"Doubtless Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; Thy name is from everlasting. O Lord, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our heart from Thy fear? Return for Thy servants' sake, the tribes of Thine inheritance. The people of Thy holiness have possessed it but a little while..." (Isaiah 63:16-18).

         The prayer is a cry for restoration, a return into the favor and blessing of the Lord. Israel, though called and chosen by God to be His people, His witness in the earth, and were led out of Egypt into a "promised land" to become a model nation whose God was Jehovah, yet they did not experience its joy and blessing very long, because-- "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way." (Isa. 53:6). Erring from God's way, to pursue their own self-will, it became necessary for God to do some heavy disciplining. They were to be "people of Thy holiness," but they ended up for a time as "the servants of sin." (Rom. 6:17).
         Yet for all this servitude to corruption, we note that God is still to be acknowledged as their FATHER. We find this truth also in the story Jesus gave of the prodigal son. Having gone his own way, wasting his substance with riotous living, until he was destitute, he finally came to himself, and said, "I will arise and go to my father, and I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants." (Luke 15:18-19). It was a subduing experience, and he knew that in himself he was not worthy to be called "a son," and so he readily suggested that he find a place among the servants. But this was not the Father's attitude toward him-- for what grace is seen as the Father immediately receives him back unto Himself again-- to acknowledge him as His son. Praise God.
         Considering the extent to which Israel had gone into rebellion against God, and the way of holiness, the prophet had to admit that their forefathers no doubt would not even acknowledge them-- that Abraham, a man of faith, who diligently followed the Lord, would find no identification with them, he would be "ignorant of us." In fact Israel, (Jacob changed and renamed), having wrestled with God and brought into a new realm, "Israel acknowledged us not." Sometimes when a family member does something very foolish or disgraceful, other members of the family will say, "I don't know him, never saw him before, etc." And with a sly bit of humor let it be known that they do not identify with what happened. But this is more than a bit of humor here-- this is serious business when God says, in another place, "for ye are not My people, and I will not be your God." (Hosea 1:9). But then ultimately GRACE comes through, and in the next verse (10), God says, "It shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the Living God." Hallelujah!
         But while others of "the brethren" will not acknowledge a relationship, the prophet says directly, "Doubtless Thou art our Father." Lord, You have to acknowledge us even if others don't! "You, 0 Lord, are (still) our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name." (Isa. 63:16, Amp.). Herein is a claim/petition that abides. Recalling the past Mercies, they now base on them a prayer for Deliverance from their present ruined condition. What is Your name, Lord? Is it not, "REDEEMER FROM EVERLASTING?" Or, let us just rephrase it into our language structure, "THE EVERLASTING REDEEMER." Let us plead for mercy from Him who abides through all ages as REDEEMER. That is His name, His character-- it is what He does-- HE REDEEMS. So, think back, Lord, how You worked in Abraham, how You worked in Jacob, indeed, how You redeemed Israel out of Egypt. Down through the ages You are known as THE REDEEMER! "Who redeemeth. our life from destruction; who crowneth us with loving-kindness and tender mercies." (Ps. 103:4). And we can sing the hymn:
                                                       "I will sing of my Redeemer, And His wondrous love to me;
                                                       On the cruel cross He suffered, From the curse to set me free.
                                                       I will tell the wondrous story, How, my lost estate to save,
                                                       In His boundless love and mercy He the ransom freely gave.
                                                       I will praise my dear Redeemer; His triumphant power I'll tell,
                                                       How the victory He giveth Over sin, and death, and hell.
                                                       I will sing of my Redeemer, And His heavenly love to me,
                                                       He from death to life hath brought me, Son of God, with Him to be.
                                                       Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer. With His blood He purchased me,
                                                       On the cross He sealed my pardon, Paid the debt and made me free."
         Herein is truth most precious-- that our God has many names, each of which speaks of another part of His nature, His character, His relationship with. mankind. Whatever our need, whatever our anguished state of being, there is a Name to which we can appeal, asking for His mercy and help, and based upon HIS NAME, believe for Him TO BECOME THAT THING FOR US. Jehovah-Rapha, “I am the Lord that healeth thee." (Ex. 15:16). Jehovah-Jireh, "the Lord will provide.” (Gen. 22:14). Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord is my Peace.” (Judges 6:24). The list is extensive-- the compound names of Jehovah-- as He becomes to us whatever the occasion requires. "His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6). You have a need, HE has a Name which covers it-- and you can appeal to Him. for MERCY based upon His own name, character, and righteous state of being. Our need cries out for the reality in His name!
         Isaiah realized that the people desperately needed redemption/restoration, and so he appeals both to the FATHER relationship, and the name Everlasting Redeemer. And truly, as Paul states, "He abideth faithful: He can not deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13). Faithful to His name "Everlasting Redeemer," He shall bring victory to His people. Faithful to His name “Jesus, He shall save us from our sins." (Matt. 1:21). Faithful to His name El Shaddai, He shall become our sufficiency, and redeem us out of the bondage of vanity-- emptiness-- and corruption. What is His name? What is your need? He has a name which declares that He will be the Answer for you. "0 Lord, now manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.” ( Ps . 104:24). How little do we comprehend the glorious outreach of His working, and that HE CAN BE FOR US all  that the situation requires. His "names " declare it, His love fulfills it, for He is God!
          Redemption and restoration certainly go hand in hand, and so the prayer continues-- "Return Thou, for the sake of Thy servants, the tribes Thou Thyself hast inherited." (Isa. 63:17, Rotherham). Now the prophet brings in another essential point-- not only is God our Father, and our Redeemer, but it is HIS OWN INHERITANCE that so desperately needs His attention and grace, for it is a fact, Israel was/is God's inheritance. "The Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, TO BE UNTO HIM A PEOPLE OF INHERITANCE, as ye are this day." (Deut. 4:20). And Paul clearly taught that "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." (Rom. 11:29). God has not changed His mind about His purposes, but He certainly needs to do a lot of changing in man, before these things can truly be fulfilled in the dimension that He has ordained.
         God's blessing will be given to all mankind, and the prophet words it this way, "Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands and Israel Mine inheritance." (Isa. 19:25). My people, the work of My hands, and MINE INHERITANCE. He has a purpose for them all, and a place for each in His plan of the ages.
         Brought into the land of Canaan, Israel settled down to live, and soon they began to turn away from God's sovereign leading, and desired to have a king so as to be like all the other nations around them-- yet there remained a difference. When Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it upon Saul's head, and kissed him, he said, "Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain OVER HIS INHERITANCE." (1 Sam. 10:1). All of Israel's earthly kings could never rightly call the people their own subjects, for in true actuality the nation was GOD'S INHERITANCE, and belonged solely to Him.
         What lessons the "ministry" still needs to learn today, those who would try to claim the people as "MY church, "MY flock," etc. Peter reminds us also that they are "GOD'S HERITAGE." (1 Peter 5:3). God has a vital interest in the people because they are HIS inheritance, they do not belong to any man.
         Oh, what purgings and purifyings are yet needed before we shall be a people found to His praise. How timely therefore is the prayer of Moses, which he prayed during that hour when Israel was rebelling against the way of God. "I prayed therefore unto the Lord, and said, 0 Lord God, destroy not THY PEOPLE AND THINE INHERITANCE, which Thou hast redeemed through Thy greatness, which Thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. -- YET THEY ARE THY PEOPLE AND THINE INHERITANCE." (Deut. 9:26, 29).
         Paul understood this truth, and also knew that it had to be lifted to a higher realm to find its fulfillment, and so he prayed that "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS." (Eph. 1:18). Isaiah spoke of them as being "The people of Thy holiness." While Paul refers to them as "saints," or, literally, holy ones, set apart ones. Not until we are made "partakers of His holiness," (Heb. 12:10), can we really be called "The people of Thy holiness." Thank God, He shall yet be glorified in His people when HIS INHERITANCE has been fully conformed to His image, to manifest His nature. No more shall we be a reproach, a by-word, having a profession without a possession, but we shall be a clear witness of our God, and then rightly called "the Israel of God." (Gal.6:16). Bless His holy name!
         Having "made us to err from Thy ways," (Isa. 63:17), or, as the Bible scholar (Gataker) says, "Giving us up to a spirit of error and obstinacy," we were turned to destruction, bruising, depression, etc. But even in this turning to our own self-willed way, there is implanted deep in the spirit of man, the command, "Return, ye children of men." (Ps. 90:3). And so the Psalmist responds, "Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent Thee concerning Thy servants, O satisfy us early with Thy mercy." (Ps. 90:13-14).
         Lord, we have been blessed by Your visitation, and felt a touch of Your presence, we were in fellowship with you for "but a little while." Then there was something within the Adamic nature of many that caused them to wander off and go astray, growing indifferent to the spiritual realities to which we have been called. Now You have awakened in some this command to return, and so the agonizing prayer arises-- "Return, O Lord, how long?" "RETURN for Thy servants' sake, the tribes of Thine inheritance." It is a work of divine redemption/restoration. It is not only a RETURNING OF US TO THEE, but it is also a RETURNING OF THEE TO US. Once we had Your sanctuary (a sense of Your Presence) in our midst-- a place where we could meet with Thee, worship Thee, offer up to Thee the sacrifices of thanksgiving, yet we "possessed Your sanctuary but a little while; our adversaries have trodden it down." (Isa. 63:18, Amp.).  Rotherham gives, "For a short time only did Thy holy people hold possession." Time after time God visits man with a "revival" and there is a precious season of refreshing-- and then it seems to ebb away and we cry out "we possessed it but a little while." We were not capable of retaining the sanctuary in our midst, because people kept wandering away from God's holiness.
         "Our adversaries have trodden it down." How heart-rending it is when the enemy comes along and defiles the "holy place." There are sovereign moves of the holy Spirit, lives are touched, precious gifts of the Spirit are manifested, it is a time of worship, falling before the Lord to seek His face-- and for a time "the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." And then the flesh crowds in-- demands attention, and begins to establish a "carnal order," to regiment the "visitation of God." Entertainment takes over, the music resembles the world's hype and beat, and rather than being directed to the Lord as worship, it is directed towards the people as a "talented religious performance."
         What we see outwardly in many religious gatherings, we also see happening in the heart of men. The adversaries of pride and prejudice, self-kingdom-building, lusting for prestige and recognition, moments of envy, jealousy, competition, etc. all stake out their territory within man-- and the glory of God departs for a while, and they find their life trampled underfoot with these adversaries of the soul. Yes, they had enjoyed a real touch of God for "a little while," but then it was veiled over, and He withdrew the sense of His presence, and the light of their candle flickered by reason of the contrary winds that blew over them. These cycles of rain and drought, blessing and emptiness, God-consciousness and world-conscious, have ebbed and flowed in repeated patterns. We would despair of any LASTING VICTORY were it not for the knowing that our God is a GOD OF REDEMPTION, and the ultimate victory is secure in Him.
         How "in part" has been our possession of our inheritance in Him. I well remember an occasion when a plague of some sort had invaded my strawberry patch, bugs of some kind, that left a foamy residue behind, gradually it moved right down the row. A preacher was visiting us and suggested that we go out and pray over the strawberries, so we did, and the problem halted right at that very spot, as if one drew a line, it went no further. A wee touch of possessing our inheritance in God. Yet we "possessed it but a little while," because other infestations have come through the years-- and the curse has not yet been lifted from the earth. We prayed, claimed the victory, and watched the devourer destroy, and then praised the Lord that we were able to buy some product which would help temporarily. Sure, one can self-righteously say, "You should have had more faith," as if it was on our part to generate faith. But when you wade past all the condemnation and guilt-trip carnality, we come to the point where we see GOD IS USING ALL THESE THINGS TO PROCESS US. HE allows our adversaries to trample, and, HE also will be our Redeemer/Restorer according to His purpose and plan.
         We have had our skirmishes with our adversaries-- and by God's grace we have tried to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3). We have sought to "Fight the good fight of faith, to lay hold on eternal life whereunto we are also called..." (1 Tim. 6:12). And "having done all, to stand." (Eph. 6:13). And thus we have rejoiced in times of victory, times when He has "given you rest from all your enemies round about." (Deut. 12:10). But it often seems that we have "possessed it but a little while," and suddenly we are plunged into a new battle, with a greater challenge to our faith and trust.
         You firmly believe that God can and does heal-- and when laid low with some illness you pray, He touches you, and you bear witness to the healing power of God. Yet in the course of time you experience more of the trouble common to man, and wonder why we have "possessed it but a little." Others tell of a lifetime of divine health, and you bow your head in shame as if it is all "your fault" that your body is troubled with these things. But there comes a day when you surrender your body to the Lord, embrace the cross however He allows it to touch your life, and simply keep your eyes upon "the Author and Finisher of our faith." (Heb. 12:2).
       THE INHERITANCE IS SURE, the ultimate victory is promised-- one could write books on the positiveness of our redemption. God can speak into your heart, as He did to Joshua, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given you." (Joshua 1:3). And you seek to serve the Lord with all your heart, again and again setting your foot down upon a portion of your inheritance. But for all Joshua's victories, God spoke to him again "There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed." (Joshua 13:1). And so it is for us-- only as He enables us can we possess any of the blessings which He has reserved for them that love Him.
         Some have been privileged to "have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world (age) to come." (Heb 6:5). But in all honesty, everyone who has been so blessed will have to acknowledge "we have possessed it but a little." Glimpses into that which lies before keeps us challenged to press on, and we say with Paul, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:12).
         For some, the Lord entrusts them with a family, and they seek to nurture their children in the things of the Lord-- "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15). All goes quite well, they all stay out of trouble, and grow up to be models of propriety. They all, at one time or another, dedicated their life to the Lord. Then a few short years slip by, and you see the inroads of materialism-- spiritual things sort of sit on a shelf, to be attended to at a later date, and you say, "Lord, we have but possessed it for a little while." And you have to just hold them before the throne of His grace, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6). Our "parenting" becomes swallowed up into that much greater parenting of our heavenly Father. We appeal to His handiwork, for we read, "We are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10). He is the Restorer/Redeemer, and we learn to commit all of our loved ones to His control and working. There is no profit in dwelling long on how the adversaries have trodden down the sanctuary, suffice it to say that GOD IS IN CONTROL of the interplay of good and evil-- and the whole of creation is His. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalm 24:1). Bless His holy name! We need to be reminded of this often for Christendom has programmed us so negatively.
          How precious is the promise, "But he that putteth his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain." (Isaiah 57:13). Yes, there has been a long time of discipline and correction, as man "went on forwardly in the way of his heart," doing his own thing, and so God hid Himself, and set His energy-force at work to purge and purify, but read on, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him." (Isa. 57:17-18). The Everlasting Redeemer has the final word-- and it is "RESTORATION," for truly, His mercy endureth for ever.
         "But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions." (Obadiah 17). Now it all comes together. We have wept our tears before Him, repented, surrendered, passed through all the purifying processes-- now there is DELIVERANCE, the work of the Redeemer/Restorer. No more will we bemoan our fate before Him, saying, "The people of Thy holiness have possessed it but a little while," for we shall fully possess our possessions.
       "AND THERE SHALL BE HOLINESS." It is far more than a simple statement of fact, for it bespeaks the ultimate qualification essential for our possessing our inheritance in Him, and HE possessing His inheritance in us. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, TO REVIVE the spirit of the humble, and to REVIVE the heart of the contrite ones." (Isa. 57:15).
       "AS He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy... Be ye holy, for I AM holy." (1 Pet. 1:15-16). HE IS THE STANDARD! His holiness is the criterion.
       For sure, any understanding of holiness must begin with the definition of it as GOD'S UNIQUENESS, for He is HOLY. "The Lord hath sworn by His holiness." (Amos 4:2). It is not so much an attribute of His, but denotes the TOTALITY OF HIS CHARACTER. It is a positive QUALITY. Even more, it is a positive force, and thus it secures. God is a consuming fire, removing all that is unholy, thus securing a positive permanency in righteousness. He would receive us unto Himself, and yet "without holiness no man shall see the Lord," (Heb. 12:14), because as long as there is any self-willed rebellion in us, desiring to go our own way, were He to take us to Himself, He would consume us. It is when He brings us into incorruption that He has secured us unto Himself. What mercy and compassion are manifested toward us in that He measures out to us the "in part" as we are able to bear it-- line upon line, precept upon precept, and as we are changed we can receive ever more of Him. Our state of purity in Christ is fully guaranteed by the CONSUMING FIRE OF HIS HOLINESS. No wonder the Psalmist declared, "Holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, for ever." (Psalm 93:5).
        The eternal quality of possessing our possessions, and never losing them again, is guaranteed by holiness. How overwhelmingly marvelous! It is eternally new, abounding in the freshness of His life. It is where there is freedom from change and decay, freedom from all corruption. Having been so long subjected to this realm of vanity, it is difficult to comprehend a total deliverance from this realm, nevertheless, "The creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Rom. 8:21).
         What promises of victory await us-- and while right now "we see not yet all things put under him (man), but WE SEE JESUS..." (Heb, 2:8-9). So secure is our ultimate victory in Him that we will totally forget the sad refrain "we have possessed it but a little while," for there shall be a NEW SONG IN OUR MOUTH, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and HE shall reign for ever and ever." (Rev. 11:15). IN HIM we see the victory-- a total possessing of our inheritance-- FOR EVER!
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(1)Prinzing, Ray and Doris "Letters of Truth"  Boise, Idaho 83705, P.O. Box 5822

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