INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 64 The prayer of the church is continued in this chapter; in which she prays for some visible display of the power and presence of God, as in times past, Isaiah 64:1, and the rather, since unheard of and unseen things were prepared by the Lord for his people; and it was his u... [ Continue Reading ]
O THAT THOU WOULDST REND THE HEAVENS, THAT THOU WOULDST COME DOWN,.... Before, the church prayed that the Lord would look down from heaven and behold, Isaiah 63:15, now that he would open the heavens, and descend from thence; not by change of place, for he fills heaven and earth with his presence; b... [ Continue Reading ]
AS WHEN THE MELTING FIRE BURNETH,.... Or, "the fire of melting" k; a strong vehement fire, as Kimchi, such as is used under a furnace for melting metals; though De Dieu thinks a slow gentle fire is intended, such as is sufficient to keep the liquor boiling; which he concludes from the use of the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THOU DIDST TERRIBLE THINGS, WHICH WE LOOKED NOT FOR, THOU CAMEST DOWN,.... Referring to the wonderful things God did in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness, and particularly at Mount Sinai, things that were unexpected, and not looked for; then the Lord came down, and made visible displ... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD MEN HAVE NOT HEARD, NOR PERCEIVED BY THE EAR,.... Not only the things unexpected, undesired, and undeserved, had been done for the Lord's people of old; but there were other things, unheard of and unseen, which God, in his secret counsels, had prepared for them;... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU MEETEST HIM THAT REJOICETH,.... Not in a carnal way, nor in a sinful manner, nor in a hypocritical one, or in vain boastings, all such rejoicing is evil: but in the Lord, in the person of Christ; in the greatness, glory, and fullness of his person; at the promise, and in the view, of his coming... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WE ARE ALL AS AN UNCLEAN THING,.... Or "we have been" t; so all men are in a state of nature: man was made pure and holy, but by sinning became impure; and this impurity is propagated by natural generation, and belongs to all, none are free from it; and there is no cleansing from it but by the g... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE IS NONE THAT CALLETH UPON THY NAME,.... Upon the Lord himself, who is gracious and merciful, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, and all sufficient, a God hearing and answering prayer, and the Father of his people; all which should engage to call upon him: or, "there is none that pray... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW, O LORD, THOU ART OUR FATHER,.... Notwithstanding all that we have done against thee, and thou hast done to us, the relation of a father continues; thou art our Father by creation and adoption; as he was in a particular manner to the Jews, to whom belonged the adoption; and therefore this re... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT WROTH VERY SORE, O LORD,.... They knew not how to deprecate the displeasure of God entirely; having sinned so greatly against him, they were sensible they deserved his wrath; but entreat it might not be hot and very vehement, and carried to the highest pitch, which would be intolerable: NEIT... [ Continue Reading ]
THY HOLY CITIES ARE A WILDERNESS,.... Meaning either Zion, the city of David, and Jerusalem; the one called the upper, the other the lower city; now uninhabited, and a mere wilderness: or else the other cities of Judea, in which were formerly synagogues for religious service, and in which dwelt many... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR HOLY AND OUR BEAUTIFUL HOUSE,.... Meaning the temple, the house of God, as Aben Ezra: called "holy", because dedicated to holy uses; where the holy sacrifices were offered up, the holy service of God performed; and where the holy God granted his presence, and where were the symbols of it: and "b... [ Continue Reading ]
WILT THOU REFRAIN THYSELF FOR THESE THINGS, O LORD?.... From delivering us out of our troubles and miseries, and taking vengeance on our enemies, and showing thy zeal for thine own glory; or, as Kimchi paraphrases it, "how canst thou contain thyself for these things, and not have mercy?'' how cans... [ Continue Reading ]