Isaiah 64:1-5 Oh that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might flow down at your presence,… The fervent language of the text is indicative of an intense spiritual struggle; the heart of the prophet is filled with conflicting hopes and fears. Sensible of great national sins, but mindful of great mercies at the hand of God, he now fears lest Israel has gone beyond redemption, and now prays for Divine rescue and restoration. We have - I. A SENSE OF GOD'S OVERWHELMING POWER. Israel was brought very low; her land was desolate, her people scattered, her ordinances unobserved; but let God once appear in his majesty and his strength, and everything would be subdued before him; the enemy would be utterly routed, the cause of truth and piety would immediately triumph (vers. 1-3). Low as the Church may be found at any time, it only needs that God's presence should be manifested, and his power be exercised, and the strongest mountains of difficulty will melt away, prejudice be uprooted, hatred be cast out, unbelief be dislodged, indifference and indecision be consumed, earnest thought be enkindled, piety and virtue be made to burn and to enlighten. II. A RECOGNITION OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Ver. 5.) God meets with the tokens of his favour those that rejoice to work righteousness, that remember him in his appointed ways - in worship, in thanksgiving, in obedience, in filial submission; but he is wroth with Israel, and righteously so, for Israel has sinned. In every age and land he that works righteousness is accepted and blessed of God; at all times and in every place the man that sins against his conscience must confront the anger of God, showing itself in one or more of a number of ways - in compunction, in ignominy, in desolation and ruin, in sickness, in desertion and loneliness, or in early death. III. A CONSCIOUSNESS OF UTTER UNDESERVEDNESS. "In those [sins] is continuance;" or long have we continued in our sins, "and shall we be saved?" (ver. 5). Is there salvation to be found for the nation that for whole generations has forsaken its God? is there mercy to be had for the individual soul that for whole periods of life has lived in guilty negligence of a Divine Father and Saviour? IV. A REMEMBRANCE OF HIS ABOUNDING GOODNESS. (Ver. 4.) It is. "Jehovah of hosts" alone that wrought these marvellous deliverances for his expectant people. All other deities ignominiously and pitiably failed their devotees in the hour of trial. Their idols had mouths, but they spake not; they had hands, but they handled not; their voice could not command the storm, nor their arm arrest the tide. But the history of the people of God and of the Church of God is a history of Divine goodness and grace, of interposition in the time of peril, of redemption from ruin, of gracious and glorious manifestations of Divine affection and attachment. This encourages to - V. A PRAYER FOR HIS EFFECTUAL INTERPOSITION. "Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens! that thou wouldest come down!" (ver. 1). Our unworthiness is very great, but thy mercy is large and free; make thy presence known, thy power felt, in the midst of us. - C. Parallel Verses KJV: Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, |
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