ISAIAH LESSON 73
We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 64:1 "Oh that thou wouldest
rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains
might flow down at thy presence,"
This is a continuation of the prayer from the last chapter. This
is a request for more. They are now asking for the presence of God to
manifest itself upon the earth. God did come down to man in the
appearance of Jesus Christ, {God manifest in the flesh}. To "rend the
heavens" would be to make an opening so that God could come down and
they could go up. They get the answer to this prayer in Jesus. When
the veil in the temple is rent from the top to the bottom, it opens
the way to the Father. Matthew 27:51 "And, behold, the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did
quake, and the rocks rent;"
Isaiah 64:2 "As [when] the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth
the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries,
[that] the nations may tremble at thy presence!"
It is an automatic thing for water to boil, when it is heated
greatly. It would be an automatic thing for their enemies to be afraid
at the presence of God. God's presence, in the past, had been a
fearful thing. God's people had feared greatly, when God spoke to them
from Mount Sinai. They had feared so greatly, that they asked Moses to
speak to God for them in the future.
Isaiah 64:3 "When thou didst terrible things [which] we looked
not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence."
This is a way of expressing things, like God separating the Red
Sea with the breath of His nostrils during the exodus from Egypt.
They, also, were aware of the earth shaking at the presence of God at
another time. It would be nothing for the presence of God to melt a
mountain.
Isaiah 64:4 "For since the beginning of the world [men] have not
heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God,
beside thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him."
This has a companion Scripture in the following. I Corinthians
2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him." All of the idols, and the false gods, do
nothing to help their people, but God takes care of His own, for He is
a living God. He is a very present help to His own.
Isaiah 64:5 "Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh
righteousness, [those that] remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou
art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall
be saved."
We see in this, that they admit they have sinned, and they
repent, and ask for forgiveness. They, also, know why God has been
angry with them. God is always ready to help those who are trying to
live the righteous life, and look to Him for aid. They must continue
in their righteousness and not turn again to idols, as they had done
so many times in the past.
Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our
righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
These Israelites are very much like the heathen around them. If
they were depending on their own righteousness to save them, they
would fall very short. Their righteousness was but filthy rags. Jesus
gives all who will believe in Him, His righteousness. The Christians
have taken on the righteousness of Christ, which puts us in right
standing with God.
Isaiah 64:7 "And [there is] none that calleth upon thy name, that
stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face
from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities."
The very first step in receiving Jesus as our Saviour, is to
admit our sin. This is what these Israelites have done here. In a
sense, they are saying, we deserved the punishment, because of our
iniquities. They are even afraid of Him not hearing them now, because
He has turned His face from them. This is a lack of understanding on
their part. God hears and answers prayers, especially when they, or
we, are trying to repent, and receive Him as Saviour.
Isaiah 64:8 "But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the
clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand."
Now, they are recognizing God as their Creator. They are saying,
we are like putty in your hands. You can make us into whatever you
want us to be. This is a cry, actually, for God to reshape them into a
vessel of honor.
Isaiah 64:9 "Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember
iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we [are] all thy
people."
This is a plea to God to let them start all over again. God had
rightly been angry with them over the sin in their lives. I see in
this, they are asking for a new spiritual birth in Him. That is just
what happens when we come to Christ. We are born again not of flesh,
but of His Spirit.
Isaiah 64:10 "Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a
wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation."
This was the sad condition of these lands then. I am sad to say
it is pretty well the condition of our land today, from the spiritual
standpoint. Some of us are crying to the Father in the name of Jesus
today for a restoration to take place in the church. Our land is
sinful. If we are to survive, our nation must repent and return to the
God of our fathers.
Isaiah 64:11 "Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers
praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are
laid waste."
The temple in Jerusalem had been a beautiful place. It had been a
place, where they could come and meet with the presence of God. Now,
this is all in disarray. This pretty much is the state of our churches
today. We somehow need to get God back in the church. The church must
be a beautiful place to come and commune with God. In many churches
today, God is on the outside looking in. True holiness in our worship
will bring Him back into our midst. Our churches need to cease being a
place of entertainment, and become a house of prayer and praise again.
Isaiah 64:12 "Wilt thou refrain thyself for these [things], O
LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?"
In all the desolation of them, as a person and in their temple,
will God not come and help them? This is the strongest of plea for the
help of God in their trouble. They are asking, will God continue to
afflict them, or will He forgive them, and start them again?
Isaiah 73 Questions
1. What are they asking God to do in verse 1?
2. This chapter is a continuation of what?
3. How did God manifest Himself to man soon after this?
4. What does "rend the heavens" mean?
5. Quote Matthew chapter 27 verse 51.
6. When is it an automatic thing for water to boil?
7. God's presence, in the past, had been a ___________ thing.
8. What did the people feel, when God spoke to them from Mount Sinai?
9. What is verse 3 expressing?
10. What Scripture, in the New Testament, is companion to Isaiah
chapter 64 verse 4?
11. What are they saying to us?
12. An idol cannot help them, but God can, because He is a _________
God.
13. What are they doing in verse 5, that might help them with God?
14. Quote Isaiah chapter 64 verse 6.
15. What righteousness puts them, or us, in right standing with God?
16. Why do they believe God will not hear them?
17. What is the very first step in receiving Jesus as Saviour?
18. God hears and __________ prayers.
19. What are they recognizing God as in verse 8?
20. What are they crying out for God to do for them?
21. What happens when we come to Christ?
22. What was the holy city like?
23. What lesson can we take from that today?
24. What had happened to the holy and beautiful house?
25. What will bring God back into our churches today?
26. Will God help them, or continue to afflict them?
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