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Why don't you...

Isaiah 64:1-12

Good News Translation (GNT)

  1  Why don't you tear the sky open and
   come down? The mountains would see you
   and shake with fear.
  2  They would tremble like water boiling over
   a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to
   your enemies, and make the nations tremble
   at your presence!
  3  There was a time when you came and did
   terrifying things that we did not expect; the
   mountains saw you and shook with fear.
  4  No one has ever seen or heard of a God like
   you, who does such deeds for those ;who put
   their hope in him.
  5  You welcome those who find joy those who
   remember how you want them to live.
   You were angry with us, but we went on
   sinning; in spite of your great anger we have
   continued to do wrong since ancient times (a).
  6  All of us have been sinful; even our best
   actions are filthy through and through.
   Because of our sins we are like leaves that
   wither and are blown away by the wind.
  7  No one turns to you in prayer; no one goes to
   you for help. You have hidden yourself from
   us and have abandoned (b) us because of
   our sins.
  8  But you are our father, Lord. We are like clay,
   and you are like the potter. You created us
  9  so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins
   against us forever. We are your people; be
   merciful to us.
10  Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem
   is a deserted ruin,
11  and our Temple, the sacred and beautiful
   place where our ancestors praised you, has
   been destroyed by fire. All the places we loved
   are in ruins.
12  Lord, are you unmoved by all this? Are you
   going to do nothing and make us suffer more
   than we can endure?

   Footnotes
   Isaiah 64:5 Probable text
   in spite of _ ancient times; Hebrew unclear.

   Isaiah 64:7 Some ancient translations
   abandoned;
   Hebrew melted.

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Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by the
Scripture Union

Why don't you?

In the Old Testament era, the people used prayers, most often, in a ritual or service of worship (liturgy).

Priests probably wrote most of the prayers used by the worshippers.

Many Christians, particularly in Western countries, feel that they are in a desperate situation.

Churches are emptying. Moral and ethical values, shaped by the gospel over centuries seem to have been abandoned in a moment.

For the first time, some are facing issues of persecution and loss of freedom.

We look back with envy on past revivals when whole nations and societies were changed. If only God would do that again, we say.

Our experience echoes Isaiah's prayer. God's enemies don't even know him. His face is hidden and no one seeks him.

Why doesn't God do something about them?

It seems that the prophet is overwhelmed with a sense of the need for God to act - but fearful that he might!

When God acts, it is not always gentle. Look at the words used to describe this. Mountains tremble. Nations quake.

Isaiah is overwhelmed with the thought of both his and the people's sinfulness. God has hidden his face from us.

And yet he knows that, despite this, God longs to forgive the people, who are in fact his own children.

So, he calls on God our Father, the potter who created and shaped us, to rip the veil between heaven and earth and come down to earth.

God's Word invites his people to call him Father, with all that that name should imply about safety, intimacy and trustworthiness.

This encourages us to talk frankly with him about those times when he seems hidden and we feel abandoned.

Nothing in our being honest before the Father will surprise him and nothing will anger him.

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