Isaiah 65:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

You have made our hearts hard so that we do not revere you” (Isaiah 63:17), and reiterated, “Zion will be desolate, as Jerusalem has been left desolate, a reproach: our sacred sanctuary” (Isaiah 64:10-11), it is evident that the countenance of Christ Himself emerges, as if addressing their transgressions for which they were made to endure these trials—transgressions they fail to recognize in themselves, instead attributing to Him the punishment that has befallen them. He stated, I was revealed to those who do not seek me; I was discovered not by those who inquire of me. Indeed, by His own intention, the Savior entered their places of worship, teaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, healing every illness and ailment among the people (Matthew 4:23), as recorded. For regarding His wondrous deeds that exceed words and expectations, what hasn’t He accomplished? The lepers were cleansed, the deceased were raised from their graves by His touch and the divine power of God, the blind received sight, and the lame leapt like deer. Thus, Christ also addressed those who witnessed these acts, saying, “If I do not perform the works of my Father, do not believe in me; but if I do, even if you do not trust me, believe in my works” (John 10:37-38). Therefore I declare, Behold, I am, O tongue, that has not called on my name. In one instance, He proclaimed: I am the light of the world (John 8:12); in another, He said: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink; he who believes in me, as the Scripture states, rivers of living water shall flow from his heart (John 7:37-38); yet, they refused to call upon His name, despite His repeated and clear declarations: Behold, I am.

I called out, ‘Behold, I am among a people who did not invoke My name.’ In response to the prayers of the people, infused with their laments, as they asked, ‘Why, O Lord, have You allowed us to drift from Your path, and hardened our hearts so that we do not revere You?’ (Isaiah 63:17), God the Father, as the Jews maintain, and as we affirm, responded: I am not unyielding or insensitive; I desire the repentance of the sinner rather than their demise (Ezekiel 2), and I do not turn away those who seek to return to Me, provided they uphold the sanctity of their title, as I am even inclined to save those outside My fold. To those who did not seek Me and could not claim, ‘But Moses spoke of Him in the law and the prophets, and found Jesus’ (John 1:45), I made My presence known. The prophet also testified elsewhere, saying, ‘To those who have not heard of Him, they will hear, and to those who have not perceived, they will come to understand’ (Isaiah 42:15). Yet you, who immerse yourselves in the law of God perpetually, boast in vain about repentance, neglecting to perform its deeds. Therefore, the evangelist and the apostles, wanting to validate the Lord’s coming through the testimonies of the Old Testament, consistently affirmed, ‘Let what was spoken by the prophet be fulfilled’ (Matthew 1:22). The centurion did not seek the Lord but received the word from Him, ‘I have found no faith in Israel’ (Luke 7:9). The Syrophoenician woman, unfamiliar with the prophets’ declarations, is commended by the Lord for her great faith (Matthew 15:28). The nobleman, referred to as βασιλικός in Greek (John 4:16), more aptly rendered as courtier from the term palace, obtained healing not just for his son but for his entire household. The Hebrew phrasing that states those who had not inquired of Me before now sought Me conveys a similar notion: those who were previously ignorant of God come to seek the Lord and gain knowledge through the revelation bestowed upon Paul during his persecution of the Church (Acts 9), and to the apostle Peter, it is said: Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 16:17). Moses sought the Lord, petitioning God, ‘If I have found favor in Your sight, show me Your essence, that I may behold You’ (Exodus 33:13). He spiritually envisioned the magnificence and vast treasures of Egypt, looking forward to the scorn of Christ, desiring the reward that is to come, as if he beheld the invisible God. The Psalms also declare of Him: the expectation of all the ends of the earth and of those who are in the sea afar off (Psalms 64:6), and in Genesis: He is the hope of the nations (Genesis 49:10). Furthermore, when I said, ‘Behold, I am with the people who have not called upon My name,’ it corresponds with the thought: He who sent Me to you (Exodus 3:14). He, being the likeness of God, did not consider it something to grasp at being equal with God (Philippians 2). By calling forth the nations of the world, He established the Christian community as co-equal with Himself.

This people provokes My anger in My presence."' Indeed, the Jews, who held the prophecies and had always awaited the Messiah, did not recognize Him and, furthermore, not only failed to acknowledge Him but also rejected Him. In contrast, the Gentiles, who had not heard of Christ until His apostles arrived from Jerusalem, proclaimed Him and shared the prophecies. With joy and faith, they turned away from their idols, yielding to the God who is uncreated through Christ.