Isaiah 65:1-25

65:1-5 | The Lord had offered Himself to His people (Rom. 10:20). He did not hide His face from the Israelites but they had distanced themselves from Him.

65:8 | The cluster refers to the entire nation of Israel. God promised to not destroy them all, just the bad grapes (the unrepentant) among them.

65:11-12 | Gad (“Troop” or “Fortune”) and Meni (“Number” or “Destiny”) were pagan deities that represented fate and good luck. Israel’s refusal to answer God’s call contrasts with God’s promise that “before they call, I will answer.”

65:17-18 | The promise that God will create new heavens and a new earth echoes Genesis 1:1. The first heaven and earth were ruined by sin and are in need of restoration and re-creation. From the very beginning (Gen. 1-2), God created humans as physical beings to live on a physical earth. And one day God will create a new earth, removing all the effects of sin that plague this present earth (Rev. 21:1).