Isaiah65

The LORD reveals His availability to those who did not seek Him, while lamenting the continuous rebellion and idolatry of His chosen people. He declares judgment upon the disobedient but promises to preserve a remnant for His servants' sake. Ultimately, He foretells the creation of new heavens and a new earth, where Jerusalem will be a place of everlasting joy, peace, and prosperity.
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God Reaches Out to the Unseeking

1
“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ ​
2
All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, ​
3
to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, ​
4
sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls. ​
5
They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long. ​
6
Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps,
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both for your iniquities and for those of your fathers,” says the LORD. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and scorned Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their former deeds.” ​

A Remnant Will Be Saved

8
This is what the LORD says: “As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’ so I will act on behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all. ​
9
And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there. ​
10
Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me. ​

Judgment on the Apostates

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But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, ​
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I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.” ​
13
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
14
My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.
15
You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name. ​
16
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight. ​

The Promise of New Heavens and New Earth

17
For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. ​
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But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. ​
19
I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.
20
No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days, or an old man fail to live out his years. For the youth will die at a hundred years, and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. ​
21
They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22
No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. ​
23
They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD— they and their descendants with them.
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Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear. ​
25
The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain,” says the LORD. ​

Study Notes for Isaiah 65

Verse 1

This verse presents a sharp contrast: God makes himself known to those outside the covenant community, a theme later used by Paul to justify the inclusion of Gentiles (Rom 10:20).

Verse 2

God depicts Himself in a posture of persistent invitation ('spread out my hands') toward Israel, emphasizing their stubborn refusal to follow covenant instructions, preferring their own 'thoughts' or plans.

Verse 3

Sacrificing in gardens and using altars of brick refers to syncretistic pagan worship, likely involving fertility rites, rather than the prescribed Temple worship on stone altars.

Verse 4

These practices—remaining near graves and eating swine’s flesh—are acts of deep defilement. The former relates to necromancy or ancestor worship, while the latter is a clear violation of Mosaic food laws (Lev 11:7).

Verse 5

The apostates exhibit spiritual arrogance, believing their self-made rituals make them ritually superior to others. God sees this self-righteousness as deeply offensive ('a smoke in my nose').

Verse 7

God emphasizes that the current judgment encompasses both the sins of the living generation and the cumulative guilt of their fathers, particularly idolatry practiced on high places.

Verse 8

This verse introduces the concept of the faithful remnant. Just as a small portion of good wine is saved from the crushed cluster, God preserves a faithful seed for the sake of His ultimate plan.

Verse 9

The promise of an 'inheritor of my mountains' refers to the restoration of the promised land (Zion) to the truly faithful, often called 'mine elect' or 'my servants.'

Verse 10

Sharon (a fertile plain in the west) and Achor (a troubled valley in the east) represent the entire land, promising complete geographical restoration characterized by peace and abundance.

Verse 11

The apostates are identified by their worship of pagan deities. 'That troop' (Heb. *Gad*) and 'that number' (Heb. *Meni*) are likely Babylonian or Canaanite gods of Fortune and Destiny.

Verse 12

The phrase 'I will number you to the sword' is a play on the name *Meni* (number/destiny from v. 11). They sought destiny from idols, but God determines their true destiny: destruction.

Verse 15

The wicked will be remembered only as a curse, while God’s faithful people will be given a 'new name' (cf. v. 17), signifying a radical transformation of identity and covenant standing.

Verse 16

The new community will ground all oaths and blessings in 'the God of truth' (*El Amen*), meaning the faithful God, assuring that all future dealings will be based on reality and divine faithfulness, not illusion.

Verse 17

This is a pivotal eschatological statement, promising a radical, comprehensive renewal of creation, where the sorrows of the past are completely erased. This vision is finalized in Revelation 21:1.

Verse 18

The focus of the new creation is the renewed Jerusalem, which will be the source of perpetual joy for God and His people.

Verse 20

This verse describes the radical transformation of life spans in the new age, emphasizing security and exceptional longevity. Dying at 100 years old will be considered dying young; the 'sinner' is cursed, confirming the moral perfection of the new order.

Verse 22

This guarantees security and permanence, reversing the curses of the old covenant (Deut 28:30) where enemies stole the harvest. The longevity of the people is compared to the enduring nature of a tree.

Verse 24

In the new age, the intimate relationship between God and His people is characterized by instantaneous communication and immediate divine response, eliminating the need for long supplication.

Verse 25

This classic depiction of messianic peace, echoing Isaiah 11:6-9, signifies the reversal of the natural order of hostility, indicating a cosmic restoration that includes the animal kingdom. Only the serpent (representing evil/the curse) retains its fate.

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