Isaiah 64:7 And there is none that calls on your name, that stirs up himself to take hold of you: for you have hid your face from us… I. CERTAIN TRUTHS WHICH THIS LAMENTATION IMPLIES. 1. That God was ready to receive them graciously. 2. That man is prone to be slow of heart to seek unto God. 3. That man may oppose that slowness of heart — may stir himself up to take hold on God. Such was the view of Joshua when he said, "Incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel" (Joshua 24:23). This truth was regarded by the Lord Himself when He proclaimed, "Incline your ear," etc. (Isaiah 55:8). With a view to this, man may stir up — (1) The memory. (2) The imagination. (3) The reason. (4) The will. II. THE LAMENTATION ITSELF. Of it we may emphatically say (Ezekiel 19:14), This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation." Why? 1. On account of present loss. They "forsake their own mercies," wrong their own selves as to present good. 2. On account of the uncertainty of life on earth. 3. On account of the force of habit (Jeremiah 13:23). Through the force of habit conscience may become so seared and the heart so hardened that the likelihood may rapidly lessen of the deteriorated mind ever stilting itself up to take hold on God. Let not the peculiarly encouraging character of the kind call be overlooked — "Let him take hold of My strength." (J. Elliot.) Parallel Verses KJV: And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. |
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