Isaiah64

The chapter begins with a fervent plea for God to descend with power, rending the heavens and causing mountains to flow, as He has done in the past. The people confess their universal sinfulness, acknowledging that their righteousnesses are as filthy rags, which has caused God to hide His face. Despite their unworthiness, they appeal to God as their Father and Potter, lamenting the desolation of Zion, Jerusalem, and their holy temple, and beseeching Him not to remain silent in their affliction.
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A Prayer for God's Dramatic Presence

1
Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might quake at thy presence, ​
2
as when fire kindleth the brushwood, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! ​
3
When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains quaked at thy presence.
4
For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. ​
5
Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved? ​

Confession of Sin and Unworthiness

6
For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. ​
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 by means of our iniquities. ​

Appeal to God as Father and Potter

8
But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. ​
9
Be not wroth very sore, O Jehovah, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, look, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

Lament Over Jerusalem’s Desolation

10
Thy holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. ​
11
Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste. ​
12
Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Jehovah? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore? ​

Study Notes for Isaiah 64

Verse 1

This lament begins with a desperate plea for a cosmic theophany, asking God to 'rend the heavens.' This imagery recalls the awesome, world-shaking manifestation of God’s power witnessed at Mount Sinai (Exod. 19).

Verse 2

The purpose of this dramatic intervention is twofold: to reveal God’s power ('make thy name known') and to strike fear into the nations who oppose God’s people.

Verse 4

This verse is a profound assurance of God's unique nature. It is famously quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:9, emphasizing that God’s future plans for those who faithfully await Him are entirely beyond human comprehension.

Verse 5

The speaker contrasts God’s usual favor toward the righteous with the current reality of divine wrath, acknowledging that the people have failed to remember and walk in God's ways.

Verse 6

This powerful confession describes the nation’s spiritual state. 'Filthy rags' (Hebrew: *iddah*) refers to polluted or defiled garments, emphasizing that even the people’s best attempts at self-righteousness are utterly worthless before a holy God.

Verse 7

The people confess not only their sin but their spiritual apathy. The judgment (God hiding His face) is justified because no one is actively seeking or 'stirring up himself' to take hold of God.

Verse 8

The appeal shifts from merit (which they lack) to relationship. Calling God 'our father' appeals to covenant loyalty, while the 'Potter/clay' metaphor stresses God’s sovereign right to shape and remold His people, even after judgment.

Verse 10

The lament grounds the spiritual appeal in the physical reality of the judgment. The 'holy cities' and Jerusalem are a 'desolation,' providing compelling evidence of the severity of God’s wrath.

Verse 11

The 'holy and our beautiful house' refers to the Temple, the central symbol of God’s dwelling place and the heart of Israel's worship, which has been destroyed by fire. This loss is the ultimate sign of divine abandonment.

Verse 12

The chapter concludes with a final rhetorical question, urging God to act. The prophet asks if God can truly remain silent and impassive when His own people and His own house have suffered such complete destruction.

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