How to Approach an Offended God – Isaiah 63:7-64:12
63 (7) I will speak of the lovingkindnesses of Jehovah, I will sing the praises of Jehovah, as is fitting, because of all Jehovah has done for us—the great goodness he has shown toward the house of Israel, the great goodness which he has bestowed upon them in accordance with his mercies and in accordance with the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. (8) He said, Surely, they are my people, children who shall not lie to me; so he became their Savior. (9) In all their anguish, he, too, felt anguish, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. (10) But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore, he turned and became their enemy—he himself fought against them. (11) Then he remembered the days of old, the time of Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them through the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit in their midst? (12) Where is he who caused his glorious arm to be with Moses’ right hand? He who parted the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting fame? (13) He who led them through the depths as one leads a horse through the desert, so that they would not stumble? (14) Like cattle that go down into the valley, so the Spirit of Jehovah caused them to rest. This is how you led your people, to make a glorious name for yourself.
(15) Look down from heaven, observe from your holy and glorious habitation. Where are your zeal and your mighty acts? The yearning of your heart and your compassions are withheld from me. (16) You are our Father, even though Abraham does not recognize us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Jehovah, are our Father; from everlasting your name has been, Our Redeemer. (17) O Jehovah, why do you cause us to wander from your ways—why do you harden our hearts so that we do not fear you? Desist, for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance. (18) Your holy people possessed their inheritance for only a short time; but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary. (19) We have become like those over whom you never ruled, like those who did not bear your name.
64 Oh, Jehovah, I pray that you would tear open the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—(2) like fire kindles the brushwood, like fire causes water to boil—come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake at your presence! (3) When you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence. (4) From ancient times no one has known about—no ear has heard of, no eye has seen—any God besides you, a God who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. (5) You hold fellowship with the one who rejoices in the practice of righteousness, you hold fellowship with those who remember you by observing your ways. But you were angry with us, because we sinned; for a long time we have continued in our sins. How can we be saved?
(6) All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. All of us shrivel up like a leaf; and, like the wind, our iniquities sweep us away. (7) There is no one who calls on your name, no one who arouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us over to the clutches of our iniquities. (8) Yet, O Jehovah, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are our Potter—all of us are the work made by your hand. (9) Do not be exceedingly angry with us, O Jehovah, and do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look, we pray, consider that we are all your people! (10) Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness; Jerusalem has become a desolate place. (11) Our holy and beautiful temple, the place where our fathers praised you, has been burned with fire; and all that was precious to us lies in ruins. (12) Considering all these things, O Jehovah, will you still restrain yourself? Will you keep silent and let us suffer to the fullest extent?
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
