Isaiah Chapter 64

From The Open Bible Project

64:1 Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence,

• (a) The prophet continues his prayer, desiring God to declare his love toward his Church by miracles and mighty power, as he did in mount Sinai.

64:2 as when fire kindles the brushwood, [and] the fire causes the waters to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!

• (b) Meaning, the rain, hail, fire, thunder and lightning.

64:3 When you did awesome things which we didn't look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

• Notice that Jehovah God came down to them and the mountains quaked at His presence. Referring to his second coming, Jesus said He would come in the glory of His Father in Matt. 16:27, Mark 8:38, and Luke 9:26. Neither coming was a physical bodily appearance.-KC

64:4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.

• (c) Paul uses the same kind of admiration, (1 Corinthians 2:9) marvelling at God's great benefit showed to his Church, by the preaching of the gospel.

64:5 You meet him who rejoices and works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time; and shall we be saved?

• (d) You showed favour toward our fathers, when they trusted in you and walked after your commandments.
• (e) They considered your great mercies.
• (f) That is, in your mercies, which he calls the ways of the Lord.
• (g) You will have pity on us.

64:6 For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment: and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

• (h) We are justly punished and brought into captivity, because we have provoked you to anger, and though we would excuse ourselves, yet our righteousness, and best virtues are before you as vile cloths, or (as some read) like the menstruous cloths of a woman.

64:7 There is none who calls on your name, who stirs up himself to take hold of you; for you have hid your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities.

64:8 But now, Yahweh, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.

• (i) Even though O Lord by your just judgment you may utterly destroy us as the potter may his pot, yet we appeal to your mercies, by which it has pleased you to adopt us to be your children.

64:9 Don't be furious, Yahweh, neither remember iniquity forever: see, look, we beg you, we are all your people.

• (k) For so the flesh judges when God does not immediately send comfort.

64:10 Your holy cities are become a wilderness, Zion is become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

• (l) Who were dedicated to your service, and to call on your Name.

64:11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant places are laid waste.

• (m) In which we rejoiced and worshipped you.

64:12 Will you refrain yourself for these things, Yahweh? will you hold your peace, and afflict us very sore?

• (n) That is, at the contempt of your own glory? Though our sins have deserved this, yet you will not permit your glory thus to be diminished.