“Blueprint For Blessing”
Isaiah 64:1-8
Summary: “Lord, why don’t you visit your people and bless them?”
Introduction:
Isaiah was one of the greatest of the Hebrew prophets. His ministry emphasized the spiritual vacuum of Judah because of their idolatry and apostasy against the living God. And it was through his ministry that Isaiah sought the salvation of Judah from her disobedient ways.
Isaiah 64 is a continuation of the prayer Isaiah began in Isa. 63:15. "Lord, look down from heaven." In this prayer Isaiah pleads for God’s visitation to come upon Judah again (v.1). Isaiah’s desire was to witness a visible and dramatic manifestation of God’s power and presence. Isaiah knew his history and he knew his God (v.4). He knew what God had done in the past (eg. Egypt). He was tired of the mess that God’s people were in (see 63:17-19). He was tired of the usual, the common acceptance of their situation. Isaiah was one of those prophets who desired to see the unusual, to see the hand of God visit His people in a miraculous way.
In Isaiah 64:1-3 Isaiah expressed his desire to see the miracle-working power of God manifested in the midst of His people. Isaiah has been reviewing a tragic past (63:17-19) and he believed with all his heart that it didn’t have to be like that; the Lord’s mere presence would have altered everything. Isaiah had a tremendous desire to see God at work amongst His people.
Question:
Do we have that same desire that Isaiah had so long ago?
Do we desire to see God visit us in our situation?
Do we desire the miracle-working power of God to intervene on our behalf?
Isaiah, in his prayer, pleads with God on behalf of God’s unchangeableness - vv.4-5a. In essence he was saying, “Lord God, because you are always the same…because your character never changes…please reveal yourself again in all your mercy and grace.”
Yet, when we read the Bible, we read about a different world and a different time. We read of something that happened thousands of years ago. We read about, (1) God’s dealings with Abraham, Moses, and David; (2) Prophets denouncing idolatry and announcing judgement; (3) Man of Galilee and his miracles, teaching, dying, and rising from the dead; (4) Letters from Christian leaders to various churches. It is all very interesting, yet so very far away. It all seems to belong to another world, not to this world in which we live. It is as though Christians are on the outside of the Bible world looking in and saying, “Yes God did all that, but how does it help us who live in the space age?” We cannot see how the two worlds link up and therefore there is no application for us to consider. Some people find it difficult to believe that God can work today in the same way He did back then.
Question:
How can we overcome this sense of remoteness?
What is the link between the Bible world and our world?
The answer to these questions lies in the fact of an unchanging living God. For the God with whom they had to do, is the same God with whom we have to do. God’s life, character, truth, ways, and purposes do not change!
Question:
If our God is the same God found in both the OT and NT, and he is the same God that the saints of old had to do with that we have to do with, how can we justify ourselves in resting content with an experience of communion with Him, and a level of Christian conduct, that falls far below theirs?
Yes, Isaiah declares, “Lord, revisit your people because you never change”. But there is a problem with the people. There is a reason why God has not revisited them. There are several reasons why in fact Isaiah does pray this way.
Question:
If we have the same desire to see God revisit us in power and blessing, what stands between us and the miracle-working power of God?
1) Uncleanness - vv.5b-6
You see, the problem was that God’s people were in sin. And it is the same problem today as to why God will not reveal Himself in a mighty way. It is because we too have sinned. But it is not that our sins are dirty before a holy God, it is our righteousness that is filthy. Sin is a barrier between us and the living God.
Our righteousness, the very best of our personality, the very best of our performances, the very best of all that we are, is nothing but corruption in God’s sight. What we might think to be good is evil in God’s sight. The barrier that prevents the miracle-working power of God in our midst is uncleanness. As Christians we need to serve and love the Lord with pure hearts and pure motives, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Uncleanness separates us from God.
Illustration: Children of Israel
The children of Israel were defeated at Ai (Joshua 7:1-5). The reason for their demise was that there was sin in the camp (Josh. 7:1). Israel was unclean before the Lord. And because of her uncleanness, God could not work on their behalf.
That is why the writer in 2 Chronicles 7:14 declared that, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Isaiah likewise, describes for us two conditions for blessing and victory:
1) waiting upon the Lord – Isa. 64 v.4d
2) practical obedience – Isa. 64 v.5a
If we desire to see the power of God at work in our lives and in our midst, we need to recognize that it is uncleanness that will prevent God from doing this.
Question:
If we have the same desire to see God revisit us in power and blessing, what else stands between us and the miracle-working power of God?
2) Unconcern - v.7a
Next, we see that the problem this time was a lack of interest in the Lord, a lack of concern for the things of God. This is a natural follow on from uncleanness. Sin leads to a lack of interest in the Lord. For God’s people, their sin had led to a lack of interest in the Lord. They thought it unimportant to bring the Lord God into their lives. “Life without a living relationship with God is the life of sleep.” (Motyer, IVP).
It is unfortunate that Christians today do not get stirred up about anything that relates to the things of God or the Kingdom of God. We get stirred up and become passionate about things like the Olympics, football, politics but not the things of God. God and his power will be absent if we are unconcerned about the kingdom of God and His purposes for our lives. We need to be stirred up about our church, about our community, about what God wants to do in our midst. A lack of concern turns into a coldness of devotion towards God.
Illustration: Pharisees .
The Pharisees were the religious leaders during the time of Christ. They were supposed to meet the spiritual needs of Israel but because of their total unconcern for God and his people, God withheld His face from them. No wonder Jesus declared unto them on numerous occasions, “Woe to you Pharisees”.
Unconcern will kill a church. It will cause a lack of God’s blessing and power.
Question:
If we have the same desire to see God revisit us in power and blessing, what else stands between us and the miracle-working power of God?
3) Unyieldedness - v.8
The nation of Israel failed to realize that they were nothing but clay for God to use. They were nothing but clay in the hands of God. they were worthless, but in the hands of God they had great potential.
In the same manner many Christians fail to receive God’s blessing because they are unyielded to God and His ways. There are so many who become carried away with their own selfish desires. God must have His way in our lives if we are to witness his miracle-working power. We need to recognize that God is in control so that we have the ability to go on to greater things for God. What God wants from us is submission and a yielded heart so that he can form us into whatever he desires. An unyielded heart stands between us and God doing his work in our lives. Someone once said, “God can make you into anything you want to be, but you have to put everything in his hands”
Conclusion:
Let us allow Isaiah’s desire to see the miracle-working power of God challenge us as Christians. Let’s not be afraid to get stirred up about the things of God. Let,s examine our own hearts continually to see if we are yielded to the living God daily. Let’s have that same desire as Isaiah – to see the miracle-working power of God in our midst.
But remember, Isaiah describes for us three things that can spoil all of the desires we might conjure up for god to come and visit us:
1. an unclean heart
2. an unconcerned attitude
3. an unyielded life
