Isaiah 63: Grapes Of Wrath

Just like we hear in the song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," the prophet Isaiah sees God trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.   "I trampled down peoples in my anger, I crushed them in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth" (vs. 6).  This is an iconic image that will reappear in scripture in Revelation 14:19-20.

Have you ever struggled with the wrath of God?  There's no denying that descriptions of the Lord's wrath are in the Bible.  These word pictures of God, such as we find in Isaiah 63:1-6, may make us pause.  Here the Lord is depicted as having beautiful robes stained crimson with blood.  When asked why, God explains, "I have trodden the wine press alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger, and trampled them in my wrath; their juice spattered on my garments, and stained all my robes" (vs. 3).

Why would God ever feel it necessary to trample upon nations and crush them like grapes, metaphorically drawing blood from them instead of wine?

Sinners can be forgiven, but sin remains an affront to God, an act that must be judged.

Every emotion has its proper place.  As Solomon might say, there is a season for every activity on the earth.  That includes our God-given emotions.  And if we have them, God has them.  We are made in His image after all.  Sometimes, wrath is appropriate.  There is a season for righteous anger and and a time for indignation.  We see Jesus angry when He berates the Pharisees for their spiritual blindness.  We see Him rise up in indignation when He cleanses the temple and drives out the money changers.  When the sin of the world comes in for judgment, God's appropriate response is one of anger and wrath.

Sin is ugly and hideous.  It is deserving of wrath.  Whether you are talking about crimes like rape and murder and sex trafficking and terrorism, or spiritual shortcomings such as pride and greed and self-centeredness, anything that rises up against God and competes with Him for our allegiance must be judged.  And God is right to judge it with wrath, for sin is always destructive.  Sin hurts His children, and God is determined to make things right.

Sin needs to be judged, and the Lord's wrath is an appropriate part of that picture.  Thank God that here, as in previous chapters, His anger is described as lasting for only "the day" of vengeance in contrast to "the year" of His redeeming work (vs. 4).