The Prayer of Faith (Isa 63:15-64:12)
1) Look down from heaven and see (Isa 63:15-29)
Isaiah claims God's love for his people, even though they have drifted from their ancestral faith (Isa 63:15,16; Gen 15:6, 22:12, 26:5). Isaiah asks, "Why, LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you?" (Isa 63:17) not implying that God forced them to sin, but that in discipline, God gave them over to the power of their sins (Ex 4:21; Deut 32:4; Job 34:10; Isa 6:3,10; Rom 1:24,26) until they were trampled and defeated (Isa 63:18,19).
2) Oh, that you would rend the heavens and...come down to make your name known (Isa 64:1-12)
Isaiah begs God to step down into this world (Isa 64:1,2), as he had done awesomely in times past (Isa 64:3), for there is none like God (Isa 64:4), who alone reveals himself (1 Cor 2:9). This is nothing but undeserved grace, as Isaiah describes our sins with 4 similes: "like one who is unclean," (a leper) "like filthy rags," (even our righteousness is disgusting) "like a leaf," (decaying) "like the wind" (overwhelming power of sin) (Isa 64:5-7). God could rightfully abandon us, but Isaiah appeals to God to save us as the sovereign Father and a potter who is in control of clay (Isa 64:8,9). Sin devastates us as the Babylonian invasion devastated Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (Isa 64:10-12).
Practical Application: Always remember and acknowledge that "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isa 64:6).
Spiritual Understanding: When we understand our utter depravity by the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), we know we have absolutely no legitimate claim on God whatsoever (Gen 18:27). Then we can humbly work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).
No comments:
Post a Comment