Answers to Correspondents.

From: Edification: Volume 2

Does Isaiah 63:3³I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. (Isaiah 63:3) refer to our Lord’s pathway alone in this world to the cross, or is the meaning judgment, as in Lamentations 1:15,¹⁵The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress. (Lamentations 1:15) and also Revelation 14:19¹⁹And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Revelation 14:19) and 19:15? — PARKGATE.

THE meaning is judgment as may be seen more clearly if the whole context be considered. The sixtieth chapter gives a glowing description of the glory that awaits both Israel and Jerusalem when “the Redeemer shall come to Zion” (59:20). The two opening verses of chapter 61 show us the two-fold manner of the Redeemer’s advent, being the passage that the Lord Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth when He closed the book without reading the words, “the day of vengeance of our God. The rest of that chapter and chapter 42 give us further details of “the garments of salvation” to be worn by Israel as the result of the Redeemer’s coming. Then 63:1-6, makes it quite plain that all this will not come to pass apart from drastic judgment on the foes of Israel and of Israel’s God.

He who comes from Edom is not trodden down in the winepress but treads the winepress, and the treading of the winepress is consistently used as a figure of judgment, as the verses in Lamentations and Revelation show. We must not overlook the fact that redemption by power means judgment. It meant the crushing of Egypt when God redeemed Israel from the clutches of Pharaoh. It will mean the crushing of Edom and many another adversary when Israel is nationally redeemed at the second Advent.

(1.) Are the “brethren” spoken of in Philippians 1:14-17¹⁴And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. ¹⁵Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: ¹⁶The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: ¹⁷But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. (Philippians 1:14‑17) mentioned elsewhere in Scripture? Is there any connection with the “false brethren” of Galatians 2:4,⁴And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: (Galatians 2:4) or the “brethren” of Romans 9 and 10? (2.) Would you class the woman whom the Lord alluded to as a “dog” in Matt. 15:26²⁶But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. (Matthew 15:26) with the “dogs” of Phil. 3:2²Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (Philippians 3:2)? EVESHAM.

The “brethren in the Lord” (Phil. 1:14¹⁴And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:14)) were of course true Christians at Rome though some of them were acting towards Paul in very unbrotherly fashion actuated by a spirit of contention and not the Spirit of Christ.

The “false brethren” of Galatians 2:14¹⁴But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? (Galatians 2:14) were not owned as Christians at all by the apostle. They were these Judaising teachers who so dogged his footsteps and opposed his service.

The “brethren” of Romans 9:3,³For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (Romans 9:3) were Paul’s kinsmen according to the flesh, as he explains. They were fellow-Jews, his brethren nationally. The “brethren” of Romans 10:1¹Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. (Romans 10:1) were the Christians at Rome, possibly largely identical with those mentioned in Philippians 1:14¹⁴And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:14).

In alluding to the woman of Canaan as a dog the Lord Jesus used the term current amongst the Jews as describing the Gentiles. The apostle’s use of the term in Philippians 3:2²Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (Philippians 3:2) is somewhat different. His point was not that the Philippian believers should beware of Gentiles, but rather of all persons of unclean life and nature and habits whoever and wherever they might be.

Your questions lead us to remark that we must be careful not to lay too much stress on the mere resemblances or identity of the words of our English translation. Noting the whole passage, we may find that the sense is different though the word is the same.

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