Scripture Text: Isaiah 63:1-66:24
Memory Verse: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” —Isaiah 64:6
Introduction:
Isaiah continues to the end of the book speaking of new things. The prophet now opens the situation for us in different spiritual perspectives:
- Looking Ahead — (Isaiah 63:1-13) Isaiah looks to the future, when the Messiah is returning victorious from the Battle of Armageddon.
- Looking Back — (Isaiah 63:7-14) Isaiah gives us a summary of what God has done for Israel in the past.
- Looking Up — (Isaiah 63:15-64:12) Isaiah looks up and calls upon God’s power of deliverance.
- Looking Down — (Isaiah 63:15) The prophet asks God to “look down” and “come down” (Isaiah 64:1). Isaiah prays one of the greatest “revival prayers” found in the Bible. Just as God came down at Sinai, Isaiah implores Him to come down yet again and show His mighty power.
In Isaiah 65, we find the blessing of a new creation. First, God proclaims that salvation will go to the Gentiles (Isaiah 65:1). Paul later applied this verse to the Gentiles (Romans 10:19-20). The idea here is that if Israel rejected what God offered, then the offer would be extended to others (Luke 14:16-24; 21:10; Acts 28:23-31). Secondly, God shows the sins of His people that prevented their prayers from being answered (Isaiah 65:2-7). They resisted Him, resisted His ways, were deaf to His Word, and provoked Him with their idolatry.
Isaiah’s prophetic visions near and ending with the birth of the new, holy nation (Isaiah 66:1-24). The Jews will return to their land as swiftly as the birth of a baby. Jerusalem will experience joy, peace, and satisfaction when they turn to Jesus Christ (Isaiah 66:10-14). Health and peace will reign through the land. The book closes with a vision of messengers going to the ends of the earth to announce what God has done for Israel. The ending words are a picture of final judgment for all the disobedient.
Studying the Word
- What did God’s anointing of Jesus include? (Isaiah 13:1; Matthew 9:6; 28:18; John 10:18)
- God looks for someone to intervene and finds no one willing. What solution does He provide? (Isaiah 59:20; Proverbs 24:11-12)
- How faithful is God’s mercy? (Isaiah 63:7, 11-13; Deuteronomy 4:31; Psalm 77:9; Psalm 108:4; Jeremiah 26:3)
- How is Isaiah 63:15-19 a prayer for the church of the 21st Century?
- Discuss the illustration of God as the potter and us as the clay. Does God ever unjustly break us? (Isaiah 64:8; Galatians 6:7-8)
- Since prophecy has dual application, what ways does Isaiah 65:17-25 apply today and how does it apply to the future Kingdom?
- What must you have in order to have peace—the true comfort of God? (Isaiah 66:13; 32:17; Romans 3:19-31)
- What is the goal of life? (Isaiah 66:18; Joshua 7:19; Psalm 22:23; Matthew 5:16)