64:8 Yet Isaiah did appeal to God for help. He appealed on the basis that Yahweh had brought Israel into existence and was, therefore, responsible for her regardless of her condition (cf. 63:16). She was just inert clay, but He was the Potter who had formed Israel as the work of His own hands (cf. Jer. 18:1-6; Rom. 9:19-21).
64:9 The prophet pled with God not to be overly angry with Israel and to put the memory of her sins behind Him. God should look on Israel in mercy simply because Israel was Yahweh's chosen people.
64:10 Judah lay desolate. Jerusalem was in ruins. The holy cities of the holy God reflected nothing of His greatness.
64:11 The holy temple had burned and all the precious things associated with Yahweh worship in it were gone.717Thus the Israelites were ashamed as well as ruined. Would God not do something in view of a situation that reflected so negatively on Him and His promises?
64:12 In conclusion, Isaiah asked the Lord if He would restrain Himself from acting in view of all these conditions. Would he remain silent to His people's prayers and allow their affliction to continue beyond what they could endure? Would He show no compassion?
The next two chapters give the Lord's response to this impassioned prayer of intercession for hopeless Israel.
