Isaiah 63:12

That led them

God and His people

I. GOD LEADS HIS PEOPLE BY INSTRUMENTS WHICH HE CHOOSES AND QUALIFIES,

II. HE DEFENDS THEM WITH THE ARM OF HIS POWER.

III. HE REMOVES EVERY DIFFICULTY THAT INTERCEPTS THEIR COURSE.

IV. HE GLORIFIES HIS OWN NAME IN THEIR DELIVERANCE. (J. Lyth, D. D.)

To make Himself an everlasting name

God’s glorious and everlasting name

(with Isaiah 63:14 : “to make Thyself a glorious name “):--Manschief end is to glorify and enjoy God. God’s greatest and highest object is to make to Himself a glorious and an everlasting name. Since God is God it must be so: for He is full of love and kindness to His creatures, and He cannot more fully bless His creatures than by making Himself known to them. Everything that is good, true, holy, excellent, loving, is in God. God may well desire to make to Himself a name--that is to say, to make Himself known--because He is worthy to be known. This knowledge of God is the heaven of the perfect. It is the help of the growing. Men can only get holier and better as they know more of God. It is also the great hope of sinners. If you knew Him better, you would fly to Him. If you understood how gracious He is, you would seek Him. If you could have any idea of His holiness, you would loathe your self-righteousness. If you knew anything of His power, you would not venture to contend with Him. If you knew anything of His grace, you would not hesitate to yield yourself to Him.

I. GOD’S DESIGN HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. From everlasting He was God most glorious; He existed, but He had as yet no name. For a name is that by which any one is revealed, and until His power called into being the hosts of heaven, God was God alone, and there were none to whom He could be known. Then the angels lifted high His praise in their songs, and bowed low before His throne. In creation His name was manifested and magnified. But our subject is how God has made His name glorious amongst men.

1. The text speaks of God as making to Himself a great and glorious name, in redeeming Israel.

2. As God got to Himself a great name at the Red Sea, He has done much more by the great work of salvation in the gift of Jesus.

3. HIS design has been accomplished in the saints in glory.

II. GOD’S DESIGN IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED. In many ways the grand work is still going forward. God is carrying out His gracious plan. This purpose is being fulfilled--

1. In sparing the provoking.

2. In turning the rebellious to Himself.

3. In forgiving the guilty.

4. In purifying the unholy.

5. In preserving the tempted.

6. In using weak instruments.

7. In doing great things for His people by sending very wonderful seasons of refreshing and reviving to His Church.

III. GOD’S DESIGN IS VERY DELIGHTFUL.

1. Because it hides pride from men.

2. Because it opens a great door for sinners.

3. Because it gives comfort to strugglers.

4. Because it sustains in trying times.

5. Because it answers our chiefest prayers. “Hallowed be Thy name, etc. (C. H Spurgeon.)