These words of hope are spoken in the context of Babylonian
exile. Israel has failed in her covenant relationship with God, forsaking
the Lord and forgetting God’s holy ways. God’s judgment descended
in 587 b.c. with the capture of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple,
and the deportation of key leadership. Nothing shook the faith and confidence
of God’s people quite like the Exile. The reliability of God’s promises
and protection could no longer be assumed. These were desperate times, the
future looked bleak, and the people were mired in the pit of despair.
Our passage is part of a longer community lament, beginning
in 63:7 and ending at 64:12. As is common to the lament form, the poet begins
with a fond remembrance of the “good old days” (63:7). But those
days are gone, and from the depths of grief and loss the poet speaks boldly,
accusing God of parental abandonment (vv. 15-19). Certainly Israel’s
failure has invoked God’s judgment of exile. But the lament dares to
push further, questioning the very character and faithfulness of God.
The heart of the lament is the cry to God “out of the depths”
(Psalm 130:1). It is a bold act of faith to cry out to God in times of hopelessness.
It is bolder still to ask God for help after accusing God of abandonment.
But such is the faith and candor of Israel—she will be honest about her
desperate need, and yet she will hold on to a deep, abiding trust in the God
who saves (63:8-9).
Our text begins with 64:1, as the poet moves from complaint
to petition—“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down”
(nrsv*)—an urgent plea for God to act decisively and with theophanic
splendor. The poet knows that God has come down before to deliver, revealing
awesome, majestic power (Exodus 15:1-18). The cry of this passage is for God
to come down again and deliver Israel from her desperate straits.
Isaiah speaks to and for desperate people living in desperate
times. The urgent plea for God to “come down” is based on the realization
that these people must have the intervention of God. They have reached the
end of their rope. They cannot finally save themselves.
The middle of the poem acknowledges the awareness that Israel
is culpable for her unfortunate situation—“We sinned . . . we transgressed
. . . We have all become like one who is unclean” (vv. 5-8). Two startling
images describe the people’s ruinous condition: a filthy cloth, so impure
and contaminated that it is untouchable and useless; and a faded leaf, vulnerable
to the wind, destined for oblivion. These verses convey a deep confession
of sin, an admission of utter dependence on the mercy of God.
The poem turns on the first word in verse 8, “Yet.”
In Hebrew it is the phrase “But now” and may best be translated,
“Nevertheless.” Even though the people have sinned, “Nevertheless”
God remains a Father to these people. Note the possessive pronouns filling
verses 8 and 9: “You are our Father; . . . you are our potter; we are
all the work of your hand”; and “we are all your people” (italics
added). These pronouns speak of relationship—the steadfast love of the
Lord remembered in the early section of the lament (63:7). So God’s first
response to the people’s deep need is this tenacious love that refuses
to let go of Israel, even a rebellious Israel.
We also read in these verses of God’s sovereign power:
“We are the clay, and you are our potter” (v. 8). This familiar
image (see Jeremiah 18) reminds us of God’s absolute ability to determine
(shape) the future. Exile shall be no match for this God who combines steadfast
love with sovereign power—who is both Father and potter.
Verse 4 declares that God “works for those who wait for
him” (italics added). The proper attitude of this fervent prayer is waiting,
a posture of firm expectation that what God has promised, He will deliver.
There is an eagerness about this term—like a young lover at the airport,
standing on tiptoe as she watches for her fiancé; like a young boy
sitting on the edge of his seat at his first Cubs game, awaiting the first
pitch; like a first-time grandma-to-be in the waiting room anticipating the
news, “It’s a girl!” To wait in this way is to open life up
to the God who makes all things new.
(For a complete manuscript of this sermon, go to www.preachersmagazine.org.)
Israel’s SITUATION is one of total helplessness and hopelessness—she
is in exile because of her own failure, and she has no power to liberate herself.
COMPLICATION comes when Israel recognizes that God has not acted in a long
time. God has abandoned them and neglected the steadfast love of old. There
must be a RESOLUTION to this faith crisis, and Isaiah points us to a God who
is bound to us—“You are our Father . . . we are all your people
(8-9, italics added).” On the basis of this good news—God’s
steadfast love, we are bold to pray, “O that you would tear open the
heavens and come down.” The CELEBRATION erupts as we realize that God
“works for those who wait for him.”
Describe a desperate life situation to open this sermon. Perhaps the image of the waiting room in the hospital will convey the deep sense of need. Relate this urgent need to Isaiah’s world and to our own. Complication ensues as the surgery persists beyond the expected time. Hearts become restless, anxious, and despairing—apt metaphors for our current context. Only one thing can break the cycle of despair—a word of hope. Resolution comes in the form of a messenger from the operating room bringing a word of progress. We are reminded of the skill and care of the surgeon (his or her past performance). We are assured of the anticipated outcome of this procedure. The messenger’s word transforms our waiting from anxious despair to hopeful anticipation.
We are now empowered to wait in hope. This is the gift of Advent.
There are several excellent resources for preaching in Isaiah.
This preacher has found the following to be most helpful:
Brueggemann, Walter. Isaiah 1—39 and Isaiah 40—66
(Westminster Bible Companion). Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John
Knox Press, 1998.
Hanson, Paul D. Isaiah 40—66 (Interpretation:
A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching). Louisville, Ky.: John
Knox Press, 1995.
Oswalt, John N. Isaiah 1—39 and Isaiah 40—66
(The New International Commentary on the Old Testament). Grand
Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986.
Seitz, Christopher R. Isaiah 1—39 (Interpretation:
A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching). Louisville, Ky.: John
Knox Press, 1995.
———. Isaiah 40—66 (The New Interpreter’s
Bible, Volume 6). Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001.
Tucker, Gene. Isaiah 1—39 (The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 6). Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001.
