But they rebelled against him
    and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he became their enemy
    and fought against them.

It needs to be understood in the first place that these words are about Israel and their Old Testament pilgrimage. But we cannot therefore sigh with relief and think they have no relevance to today. Nations now must not think they can rebel against God without there being consequences. In the prophetic literature there are oracles spoken about, to, and against nations other than Israel. Yes the ancient people of God have a unique relationship with Him and are uniquely accountable. But there is not a country, a land, a people on earth who are not accountable to Almighty God.

I am also reminded of a much-loved Christian friend saying to me, ‘I don’t want to be proud because the Lord says that He ”opposes the proud”, and He makes a formidable opponent! Yes, even believers should ‘fear’ the Lord and know that He can, and He does, chasten and discipline His own.

‘God’s gracious and powerful deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage established a father-child relationship between him and them, and through the whole wilderness experience he cherished them as his children. He felt their distress, saved them from the perils of the way, lifted them up and carried them when they were weak, and rightly expected that they would return his love by being true to him. But sadly it was not so. They rebelled against him, and grieved his Holy Spirit (10a). So in order to preserve his holiness, the father had to become an enemy and judge those he loved (10b). The days of old were days of immense grace on the LORD’s part, and immense ingratitude on the part of his people. They were days of unrequited love.’ Barry Webb: ‘Isaiah’, p.242.