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ISAIAH 64
page 659
10
But they rebelled against him
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he became their enemy
and fought against them.
11
Then they remembered those days of old
when Moses led his people out of Egypt.
They cried out, “Where is the one who
brought Israel through the sea,
with Moses as their shepherd?
Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit
to be among his people?
Where is the one whose power was
displayed
when Moses lifted up his hand—
the one who divided the sea before them,
making himself famous forever?
Where is the one who led them through the
bottom of the sea?
They were like fine stallions
racing through the desert, never stumbling.
As with cattle going down into a peaceful
valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
You led your people, Lord,
and gained a magnificent reputation.”
12
13
14
Prayer for Mercy and Pardon
15 Lord, look down from heaven;
look from your holy, glorious home,
and see us.
Where is the passion and the might
you used to show on our behalf?
Where are your mercy and compassion
now?
16 Surely you are still our Father!
Even if Abraham and Jacob* would
disown us,
Lord, you would still be our Father.
You are our Redeemer from ages past.
17 Lord, why have you allowed us to turn from
your path?
Why have you given us stubborn hearts
so we no longer fear you?
Return and help us, for we are your servants,
the tribes that are your special possession.
18 How briefly your holy people possessed
your holy place,
and now our enemies have destroyed it.
19 Sometimes it seems as though we never
belonged to you,
as though we had never been known as
your people.
64
1*Oh,
that you would burst from the
heavens and come down!
How the mountains would quake in your
presence!
63:16 Hebrew Israel. See note on 14:1. 64:1 In the Hebrew
text this verse is included in 63:19. 64:2 Verses 64:2-12 are
numbered 64:1-11 in Hebrew text. 64:7 As in Greek, Syriac,
and Aramaic versions; Hebrew reads melted us.
2*As
3
4
5
6
7
8
fire causes wood to burn
and water to boil,
your coming would make the nations
tremble.
Then your enemies would learn the
reason for your fame!
When you came down long ago,
you did awesome deeds beyond our
highest expectations.
And oh, how the mountains quaked!
For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!
You welcome those who gladly do good,
who follow godly ways.
But you have been very angry with us,
for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like
the wind.
Yet no one calls on your name
or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us
and turned us over* to our sins.
And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.
• Holiness
I S A I A H 63:15-16
In this long prayer to God, Isaiah acknowledges that God is holy, high above the
world, and set apart from his creation.
Then he calls upon God, holy as he is,
to be a father to his people as he has
been in the past. God’s holiness sets him
apart from sinful human beings. And yet,
this utter holiness is what gives him the
perfect love and mercy to reach out and
save us from our sin if only we will turn
to him. This is the great paradox of the
Bible, and it is to our benefit: a holy God
who hates sin but loves us sinners even
more. Instead of disowning us for our sin,
he loves us even to the point of sending
his own Son to earth to take our sin upon
himself so that we could be sinless one
day in his presence. Because of God’s
holy nature, we can rely on God to love
and help us.