The Lord’s Answer To The Prayer (65:1-25)
Neal Pollard
God not only answers the prayer of chapters 63 and 64, His response is the consistent message of the whole book. He loved them, but they had turned other places and disregarded their covenant relationship with Him. This resulted in the judgment of Assyria (seen in chapters 1-37) and Babylon (chapters 38-66). In this chapter, there are at least four answers God gives to the prayer.
There will be judgment for the unrighteous (1-7). Up front, God offers His grace to all who are willing to receive it (1-2). Paul quotes these verses in speaking of the mission of gospel preaching under Christ (Rom. 10:21). But, despite His pleading, the unrighteous rebelliously ignore Him. As in Romans, so here the Gentiles found a God who they did not seek while the Jews rejected a God who sought them! In these verses, we find the first of multiple lists. God lines out His people’s sins one by one: (1) unlawful sacrifices (v. 3), (2) unlawful offering of incense (v. 3), (3) practicing necromancy (v. 4), (4) violating the dietary laws of the Law of Moses (vs. 4), and (5) arrogant self-righteousness (vs. 5). How God hates willful disobedience! It’s like smoke in His nostrils (5), and He vows to repay their sin (6-7). He had seen this unrighteous pass from father to son, year after year. He has had enough!
There will be salvation for the remnant (8-12). God’s reply includes a promise of One from among the righteous remnant (9). He sees a righteous minority among the faithless majority, and He will bless them as surely as He will punish the other. He promises rest for those who seek Him (10; cf. Mat. 11:28-30). But that preservation is contrasted with the certain judgment of all those who ignore Him and choose sin instead (11-12).
There will be consequences for both (13-16). There are contrasting destinies laid out for both groups. The list in these verses are reminiscent both of Jesus’ sermon on the plains, recorded by Luke in Luke 6:20-26, and Jesus’ final parable of preparation in Matthew 25:31-46. James Smith neatly charts the contrast:
| CONTRASTING DESTINIES Isaiah 65:13–15 | |
| God’s Servants | The Wicked |
| 1. Shall eat. 2. Shall drink. 3. Shall rejoice. 4. Sing for joy of heart. 5. Called by a new name. | 1. Shall be hungry. 2. Shall be thirsty. 3. Put to shame. 4. Cry for sorrow of heart. 5. Leave their name as a curse. |
(OT Survey Series, 168).
Once again, along with provision and joy, the righteous obedient will be blessed by having a new name (62:2; Acts 11:26). Each paragraph reaffirms that Isaiah is looking ahead to the Christian Age, to what the Messiah would usher in at His coming to earth.
There will be reward for the people of God (17-25). At the end of the chapter, God’s focus is solely on the blessings enjoyed by the faithful. When will these promises be fulfilled? First, let us notice what the promises are.
1) New heavens and new earth (17).
2) Gladness and rejoicing (18-19).
3) Longevity (20).
4) Prosperity (21-23).
5) Answered prayer (24).
6) Safety and unity (25).
Second, let us notice when those promises would be. Christ would definitely bring about the establishment of all these blessings with His coming, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Much of the New Testament is devoted to these promises for those in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3). Yet, none of these are restricted only to the Christian Age, but find their ultimate fulfillment in eternity following the general resurrection (John 5:28-29) and universal judgment (Matt. 25:31-34). The perfection of these promises will be enjoyed for those who inherit eternal life. There will ultimately be “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1). There will be a permanent end to sorrow (Rev. 21:4). There will be an end to death (Rev. 21:4). There will be an eternal inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4). There will be an end to the fears and threats always possible in this life (Rev. 21:8).
The readers should anticipate the first coming of the Messiah, but they should also live with anticipation of His second coming (Heb. 9:27-28). The same hope brought by His successful mission of salvation would sustain them as they anticipated His final mission of judgment.
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