The structure sets this line of thought before the eye.

The Psalmist (Psa. 106, 107), Stephen (Acts 7), and Paul (Acts 13),

adopted this same method of reviewing the past in their endeavours to call

the people to repentance.  Alas, while a few responded and repented, the

nation as a whole continued on their road to ruin and apostasy.  At last,

however, Israel shall look upon Him Whom they have pierced.  The One so long

despised and rejected shall at length be acknowledged, but not until this

rebellious people have sunk so low as to reckon that Abraham would be

ignorant of them, and Israel acknowledge them not.

Here, too, Israel will enter into the true character of their calling

and by so doing will enter more fully into the true character of their God.

It is the glory of the New Testament, whether it be in the Gospel of

the Kingdom (Matt. 6:9) or in the Gospel of the grace of God that the richest

and fullest title of the Almighty is therein made known -- 'The Father'.  As

the day of peace draws near, Israel look beyond the titles Jehovah and El

Shaddai, for these titles shadow forth part of His character, they, as a

kingdom as well as we as a church, must know Him as Father if our hope and

our faith is not to be ashamed.

'Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; Thy name is from

everlasting' (Isa. 63:16).

'But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our

Potter' (Isa. 64:8).

The cry of the people is now:

'Look down from heaven' (Isa. 63:15).

'Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down'

(Isa. 64:1).

And so upon the ground of grace and sonship, the restoration of Israel

is at length made squarely to rest.  No boasting, no self -assertion, no

empty pride can live in the light of grace, and even as they own the Father,

this people acknowledge that their acceptance cannot possibly be grounded on

their own merit:

'We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as

filthy rags ... Be not wroth very sore, O Lord ... Our holy and our

beautiful house, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with

fire' (Isa. 64:6 -11).

We are very near the end.  The glory of that day

is flooding these chapters with light that cannot be extinguished, yet so

vital is it that abounding grace should never be considered as indifferent to

righteousness and truth, that privilege should not completely hide

responsibility, that moral agents should not be made indifferent to moral

issues by the overwhelming sovereignty of grace, that words of stern reproof

mingle with most blessed assurances, and the closing section of this mighty

prophecy blends what might appear on the surface, two incongruous themes,

'The new Creation' (Isa. 66:22) and 'Gehenna' (Isa. 66:24), were it not that

we know that glorious as the Millennial kingdom will be, it is not the