Lesson 385: Isaiah 64:4
Isaiah 64:4
The Blueprint — The Verse
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
Memorization Practice
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Scripture quotations marked NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Context — The History
Isaiah 64 is a corporate lament pleading for God to rend the heavens and come down. Exiled Israel confessed sin yet appealed to God's unique character as the God who works wonders for those who wait, hope, and long for his intervention.
The Narrative — The Lead-Up
The prayer recalls God's awesome deeds and admits all have become unclean. Then the congregation marvels that no god has been heard or seen acting for those who wait as the Lord does, anchoring hope in his unmatched willingness to help those who hope in him.
The Echo — Follow-on Verses
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Isaiah 64:3
3For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
Read the verse immediately before this lesson (Isaiah 64:3) to hear the lead-in to the passage.
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Isaiah 64:5
5You come to the help of those who gladly do right,who remember your ways.But when we continued to sin against them,you were angry.How then can we be saved?
Read the verse immediately after this lesson (Isaiah 64:5) to continue the passage.
Discussion
- What are you asking God to do that only he can do?
- How does waiting for God differ from passive inaction?
- When have you seen God act on behalf of those who hope?