before them to make to Himself an eternal Name. Leading them through the depths, as a horse in a plain they stumble not. As a beast into a valley goes down, the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest, so have You led Your people to make to Yourself a glorious Name.” (63:12-14)
The Prophet evokes the Exodus from Egypt and the mighty hand of God's Love to redeem us from the lowest of human condition. Isaiah calls for God's promise to also redeem us in this last exile among the nations.
“Look attentively from the heavens, and see from Your holy and beautiful habitation. Where is Your zeal and Your might? The multitude of Your bowels and Your mercies towards me have refrained themselves. For You are our Father, for Abraham has not known us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer forever is Your Name.” (63:15-16)
The Prophet continues praying for our Final Redemption, and calls for God's attention regarding His destroyed Temple, His beautiful habitation in which His Name was proclaimed for the sake of the world. Isaiah appeals to God's zeal and dominion, and deplores His absence from our hearts. Representing Israel, he prays for their Redemption after the destruction of the First Temple.
Isaiah admits to God that we are strangers to the elevated character of Abraham and his grandson Israel, who have no resemblance to us. Hence he appeals to God's abundant loving kindness and compassion to be our sole Redeemer.
“O Lord, why do You make us to err from Your ways, and harden our heart from Your fear? Return for Your servants' sake, the tribes of Your inheritance.” (63:17)
The Prophet denounces our weak character that leads us to the wrong choices, and separates us from the righteousness of God's ways and attributes. Isaiah dares to make God responsible for our voluble nature, and our stubborness to disrespect His will. Hence the necessity to transform our consciousness in order to make us successful in our destiny to reveal and proclaim God's kingdom in the material world.
“For a little while did Your holy people possess [Your Sanctuary], our adversaries have trodden down Your Sanctuary. We have been from of old, [while] You have not ruled over them, not called is Your Name upon them!” (63:18-19)
Isaiah refers to Israel's enemies as also God's enemies, and blame them for the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem that represents God's Presence in the world. Although we know that our enemies are the consequence of our negative traits and trends out of ego's fantasies and illusions, the Prophet blames them for their relentless opposition to the Torah's plan for humankind.
While we, in spite of our stubborness to separate from God's ways, proclaim His Oneness and attributes as the ones that must prevail, the nations reject His Oneness and ignore His laws and commandments. Hence they do not call God's Name upon them.
This Name represents His abundant loving kindness, grace, compassion, righteousness and truth that He wants us to recognize as our essence and true identity.
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