Tear Open Heaven

Come Lord Jesus

Isaiah 64:1 (NRSV)

64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,

so that the mountains would quake at your presence— The English Standard version says to rend- definition: tear (something) into two or more pieces."snapping teeth that would rend human flesh to shreds"Similar:tear/rip apart-tear/rip in two, tear/rip to pieces, split, rupture, sever, separate, cleave, tear/rip asunder, sunder, sever ARCHAIC wrench (something) violently."he rent the branch out of the tree"LITERARY-cause great emotional pain to (a person or their heart)."you tell me this in order to make me able to betray you without rending my heart" I do not know if I understood the impact of rend before. Without this definition I don’t know if I could truly understand what happens when God tears open Heaven.

This was something the writer was asking for that was life changing. These words pertain to the very presence of God coming down as He did before. Mt. Sinai, God came down and His very presence was known. The people swore an oath.

Isaiah 64:2 (NRSV)

2 as when fire kindles brushwood

and the fire causes water to boil—

to make your name known to your adversaries,

so that the nations might tremble at your presence! The first part of this passage is all about God, His very presence. When God shows up it is a grand experience. At Mt. Sinai the people were seeking a god while Moses was in the presence. God showed up with all His anger and made a grand appearance. Did the people understand that God was so mad that He could have destroyed them all.

English Standard Version Chapter 32

9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

The people were not expecting such a show of God’s authority, Isaiah 64:3 (NRSV)

3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,

you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. The writer explains that no one has ever seen any other god do what you have done. Isaiah 64:4 (NRSV)

4 From ages past no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who works for those who wait for him.

In verse 5 the narrative shifts from being centered on God to being centered on us. Isaiah 64:5 (NRSV)

5 You meet those who gladly do right,

those who remember you in your ways.

But you were angry, and we sinned;

because you hid yourself we transgressed. The key here is a couple of things, firstly, you will now hear we over and over, as the writer explains our position. Secondly, we should focus on those who do right. Because when the Israelites spoke about God showing up it was not good because He made the mountains quake. Perhaps they were afraid for reasons of the mountains shaking, but if they had known then that god had thought about destroying them all the shaking might have had a greater meaning.

As we begin the Advent Season, we once again begin the season of celebrating the Advent of the coming of Jesus. But can we remember that the Sinai experience turned out okay because Moses pleaded with god to spare our lives.

We celebrate Jesus coming down, as we should, but let us also remember that the appearance of God was a spectacular event which gave the people the memory that no other god had ever done anything so amazing that the people identified Him as set apart.