The Strand Study Bible

ISAIAH 64:1

ISAIAH 64:12

1126

continuance, and we shall be saved. It sickens God when religious people try to present themselves to Him in their own righteousness 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as 5 filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniqui- ties, like the wind, have taken 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, because of our iniquities. 8 But now, O LORD, thou art our 6 FATHER ; we are the clay, and thou our 7 potter; and we all are the 8 work of thy hand. 9 Be not wroth 9 very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste. 12 Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us 9 very sore?

1. or, “split the clouds” Note – This a reference to the

Isaiah 64 Isaiah’s prayer for divine intervention (Note - This portion of Isaiah’s prophecy took place in the 27th year of King Hezekiah’s reign) Date Written - c. 700 BC/AM 3300

return of Christ – Rev 1:7 and II Pet 3:10. 2. Quoted in the NT - I Cor 2:9 3. Acts 10:35 4. that is, “ in them is eternity; in the people of God there is perpetuity” 5. Rom 3:10 & Phil 3:9 & Mt 19:16-17 & Psa 14:1-3 6. Deut 32:6 7. Isa 29:16 & 45:9

1 Oh that thou wouldest 1 rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, 2 As when the melting fire burneth, 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 flowed down at thy presence. Men don’t want what God has to say 4 For since the beginning of the world 2 men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. God is looking for people ( Thou meetest him ) who are interested in what He has to say 5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh 3 righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: 4 in those is

& Jere 18:6 & Rom 9:20-21 8. Eph 2:10 9. that is, “to the point of annihilating us”

64:1 Isaiah 64 is a prayer ( Oh that thou wouldest ) asking Jehovah to show the world His mighty power (vs 1-5) so that Israel, who has been disobedient herself (vs 6-7), can break free of the world’s bondage and restore her relationship with God (vs 8-12). Because of Israel’s love for the world, God allowed the world to place her in bondage. Isaiah’s prayer was for God to break that bondage so that Israel could get back on track spiritually. Unfortunately, God had delivered Israel from the world on more than one occasion only to lose her to the world again and again. God knows that there is only “one” event that will solve Israel’s problems and bring her into a lasting relationship with Him –the return of their MESSIAH (Zech 12:10)! 64:4 An age-old problem exists ( For ) that has plagued mankind “ since the beginning of the world ,” and it is this –men don’t want what God has to say ( men have not heard ), thus God does not have the “last say” in men’s lives. 64:5 For those who do care about what God has to say, that is, they want what is right ( and worketh righteousness - Acts 10:35 ), God will meet with them, work with them, and eventually return for them ( we shall be saved ). 64:6a This word ( filthy ) is the Hebrew word giddeem and is used to describe a woman’s menstrual rag. It is putrid, yea rancid to God, when religious people try to clothe themselves in their own righteousness ( Gen 3:7 ), when in fact, “ all our righteousnesses (human goodness) are as filthy rags ” to God ( Rom 3:10 ). The worst form of badness is human goodness (Mt 19:16-22) when that human goodness becomes a substitute for the new birth (Jn 3:3-7). 64:6b Life, at best, is a gradual loss of one’s vitality and strength ( we all do fade as a leaf ). Like Moses (Psa 90:12), we need to number our days, so that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom . 64:6c Like a dying leaf being blown off a tree by the wind, what “blows us away” is our sin ( and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away ). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: The more we sin the less we live (Prov 4:4-10-22 & 7:1-2) 64:7a When you ignore God’s Word (vs 4), you ignore God (vs 7). What you do with the Bible determines what God does with you. 64:7b Once God has found you, it is your turn to find Him ( that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee ) James 4:8 says: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you God longs to do business with those who “mean business” (Lk 18:1-8). Don’t wait for God to look for you again. He found you once when He saved you. Now go and find Him!