Oh, that You would come down
“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence” (Isa 64:1 NKJV).
The prophet Isaiah begged the Lord to come down. Oh God, it is about time that you deal with the idolatry and ungodliness in Israel. At the outset of the Book of Isaiah, the prophet is a young and enthusiastic preacher and a family man. As the book proceeds, more details are revealed to him about the Messiah (e.g. 9:6-7). The expectations are high. Later, he realizes that the Messiah has not yet come. The Holy Spirit also reveals to him that the Coming One will be a suffering servant, not only a king (Isa 53). What is going on? At the end of his ministry, which lasted about forty years, the Promised One never came. Oh God, where are you?
I am sure that we can identify with Isaiah, can we not? God has come down many times in history, but always on His timetable. To deliver Israel from the Egyptian bondage is one example (Ex 3:8). To provide salvation for humanity is another one (Gal 4:4). In Matthew 27:42, the religious leaders mocked Jesus. They told Him to come down from the cross. However, He had come down from Heaven to the cross. Therefore, He did not come down from the cross (John 12:27). Experientially speaking, God will always come down for us in times of need. That is His character and desire (Jer 29:11).