When God Seems Absent

INTRODUCTION

In the immediate context of chapters 56-59, we see a portrait of untransformed sinners caught in the cycle of sin and unable to transform themselves. We have now introduced a new figure who can effect transformation.

This is the birth of a royal son who is the suffering servant who will put things right.

The structure of this section now changes voices.

It is like we are watching a fast-moving play. Different characters will speak about, to and as the transforming servant of the Lord, followed by a prayer of longing as the remnant expresses its desperation for the world to be changed

I will transform you Zion (60:1-22)

The spirit of the Lord is on Me.

I love justice.

I will not be silent

It is I mighty to save

Contextual Difficulty in Reading Isaiah

The difficulty in reading Isaiah at times is discerning whether the text refers to the first or second advent of Christ. Isaiah appears to be building a multifaceted picture of Jesus, not a timeline of the life of Jesus. 

What we can gain from reading 59:21–64:12 is a profound sense that Jesus loves his people with all the passion of a bridegroom, overwhelmed by his beautiful wife. And we can marvel at the mystery that when Jesus entered the world in human form he was, at the same time, God.

Isaiah 64:1–4 ESV

1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence— 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

vs 1 The plea for God’s physical presence on earth.

vs 2 The plea is for a past act of Acts of God here on earth.

vs 3-4 God acts in a redemptive way for those who wait for Him.

Big Idea: What Should we do when God seems Absent?

I. The Desperate Plea (Isaiah 64:1-4)

1. When God Seems Absent, Cry Out for His Presence

Have you ever had a time of desperation in your life when God appeared to be Distant and Absent? Perhaps you felt all alone and as if God doesn’t care about your situation or has exiled you to your own island.

Key Idea: God’s people long for Him to “rend the heavens” because they know who He is and what He has done. They also know the fear it strikes in the hearts of His enemies.

*Cry Out Honestly to God

This line is a present-tense plea with future-oriented Implications. In other words: Isaiah is crying out now for God to intervene soon, in a dramatic, saving way.

Isaiah does not brush away his feelings and pretend that everything is ok. He prays “oh that you would rend the heavens and come down.”

Have you ever honestly prayed this prayer? Have you prayed for God to come down and show himself to be faithful and true.

GOD INVITES OUR HONESTY

When People in Scripture Wore their Feelings on their Sleeves

Moses - “Why have you afflicted your servant.” (Numbers 11:10-15)

Moses feels overwhelmed by leadership. He tells God he can’t carry the burden alone and even says, “Just kill me now.”

Lesson: God invites leaders to bring Him their exhaustion, not pretend they’re fine.

Hannah - “I am a Woman deeply troubled.” (1 Samuel 1:10-16)

Hannah weeps bitterly because of her barrenness. She pours out her heart before the Lord so honestly that Eli thinks she’s drunk.

Lesson: Deep anguish is not faithlessness—God honors honest tears.

David — “How long, O LORD?” (Psalm 13)

One of the most honest prayers in Scripture. David expresses feeling forgotten, defeated, and overwhelmed.

Lesson: Lament is part of worship; God welcomes raw struggle.

Elijah — “It is enough; Lord, take my life.” (1 Kings 19:4)

Elijah runs into the wilderness exhausted and afraid. He tells God he can’t go on.

Lesson: Even God’s greatest servants experience crushing lows—and God meets them tenderly.

Job — “Why did You bring me out of the womb?” (Job 10:18)

Job cries out in deep pain and confusion. His questions are piercing, emotional, and unfiltered.

Lesson: God can handle our questions; He rebukes Job’s friends, not Job’s honesty.

Jeremiah — “You deceived me, LORD…” (Jeremiah 20:7)

Jeremiah laments the cost of his calling. His honesty borders on shocking—but God does not strike him down.

Lesson: God prefers ugly honesty over silent bitterness.

Jesus — “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Jesus quotes Psalm 22 in His deepest moment of anguish. This is the ultimate example of honest cry within perfect obedience.

Lesson: Honest lament is not sin—it is part of bearing pain before the Father.

The Early Church — “Lord, look upon their threats…” (Acts 4:24–31)

When persecuted, the church prays with urgency and boldness, acknowledging real danger.

Lesson: Honest prayer empowers mission and invites the Spirit’s filling.

Paul — “We despaired of life itself.” (2 Corinthians 1:8–10)

Paul confesses severe affliction, feeling crushed beyond his strength.

Lesson: Even apostles reached breaking points—and God delivered them.

All throughout scripture God’s people cry out honestly to Him, not because they lack faith but because trust god with their most desperate situations in this life.

*Remember God’s Past Faithfulness

a. Remembering past deliverance fuels present faith.

Recall God’s past faithfulness in - your story, scriptures story, the churches story.

1). Your Story

Remembering what God has done for you personally is how you build courage for what God is calling you to next.

Remembering God’s faithfulness in your story is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines in Scripture. The Bible commands us again and again: “Remember… do not forget… tell the next generation.”

But how do we actually do that?

Rehearse Specific Moments of God’s help in you life.

Not general feelings—specific events.

Why it matters: Israel constantly looked back to the Exodus. David remembered the lion and the bear before facing Goliath. Paul constantly recalled his conversion story.

Application:

Right down times when God specifically came through for you in your life. Speak them aloud to God.

Tell Your Testimony Often

Every time you share your story, you are rehearsing God’s faithfulness. David said:

“Come and hear… and I will tell what He has done for my soul.” (Ps 66:16)

Practice: Tell someone one part of your story this week— not the whole story, just a moment where God showed up.

Revisit God’s Faithfulness with Gratitude

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. The more you thank Him, the more you remember Him.

Practice: End your day by thanking God for one thing—just one—from that day.

2). Scriptures Story

We recall God’s past faithfulness through the story of Scripture by letting the entire biblical narrative teach us who God has always been. The Bible is not just a list of doctrines—it is a record of God’s faithful actions across generations so that when we forget, we can remember through their story.

God Creates with Goodness - Before there was sin there was the goodness of God.

Application: When life feels chaotic, remember the God who speaks order out of chaos.

God Rescues with Power

Israel’s defining memory was the Exodus. Over 120 times the Old Testament says some version of: “Remember that I brought you out of Egypt.”

Application: When you feel powerless, remember the God who breaks chains.

God Leads with Patience

Israel constantly failed, but, God’s faithfulness never failed as he come to them in the desert wanderings.

Application: In your wilderness seasons, God is not absent—He is training your trust.

God Restores with Grace

God established a king “after His own heart” and promised an everlasting throne.

David’s story shows:

God rescues us from enemies

God forgives our deep failure

God keeps His covenant despite human sin

Application: God’s promises do not depend on human perfection.

God Saves with Sacrifice

Israel’s darkest period becomes a stage for God’s brightest promises. Through the prophets, God says:

“I will bring you back.”

“I will make a new covenant.”

“I will send My Servant.”

Even judgment becomes the pathway to redemption.

Application: When punishment or consequences come, God’s goal is restoration—not rejection.

God finishes with His Glory

The gospels all the way to Revelation

Remember - His incarnation - His Miracles - His Cross - His resurrection - His spirit - and His return.

Application: If God gave His Son, He will never abandon you now (Rom 8:32). “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things.”

3). The churches Story

*God Built His Church Despite Opposition

Acts 4-5 : From the beginning the opposition was fierce, but it only made the gospel spread faster.

*God transforms broken people into bold witnesses

Church history is filled with unlikely heroes:

Peter: coward turned preacher

Paul: persecutor turned apostle

Augustine: prodigal turned theologian

Luther: fearful monk turned reformer

Truth revealed: God delights in using weak, flawed, ordinary people for His extraordinary purposes.

The Story Doesn’t End with the Early Church

There are seasons of darkness through the Middle Ages and into the Reformation. God will not let the Church fail as he raises up heralds and champions for the world of truth.

God sends revival when His people become awakened through great men like George Whitfield, Johnathan Edwards, the great Welsh revival, the Korean revival.

God today extends His kingdom to the ends of the earth.

Africa from 5 million Christians in 1900 to 700 million today.

Asia - explosive underground church growth

South America - massive gospel expansion

Global South - now the center of Christianity.

And now through the suffering of the martyrs in Nigeria where 52,000 Christian slain over the past 14 years.

Isaiah 64:5–7 ESV

5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

II. Honest Confession (Isaiah 64:5-7)

2. When God Seems Absent, Examine Your Heart and Confess Your Sin.

Can Sin Cause God’s Absence?

Yes and No? Depending on what we mean by absence. Scripture teaches that sin does not remove God’s presence; however, it does change how we experience God’s presence, fellowship and favor.

Psalm 139:7 ESV

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Even in Judgement God is present - Even in Exile God is present - Even in Discipline God is present.

Sin Can disrupt our fellowship with God.

*This does not mean that God vanishes or lacks awareness.

Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Fellowship is broken

Enjoyment of His presence is diminished

He withholds His responsive favor.

Distance from God often reveals a Spiritual drift, not divine absence. Isaiah leads the people in corporate confession not blame.

Some people feel stuck in sin. They are in a continual cycle of sinful behavior and fee as if they will never recover. We must come to God and confess our sin and admit our human weakness.

Paul gives us a remarkably honest window into how he continually confessed his weakness and sin before God. He never pretended to be spiritually strong in himself. Instead, he lived in a rhythm of humble confession, dependence, and continual reliance on Christ’s mercy and grace.

*Romans 7:15 “I do not do what I want, but do the very thing I hate.”

*2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “I will boast all the more in my weakness” (referring to the thorn in the flesh)

*1 Timothy 1:12-16 “Paul confessed His past sins.”

*2 Corinthians 4:16 “Paul constantly acknowledged his need for daily renewal.”

* God Meets the Righteous, but His Anger is Kindled Against Sin

How does God meet the righteous?

God is not passive - God is not distant - God does not watch from the sidelines

He steps toward those who: God will go nine steps towards us but we must take that last step towards Him.

Seek Him

Trust Him

Obey Him

Remember His ways.

This is the comfort Isaiah wants Israel to remember: Before we called for God to come down, He was already a God who comes near. He was already working for your Salvation.

Notice that He comes to us in the middle of our sin. Romans 5:6 “for while we were still weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:8 “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

*Sin Has Corrupted and Defiled Us Completely

I do not think we realize how sinful we are or how great a grace we have been given.

Even the most righteous person is completely and undeniably corrupted by sin.

Moral Complacency and Self-Deception

The assumption of one's own goodness can lead to a lack of self-reflection and an inability to recognize personal flaws, biases, or the need for moral improvement. People may judge themselves by a low standard (e.g., "grading on a curve" against others), which is seen as unwise from a Christian perspective.

We desperately need to recover the awareness of our own sin. Our culture has embraced the idea that we can be good, or worse that we born naturally good.

This is one of the greatest lies that Satan continues to weave into the fabric of this fallen world. Not many of us can go three seconds without sinning. This has real and recognizable consequences in life that we experience and then cast blame on whatever ill in society is in front of us. Rather than pointing to sin, which we take part in continually, we blame others.

Illustration: The Contaminated Bandage

Imagine a person falls and cuts their leg deeply while hiking. It’s dirty, bleeding, and clearly infected. But instead of going to the doctor, they find an old, filthy rag from the trunk of their car—soaked with oil and moldy from age—and wrap the wound with it, thinking it will help.

What happens?

The rag doesn't heal.

It infects the wound more.

What they thought would fix things actually makes it worse.

That’s what Isaiah is saying: Our self-righteousness is like a moldy bandage—trying to heal ourselves with something that only worsens our condition.

Application:

We can’t cleanse ourselves with filthy rags—no matter how sincere or religious they look. God is not impressed by outward morality when the heart is sick with pride.

We don’t need better rags—we need a new heart and a righteousness not our own Phil 3:9

Philippians 3:9 ESV

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

CONSIDER THE SLOW FADE OF SIN

Sin becomes a slow fading reality in our lives. Most people do not set out their day to fall into sin in their lives. Many sins that we find ourselves falling into are possibly things we rarely even give a second thought. Things like pride, self-righteousness, gluttony, gossip, covetousness, hatred, holding grudges, little white lies, negative thoughts, anxiety, subtle manipulation.

We all fade like a leaf into the degradation of our sinful ways.

Our iniquities like the wind carry us away - the power that drag us away is beyond our control.

*Spiritual Apathy Leads to Slumber

There is no one who calls upon the Lord, no one rouses himself to take hold of the Lord. We live in a culture of apathetic and narcoleptic Christians.

God has hidden himself from our iniquities - indicates the mark of the covenantal distance with God.

We melt away in our sins unable to redeem ourselves.

The Unattended Garden (Neglect Always Leads to Decline)

A garden doesn’t need sabotage to die. Just neglect. Stop watering, stop pulling weeds, stop giving it attention— and nature will take it back. Thorns grow without effort. Fruit requires constant tending.

Point: You don’t have to actively fight God to drift into apathy. Just stop tending your soul. Neglect is enough to choke your spiritual life.

Where have we excused, minimized, or covered sin rather than confessing it?

Isaiah 64:8–9 ESV

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people.

III. Appeal to Relationship (Isaiah 64:8-9)

3. When God Seems Absent, Lean Into Your Identity

Israel appeals to God’s mercy, by reminding God, and themselves, of His identity:

God is Father; they are His children

God is Potter; they are His clay

This is the theological basis of their plea: God is bound to them by covenant and by creation.

They are confessing dependence: “We cannot fix ourselves - we need you to remake us.”

When we feel broken we need to trust in the Potters hand. After confessing Israel’s deep and desperate state of sin he appeals to the only hope that they or we for that matter has left: God’s covenant relationship and God’s sovereign craftsmanship.

God is not indifferent

God is not Powerless

God is shaping you even when you do not feel Him

Do this: Say out loud: “You are my Father. You are shaping me. I trust Your hands.”

“But Now” - The pivot from confession to hope.

Isaiah is in essence saying...

“Even though we have sinned… even though we deserve judgment… Now we appeal to who You are, not who we are.”

* Our Hope is Not in Our Performance but God’s Identity

God’s Identity as our “Father” …

a. God is still inextricably bound to His people even after their unfaithfulness…

(a father does not abandon his children, even when they rebel)

b. This is a covenant term not a sentimental one…

he chose Israel

he redeemed Israel

he disciplined Israel

he loves Israel

C. God’s fatherhood is the basis of the plea for mercy.

God’s Identity as our “Potter” …

Creator - Creature - Relationship

The Potter and Clay image in Isaiah always carries with it two ideas:

God’s Sovereign Right

God shapes nations, kings, and individuals.

Isaiah 45:9 ESV

9 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?

He has the right to …

-Discipline Us

-Reshape Us

-Restore Us

God’s Tender Skill

The potter is not a destroyer but a craftsman. He works with intention, patience and care.

Isaiah in Essence is Saying:

We are not self-made. We belong to your creative hands. So remake us, not reject us.

The Japanese Kintsugi Bowl (Beauty Through Brokenness)

Kintsugi is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold. Instead of hiding the cracks, the master highlights them—making the vessel more valuable after it breaks.

Point: God is the Potter who doesn’t discard the broken. He restores with beauty. In His hands, your cracks become places where His glory shines.

This is all about a confession of Dependence on God.

We are all the work of your hand - a Corporate Admission of Dependence on God!

Note: Notice that the call is for God to not remember their iniquities forever.

So asking God not to “remember iniquity” means:

“Do not treat us according to our sin.” “Do not let our sin define our relationship.” “Do not act toward us on the basis of our guilt.”

Remembering our sin’s would be continual judgement forever.

*God’s Mercy is not in Our Performance But God’s Identity

Mercy is a very part of who God is. Ephesians 2:4

Ephesians 2:4 ESV

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

“Mercy is God bending down to lift the sinner who can’t stand, covering the guilt we cannot erase, and restoring what we ruined— not because we deserve it, but because He delights to show compassion.”

Why this Matters Theologically?

Isaiah’s prayer anticipates the Gospel Message.

*God Does remember sin’s no more. Jeremiah 31:34 “34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.””

READ PSALM 103

*His Anger is fully turned away in Jesus Christ as we read in Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 64:9 is the longing that Christ now fulfills.

Isaiah 64:10–12 ESV

10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins. 12 Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

IV. Lament over Destruction (Isaiah 64:10-12)

* We Continue to Pray Even When We Don’t Have Answers

Isaiah ends the chapter still waiting. God hasn’t answered—yet he keeps pleading:

“Will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent?”

This is not unbelief. It is tenacious faith.

Do this: Persist in prayer even when it feels dry. Often God does His deepest work in the silence (Ps 40:1; Lam 3:25–26).

Psalm 40:1 ESV

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.

CONCLUSION

“The Boy on the Bridge” — A Story of Mercy

There was once a small town built along a wide, rushing river. In the center of the town stood an old wooden bridge that everybody used. Kids loved to ride their bikes across it, even though all the parents warned them to be careful—the river below was deep and fast.

One afternoon, a little boy named Daniel ignored his mother’s warning and rode his bike across the bridge while it was wet from a recent rain. His tires slipped. He skidded sideways and tumbled off the edge into the raging water.

The current was strong. Daniel couldn’t swim well. He yelled for help as the river dragged him downstream.

Up on the hill lived a man named Mr. Harwood—an older, quiet man who had lost his only son months earlier in a drowning accident. He was working in his yard when he heard the screams. He ran to the riverbank, saw the boy struggling, and without hesitation jumped in.

The current was icy and violent, but Mr. Harwood swam out, grabbed Daniel, and dragged him toward the shore. By the time they reached safety, Mr. Harwood was exhausted and shaking, barely able to stand.

Daniel’s mother came running, terrified. She wrapped her son in her arms and kept saying, “Thank you… thank you… how can we ever repay you?”

And Mr. Harwood, still dripping and trembling, whispered:

“You don’t have to repay me. I know what it feels like to lose a son. I wasn’t going to let you lose yours.”

He didn’t save the boy because the boy listened.

He didn’t save him because he deserved it.

He saved him because his own heart had been broken… and that broken heart overflowed in mercy.

When God Seems far Away What do you do?

Cry Out Honestly to God

Remember His Past Faithfulness and Thank Him

Confess Where you Have Drifted away.

Rest in Who He is - Father/Potter

Persist in Prayer and Hope