Isaiah 65:1

This chapter, along with the final chapter, deals with a number of different subjects, regarding some of the most remarkable of the themes Isaiah has discussed throughout the prophecy.

Regarding the divisions of this chapter, we have (1) God's reply to the complaints visible in Israel's prayer for deliverance (Isaiah 65:1-7); (2) regardless of the total destruction awaiting the irreligious majority, a faithful remnant shall be redeemed (Isaiah 65:8-12); (3) a mingling of threats to the unfaithful and promises to the faithful (Isaiah 65:13-16); (4) a glorious depiction of the age of Messiah (Isaiah 65:17-25).

Isaiah 65:1-7

"I am enquired of by them that asked not for me; I am found by them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, that walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts; a people that provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense upon bricks; that sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; that eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things in their vessels; that say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all day. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yea, I will recompense into their bosom, your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith Jehovah, that have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemer me upon the hills: therefore will I first measure their work into their bosom."

Kidner understood the first two verses here as, "An answer to the complaint of Isaiah 63:19."[1] This, of course does not deny the application of the passage to the call of the Gentiles (Romans 10:20). There is also an answer to the complaint of Isaiah 64:9 that God has "hidden his face," making himself hard to find. As McGuiggan noted, "Why, God had even been found by people who did not even ask for him ."[2] No, the problem lay not with God but with the Jews.

Hailey also observed that there is also an answer to the plea of Israel that they are "all" God's people. This is capable of two different meanings, both of which are erroneous: (1) that Israel constituted the totality of God's people, and (2) that all of the fleshly nation were indeed the people of God. Neither proposition was true, except in the rather loose sense that God created all men. Hailey wrote: "Jehovah's reply is that he is rejecting them (Israel),"[3] and that the Gentiles will also be called as God's people.

These seven verses are, "A castigation of the rebellious idolaters among them (which were the majority of the nation) and a warning that God's punishment must one day fall. However the innocent are not to suffer with the guilty (Isaiah 65:8-12)."[4] In no other section of Isaiah does the divided state of Israel appear any more sharply than here. Throughout the prophecy, we have repeatedly stressed the Two Israels to whom Isaiah is addressed, these being, The Reprobate Majority, and the Faithful Remnant. Cheyne called them, "The polytheistic party, and the true believers."[5]

In somewhat stronger terms, Archer referred to these verses: "This is a scathing indictment of the hypocritical Jewish nation of Isaiah's day, professing to be a holy and righteous people (Isaiah 65:5), and yet practicing all of the execrable abominations of the heathen. This description would be altogether inappropriate for the post-exilic Israel, which had abandoned idolatry forever."[6]

"I have spread out my hands all day ..." (Isaiah 65:2). "This means that God had invited them sincerely."[7] Cheyne stated that it was, "A gesture of prayer. What a condescension on God's part!"[8]

"Burning incense upon bricks ..." (Isaiah 65:3). All of the things mentioned here were associated with idolatry, and the pagan shrines in the gardens and groves of the heathen. The command of God was that sacrifices should be offered upon altars of unhewn stone (Exodus 20:24,25) and at the place where God had recorded his name. Sacrificing upon bricks was therefore wrong on two counts; it was in the wrong place, and the altar was not properly constructed.

"Continually ... and to my face ..." (Isaiah 65:3). "There was no attempt at concealment;"[9] and like the antediluvian, there was no intermission in their sinful deeds. They were wicked all the time, continually.

"That sit among the graves ..." (Isaiah 65:4). This was an action associated with witchcraft, necromancy, seeking "familiar spirits" among the dead, and all kinds of shameful activity connected with idolatry. Also, "The verse alludes to the custom of sleeping in sepulchres or vaults of idol temples to learn the future through dreams."[10]

"That eat swine's flesh ..." (Isaiah 65:4). This was specifically forbidden to Jews in Leviticus 11:7; and the mention of this here is proof that the period of Jewish history in view here is positively pre-exilic; because after the exile, the Jews had renounced idolatry and all such things for ever. This is elaborated in the apocryphal book of 2Maccabees (chapters 6,7), where is recorded the names of many Jewish martyrs who refused to bow to the edict of Antiochus Epiphanes who attempted to force Jews to demonstrate their renunciation of their religion by eating swine's flesh.

"That say, Stand by thyself ... for I am holier than thou ..." (Isaiah 65:5) is a reference to some idolatrous practice the renegade Jews had entered into, "A heathen mystery ... Idolatry was bad enough, but that heathen idolaters should assume superiority over God's `holy ones' was worse."[11]

"I will recompense, yea, I will recompense ..." (Isaiah 65:6) The verbs here are repeated, after the Hebrew manner of strong emphasis. Jehovah had just concluded in the previous verses a list of the excessively wicked and abominable deeds of the Israelites, which constitutes a list of particulars, explaining why God would most surely punish them.

"That have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills ..." (Isaiah 65:7). "The hills and mountains here are a Palestinian feature,"[12] It was a specialty of the Canaanite Baalism that many of their shrines were located on high hills and mountains, especially if a grove of trees was available in such locations. That is the reason that such shrines were generally called "high places." The orgiastic, licentious rites associated with those fertility cults were as shameful and debasing as anything ever associated with pagan worship. There can be no doubt whatever, that the attractiveness of such worship for the Jews was fundamentally that of sexual gratification.