“In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old.

“But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them.”  Isaiah 63:9-10

What caught my eye, and touched my spirit as I read Isaiah 63 was this expanded understanding of the mercy and grace of God. It is in these words, “In all their affliction He was afflicted.”  I am not at all surprised to know that when the people of God ran away from God, he withdraws himself and lives in the hope that they will return to him. In a way that is true, but this word of mercy clarifies the issue, God was himself afflicted by the affliction that his people suffer.  He never, for a moment withdrew from them.  The astounding phrase, for me, is that God can and is afflicted. Having lived among Muslims in East Africa for quite a while I kept hearing that God is so “other” that he does not share our afflictions.

Jesus showed us the heart of God. He wept when his friend, Lazarus died.  He became angry when he saw how the Temple was completely taken over by the Jews  without a room for Gentiles. He loved so much!  When Mary anointed him he was overwhelmed by both human and divine love. We could go on.  Jesus, God among us, Emmanuel, was afflicted!  That is obvious as we read of his life among us.

Later in the book of Isaiah we hear the people of God lamenting that God has left them. He reminded them again and again that he will never leave them. It might seem that way because disobedience has its unexpected circumstances, one is losing sight of God, but we should never doubt God’s love for those who have given their lives to Him.  That love is more constant than the radio waves in the galaxies. It is far beyond that.

I embrace the words, “In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them and carried them all the days of old.”

Not only does God care, he gets actively involved by lowering his shoulder to carry the weight of all his followers.  He knows our weakness and is there to carry us!!  I will try to remember this through this coming year, AD 2016. That is grace and mercy that astounds and comforts.  I know it is true.  Do you?