Isaiah 64: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Isaiah 64 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

The people cry for God's presence, asking him to 'tear the heavens' and come down (vv. 1-2). They remember how God acted in the past, when he did 'awesome things.

Key verse

“But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.”
Isaiah 64:8 (WEB)

Outline

Isaiah 64:1–2 A Cry for Divine Presence
Isaiah 64:3–4 Remembering God's Past Actions
Isaiah 64:5–7 Acknowledging Human Sinfulness
Isaiah 64:8–9 Recognition of God's Fatherhood
Isaiah 64:10–11 Desolation of the Holy Places
Isaiah 64:12 A Plea for God's Response

Discussion questions

In v1, what does the speaker ask God to do regarding 'the heavens'?
What does the phrase 'polluted garment' in v6 indicate about righteousness?
In v5, why does the speaker ask whether they shall be saved after acknowledging their sins?
In v10, what does the term 'holy cities' suggest about the state of Jerusalem?
When have you felt like 'clay' in the hands of a potter, as mentioned in v8?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Isaiah 64: 1 Corinthians 2, Psalm 31, Psalm 14.

Before next time: read Isaiah 65.