Isaiah 64
I. (1-39) Condemnation
A. Chapters 1-12 - ”Prophecies against Israel and Judah
B. Chapters 13-23 - ”Prophecies against the Nations
C. Chapters 24-27 - ”Prophecies of the Day of the Lord
D. Chapters 28-35 - ”Prophecies of Judgment and Blessing
E. Chapters 36-39 - ”Historical accounts
II. (40-66) Consolation
A. Chapters 40-48 - Israel’s God
B. Chapters 49-54 - Israel’s Messiah
C. Chapters 55-66 - Israel’s Opportunity
1. \\#Isa 55:1-56:8\\ An Invitation
2. \\#Isa 56:9-12\\ A Condemnation
3. \\#Isa 57:1-14\\ A Warning
4. \\#Isa 58:1-14\\ A Possibility
5. \\#Isa 59:1-62:12\\ A Commitment
6. \\#Isa 63:1-64:12\\ A Psalm
a. \\#Isa 63:1-6\\ The Lord’s Destruction Upon Israel’s Enemies
b. \\#Isa 63:7-14\\ A Summary of God’s Past Goodness
c. \\#Isa 63:15-64:12\\ The Prayer of Israel
1. \\#Isa 63:15-19\\ A Plea for God’s Help
2. \\#Isa 64:1-5\\ A Plea for God’s Presence
3. \\#Isa 64:6-12\\ A Plea for God’s mercy
I. \\#Isa 63:15-64:12\\ The Prayer of Israel
A. \\#Isa 63:15-19\\ A Plea for God’s Help - Israel asks for God’s help but
only because they belong to God. Israel has not repented.
B. \\#Isa 64:1-5\\ A Plea for God’s Presence - The word PRESENCE is used in
three first three verses.
1. \\#1\\ "Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest
come down" - Israel continues to ask that God would come to their aid.
2. \\#2\\ "As when the melting fire burneth… causeth the waters to boil"
a. They know that if God’s "presence" will come, God will "heat"
things up for their enemy. They know
b. They know that God’s PRESENCE will make "the nations… tremble."
3. \\#3\\ "When thou didst terrible things" - They are asking for God to
make His presence known as He did on Mt. Sinai, when Israel came out
of Egypt \\#Ex 19:20\\.
a. "which we looked not for" - Israel did not expect to see God’s
presence at that time. Now, they are asking to see Him.
b. "the mountains flowed down at thy presence" - A phrase to indicate
God’s presence covered the mountain on that occasion
\\#Ex 19:16-20\\.
4. \\#4\\ "For since the beginning… men have not… perceived…
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him"
a. The verses offers a powerful truth, namely that men have never
imagined what God has in store for them. God is both a God of
surprises and of extraordinary power and generosity. These
qualities mean that we cannot comprehend how good God will be to
us.
b. This verse is loosely quoted in the New Testament.
1Cor 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.
c. Paul uses the word LOVE for WAIT in that quote. Paul is then
interpreting the effort to WAIT LONG and PAINFULLY (the Hebrew
word used is related to PIERCING), as an act of love.
d. To receive of God’s best, we must lovingly wait upon His timing
and plan.
5. \\#5\\ "Thou meetest him" - God will meet every soul with the works
that soul has done.
a. "him that rejoiceth and worketh righteous… that remembered thee"
God will meet this person will good.
b. "we have sinned: in those is continuance" - But for those who have
continued in sin, God is "wroth."
C. \\#Isa 64:6-12\\ A Plea for God’s mercy
1. \\#Isa 64:6-7\\ Israel will again acknowledge the truth.
a. \\#6\\ Israel is sinful.
(1) "we are all as an unclean thing" - Israel calls themselves
UNCLEAN. The UNCLEAN things are not used by God.
(2) "our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" - They also agree
that their RIGHTEOUSNESS is unfit. FILTHY RAGS is a
reference to discarded bloody cloth, unfit and unclean for
any use.
(3) "we all do fade as a leaf" - Because of their sin, Israel
knows it has no stability. Even "the wind" will take them
"away."
b. \\#7\\ But no one cares enough to repent and seek God.
(1) "And there is none that called upon thy name… that stirreth
up himself to take hold of thee"
(2) Israel is still admitting the truth, but doing nothing about
it.
(3) The verse demonstrates that sometimes God’s people must
STIR themselves to do pray even if they do not feel inclined
to do so.
(a) To STIR means TO ROUSE ONESELF, TO AWAKEN.
(b) Some times being spiritual is actually work.
(4) "for thou hast hid thy face from us… because of our
iniquities" - This extra work is required because God has
removed His presence from Israel due to their sin.
2. \\#Isa 64:8-12\\ Israel is told of their future.
a. \\#8\\ "we are the clay, thou art our potter" - Even though Israel
is guilty of sin before God, a plead for mercy has been made;
not because Israel is repentant but because it is known that they
are in the hands of a mighty God.
b. \\#9\\ "Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity"
(1) And so the request for mercy is entered.
(2) "we are all thy people" - And again, no evidence of repentance
can be given, so the plea is made entirely upon the basis of
ownership.
c. \\#10-11\\ The plea for mercy is rejected
(1) \\#10\\ "The holy cities… Zion… Jerusalem a desolation"
Isaiah sees into the future to see the nation and the city of
Jerusalem completely destroyed. This did not happen during
Assyrian invasion, but the Babylonian conquest which occurred
in 586BC, between 100-150 years into the future.
(2) \\#11\\ "Our holy and beautiful house… is burned up with
fire" - Not only is the country side and capital to be
destroyed, but the temple as well.
(3) A plea for mercy without repentance is not much of a plea.
d. \\#12\\ "Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things"
(1) The question is being asked as to whether God will "hold"
Himself back to allow such a thing to happen to Israel.
(2) The question is not answered in the text, but will be when the
destruction comes. God did REFRAIN Himself.
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