Isaiah 64:6-7 – Sin’s Ugliness
We see that people left to themselves can do nothing but that which is unclean filth. They are like dry, dead leaves, and they are blown away and scattered. These are the words of tender-hearted people. Their trust had been in commending themselves by keeping the law of God in an adequate way. They were like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who would pray saying, “I thank thee, O God, that I am not like that guy over there. I do this, I do that, I do the other.” That was the thought until God began working in their heart. There is none righteous! (Psalms 14 and 53) So these people, who thought they were clean, actually are not at all. Everything was unclean, everything was polluted.
What else is our sinfulness like? It is like dry dead leaves. For everyone who continues in their sin, they may flourish for a while and look beautiful, but they soon fade and are gone. We read that our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. The sin carries us away. The ones here whose hearts are being turned, who are now tender to their sin, realize how far they are from their God. They’ve been blown far away from Him, from His righteousness, from His favour and blessing.
In verse 7 the Holy Spirit is moving in the hearts of people who themselves are perhaps waking up, and who are seeing the spiritual slumber, the spiritual sleep around them. And they are crying out to God to wake the rest up, because they can’t wake themselves up. And these people who are awake now or awakening can’t wake the others either. They see that there is no one who is calling on God’s name. No one is crying out to God to change the situation. No one stirs himself up. There is no one who thinks his sin is so bad that he needs God’s mercy, that he needs God’s grace. There is no one who yearns for his love and for his kindness. Nobody cares. And it grieves these believers most of all.
Why is it that this attitude is there? Because they are under the judgment of God already. The apathy and sleep themselves are judgment from the offended God. They’ve turned away from their God, so He has turned away from them. God not only has hidden His face but consumed them or made them melt away. The hypocrites would waste away unto death, but for the remnant this is so they would awaken and feel His absence and flee to God!
Question
- How is sin described in these verses?
Prayer Points
- Pray that God would awaken people from their sinful slumber.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.