NOTES for Isa 64:1-12
Today's reading brings us back to one of the central themes of both the Old and New Testaments: the theme of righteousness. To understand the meaning of the chapter offered to us today, it is important to remember that the traditional idea of righteousness in the Jewish community, both before the exile and partly after the exile, was formed in the context of traditional religious ideas.
Every religion presupposes that righteousness is in principle attainable, provided certain religious norms are observed. In other words, righteousness is attained by a person with God's help, but through the person's own human efforts. And God rewards the righteous person for his efforts by easing and simplifying the external circumstances of his life so that the righteous person can devote more time and attention to his religious life. After all, the more time he has left for fulfilling his religious duties, the more good deeds he will manage to do for God, reaching an even greater degree of righteousness.
The prophet, however, speaks about something else. He understands perfectly well that a person's righteousness is worth nothing without God's support: it is enough for God to turn away, to "hide His face," and all human righteousness scatters like smoke (vv. 6-7). The Hebrew text of v. 7 implies just this meaning: where the Russian text has "therefore," the Hebrew text has "because."
Such an understanding of righteousness ran counter to established views. It made human righteousness only a shadow of God's righteousness. But, on the other hand, only with this understanding of righteousness did the fate of the people of God become intelligible. God wanted His people in His hands to be like clay in the hands of a potter (v. 8). Yet achieving such complete obedience from the people was far from simple. They had to pass through a historical catastrophe in order not only to understand in words, but also to feel in reality their absolute dependence on God. And only now, when the lesson had been given and learned, could they ask God to intervene (vv. 9-12). For the people had truly become different, and the plea for help meant help for this different, new people, a people ready to take the next step on the path to the Kingdom.