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.

God Reaches Out to the Unseeking

"I made myself accessible to those who didn't ask for me, I let myself be found by those who didn't seek me. I said, 'Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation not called by my name.

I spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who live in a way that is not good, who follow their own inclinations;

a people who provoke me to my face all the time, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks.

They sit among the graves and spend the night in caverns; they eat pig meat and their pots hold soup made from disgusting things.

They say, 'Keep your distance, don't come near me, because I am holier than you.' These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day!

See, it is written before me; I will not be silent until I repay them; I will repay them to the full,

your own crimes and those of your ancestors together," says ADONAI. "They offered incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. First I will measure out their wages and then repay them in full."

A Remnant Will Be Saved

Here is what ADONAI says: "As when juice is found in a cluster of grapes, and people say, 'Don't destroy it, there is still some good in it,' so I will do likewise for the sake of my servants, and not destroy them all.

I will bring forth descendants from Ya'akov, heirs of my mountains from Y'hudah; my chosen ones will possess them, and my servants will live there.

The Sharon will be a pasture for flocks, the Akhor Valley a place for cattle to rest, for my people who have sought me.

Judgment on the Apostates

"But as for you who abandon ADONAI, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for a Gad, a god of luck, and fill bowls of mixed wine for Meni, a god of destiny

I will destine you to the sword, you will all bow down to be slaughtered; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did what was evil from my point of view and chose what did not please me."

Therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "My servants will eat, while you go hungry; my servants will drink, while you go thirsty. My servants will rejoice, while you will be ashamed.

Yes, my servants will sing for joy from their hearts, but you will cry out from the pain in your heart and howl from an anguished spirit.

My chosen will use your name as a curse - 'May Adonai ELOHIM strike you dead!' But to his servants he will give another name.

Thus someone on earth who blesses himself will bless himself by the God of truth, and someone on earth who swears an oath will swear by the God of truth; for past troubles will be forgotten, hidden from my eyes.

The Promise of New Heavens and New Earth

"For, look! I create new heavens and a new earth; past things will not be remembered, they will no more come to mind.

So be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for look! I am making Yerushalayim a joy, and her people a delight.

I will rejoice in Yerushalayim and take joy in my people. The sound of weeping will no longer be heard in it, no longer the sound of crying.

No more will babies die in infancy, no more will an old man die short of his days - he who dies at a hundred will be thought young, and at less than a hundred thought cursed.

They will build houses and live in them, they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

They will not build and others live there, they will not plant and others eat; for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will themselves enjoy the use of what they make.

They will not toil in vain or raise children to be destroyed, for they are the seed blessed by ADONAI; and their offspring with them.

Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion eat straw like an ox (but the serpent - its food will be dust). They will not hurt or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain," says ADONAI.

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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Isaiah65

God Reaches Out to the Unseeking

A Remnant Will Be Saved

Judgment on the Apostates

The Promise of New Heavens and New Earth

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