Isaiah 64:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They assert, "You are our Father, and we are the works of Your hands; therefore, do not hold Your anger against us." They acknowledge their missteps, admitting they deserve punishment due to their actions against the Son. Consequently, they approach cautiously, tempering their boldness with a plea that God would not remain forever wrathful. They proclaim that certainly, those who have engaged in such grave offenses deserve judgment, yet it would be fitting for Your mercy to alleviate the repercussions of righteous anger. Thus, they beseech, in times of distress, do not remember our iniquities, believing that indeed, we are all part of Your people and that we are the hail of Your sanctuary, referring to the temple as a symbol of Your divine presence.

You endure all this, O Lord, and have remained quiet while humbling us greatly. If we were to consider our own worthiness, we might lose all hope. Yet, since Your goodness instructs You to correct every child You embrace, we approach You with boldness. For You are our Father, who has deemed it fitting to call Israel Your firstborn son, as noted in Exodus 4:22.

Even though we are mere clay, creations of Your hands, and although a vessel cannot question its maker as to its form, we, knowing we are Your children, plead, "Do not let Your anger be too fierce." We do not seek to restrict Your wrath or request forbearance, which could bring about further judgment on the day of reckoning. Rather, we request that You temper Your anger, forgetting our sins during times of retribution and instead looking upon Your people, who once bore Your name, with compassion for Your sanctuary city, which once bore witness to Your glory.

This city, known as Zion and Jerusalem, was once filled with virtue and peace, refreshed by the river. Yet now, the temple of our sanctification, a place of reverence where our forefathers celebrated Your glory, has crumbled into ashes, destroyed by uncompromising flames. Here, sacrifices are no longer offered, Passover is not observed, and the sacred rites You commanded have been forsaken, leaving our most cherished possessions in ruins.

Will You, therefore, withhold Your mercy and remain silent before those who blaspheme? Would You strike and humble us not in the usual manner but to an extreme? The Jewish people believe these words were fulfilled during the reign of the Assyrians and Babylonians. However, we remain steadfast in our view that they foreshadow the Savior: "I was revealed to those who did not ask Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me," as expressed in Isaiah 65:1.

This speaks to the era of Roman triumph, comprehensively described by Josephus in his works, which detail the captivity of the Jews and illustrate the devastation. It is unnecessary to emphasize what is clear, for all that was once desired has been laid to waste, including the temple that was esteemed throughout the world, now reduced to mere rubble, even as the new city, named after Elijah, becomes a haunt for owls. It is in vain that they speak in their synagogues while we suffer affliction and humiliation.

This can also be interpreted in the context of the Church or the soul of a saint, which may justly be regarded as the pinnacle of spiritual vision, containing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If, however, through our own failings or that of the people, Zion is abandoned by the Lord, it becomes vulnerable to the burning darts of the adversary. All sinners are like a crucible of their desires; and when the essence of purity is driven away, the fire of lust takes hold in God's dwelling, leading to the downfall of all that was once glorious within us. What is spoken in the Psalms will come to pass: "Thy sanctuary shall be burned with fire; the dwelling place of Thy name shall be defiled on earth" (Psalms 43:7). Only the One from whom rivers of living water flow can quench such flames.