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 Psalms 144:5)... [ Continue Reading ]
These verses contain a series of word pictures that describe the effect of God’s arrival.... [ Continue Reading ]
ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD’S PROMISES TO HIS SPECIAL PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 58 TO 66 _NORMAN HILLYER_ 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
‘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 hist... [ Continue Reading ]
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 sha... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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.... [ Continue Reading ]
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; Isaiah 62:6-7). • God’s delays are a frequent experience (see Psalms 6:3, among many exa... [ Continue Reading ]