Isaiah 64

Isaiah 64:1

Isaiah: God controls the nations God’s promises to his special people An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Isaiah chapters 58 to 66 www.easyenglish.info Norman Hillyer This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible.

Tap the * before a word to show an explanation.

Chapter 64 This chapter continues the people’s desperate prayer, which began at Isaiah 63:7. What could have happened v1 If only you had torn a hole in the sky and come down to the earth! Even huge mountains would have trembled. v2 You would have arrived like a fierce fire that burns everything in its way. Such a fire even causes the seas to boil. Your enemies would have recognised that fire as a well-known sign that God was present. Your arrival would have made all nations to tremble with fear. v3 We know that you acted like this in the past. At that time you did wonderful deeds that nobody expected. And yes, huge mountains did tremble at your arrival.

Verses 1-3

These verses contain a series of word pictures that describe the effect of God’s arrival.

Verse 1

The people’s desire was not merely for God to ‘look down’ from heaven (see Isaiah 63:15). The prayer is now the more urgent request to ‘come down’.

 A ‘hole in the sky’ expresses the thought that the sky hides God from human sight. So the sky seems like a curtain (see Psalms 18:9 and 144:5). To ‘tear a hole’ is a wish that is full of emotion.

 What seems solid and permanent, like a mountain, will shake powerfully (see Exodus 19:18; Psalms 18:7).

Verse 2

Fire is a sign that God is present (see Exodus 3:2; see also Acts 2:3).

But he is not there just to look. He comes to act. Like fire, he makes things happen. Fire causes bushes to burn and water to boil.

 However powerful nations may seem, God is much more powerful. So even powerful nations will shake with fear if God is suddenly present (see 1 Peter 3:22). The purpose of God’s activity is to cause nations to know his greatness. Then they will realise that he is in control of all people and events (see Daniel 4:35).

Verse 3

‘In the past’ refers in particular to the time of Moses when the people escaped from Egypt (see the Book of Exodus). The ‘wonderful deeds’ were all for the benefit of God’s people. God did these things as he carried out his purpose to rescue them. There never has been a God like you v4 In all history, nobody has ever seen or heard of a God like you. You listen to those who expect you to answer their prayers. v5 You are always ready to help those who gladly obey you. That is, those who always remember to do what you want.

But we have not stopped our wicked behaviour. And that makes you angry. It is only you who can save us. v6 To you, our lives have lost any value. Even our good deeds are like dirty bits of cloth. We have become like brown leaves that fall in the autumn. Our evil deeds carry us away, even as a strong wind blows those leaves away. v7 Nobody prays to you. Nobody turns to you for help. So you have hidden yourself from us. You have left us in the power of our evil practices.

Verses 4-5a (that is, the first part of verse 5)

God answers prayer. But he has made rules. First, one who prays must show God an attitude of trust (see Mark 11:24). True trust never puts a limit on what God can do. Secondly, one who prays must eagerly obey God’s instructions.

Verse 5b (that is, the second part of verse 5)

Although God’s people know these things, their personal behaviour has not changed. As a result, the people have broken off their *covenant relation with God.

Verses 6-7

The people’s efforts to carry out good deeds are without value. They cannot cure their relationship with God by means of kind actions to their friends. *Lord, we need your help v8 But, *Lord, you are still our Father. We are like *clay in your hands. Like someone who makes pots with *clay, you shape us. You have created us. v9 Do not be too angry, *Lord. Do not remember our guilty actions for always. Look at us with kindness, because we are your special people. v10 Enemies have destroyed your holy cities. *Jerusalem is like a desert. v11 Enemies have burned your beautiful holy *Temple. That was where our *ancestors used to praise you. In fact, enemies have ruined all the places that we loved. v12 *Lord, you know all about these things. Do not remain silent. Act, *Lord! You cannot want us to continue to suffer like this.

Verse 8

The people use the family title ‘Father’ as they pray. They consider that this word expresses well their close relation with God. (See my notes on Isaiah 63:16.)

 The use of *clay is another word picture of the relation between the people and God. But this time the picture is of God as their maker (see Isaiah 29:16 and 45:9; see also Jeremiah 18:2-6).

Verses 10-11

Isaiah 49:19 describes the great damage that enemies have caused all through Judah. In particular, enemies have ruined *Jerusalem. They have even ruined the *Temple, which stood on the mountain called *Zion.

Verse 12

God has promised to replace all that enemies have destroyed. The *Lord’s people believe that he performs all his promises in the end. But they cannot understand why such a long delay continues (see Isaiah 62:1; 62:6-7).

 God’s delays are a frequent experience (see Psalms 6:3, among many examples). But God has a much greater plan than people can even imagine (see Isaiah 55:8-9). His measurements of time are not the same as ours (see 2 Peter 3:8-9).

© 2007, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

October 2007

Visit our website: www.easyenglish.info

var w13 = new Array;w13[0]=’<b%3Ecovenant</b%3E ~ special agreement that God made with Israel (see Exodus chapter 24).’;w13[1]=’<b%3ELord</b%3E ~ God’s name in the Bible. In the original language, God’s names mean ‘head over all’ and ‘God always’.’;w13[2]=’<b%3Eclay</b%3E ~ kind of earth that one uses to make pots; clay is soft when wet, but dries hard.’;w13[3]=’<b%3EJerusalem</b%3E ~ at the time of David and Solomon, the capital of the country called Israel. During the time of Isaiah, Jerusalem was the capital of the country called Judah.’;w13[4]=’<b%3ETemple</b%3E ~ special building in Jerusalem where Jews praised God and offered him prayers and gifts.