Tear Open the Heavens
"We are the clay, and You are the potter"
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
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What does it say?
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The whole message, in shortThe main points of the whole message, in a few sentences.
God's people remembered how the LORD carried them in the past, then prayed, "If only You would rend the heavens and come down!" They confessed that even their righteous acts were like filthy rags and their sins had blown them away like leaves. But they held on: "O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter."
Where it is in the Bible: Isaiah 63:7-9 and 64:1-9
All the sections at a glanceA map of the message, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Message
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Remembering God's Love | 63:7-9 | God carried his people in the past |
| 2. Tear Open the Heavens | 64:1-4 | A cry for God to come down |
| 3. Like Filthy Rags | 64:5-7 | An honest confession of sin |
| 4. You Are the Potter | 64:8-9 | We belong to God, our Father |
Before You Read
Who it's for. God's people after the exile. They had come home, but Jerusalem and the temple were still in ruins. God seemed far away.
What this passage is. A prayer, one of the most honest in the Bible. The people remember God's love in the past, confess their sin, and beg God to come down.
How to read it. Hear it as a cry from people who are waiting for God. That's why the church prays it at the start of Advent, the season of waiting for Jesus.
Section by Section
Section 1 of 4Remembering God's Love
"I will make known the LORD's loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts" (63:7).
God said, "They are my people." "So He became their Savior" (63:8).
"In all their distress, He too was afflicted" (63:9). When they suffered, God suffered with them.
"He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old" (63:9).
Section 2 of 4Tear Open the Heavens
Now the people pray.
"If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence" (64:1).
To rend means to tear open. They want God to rip open the sky and come.
They remember times God did amazing things they didn't expect.
"No eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him" (64:4).
Section 3 of 4Like Filthy Rags
Then they confess. "Surely You were angry, for we sinned" (64:5).
"All our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (64:6). Even the good things they did were stained.
"We all wither like a leaf" (64:6). Like dry leaves, their sins blew them away.
No one was calling on God anymore.
Section 4 of 4You Are the Potter
Then comes a "but."
"But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand" (64:8).
A potter shapes clay with his hands. Clay can't shape itself.
"Do not remember our iniquity forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray; we are all Your people!" (64:9).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "In all their distress, He too was afflicted" (63:9) | God shares the pain of his people. |
| "He lifted them up and carried them" (63:9) | God carried his people like a parent. |
| "Rend the heavens and come down" (64:1) | A cry for God to come close and act. |
| "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (64:6) | Even our best isn't clean enough on its own. |
| "You are our Father" (64:8) | The people still belong to God. |
| "We are the clay, and You are the potter" (64:8) | God can reshape us. |
Back Then
Potters were common. People used clay pots for cooking, storage, and water. Jeremiah also watched a potter reshape clay (Jeremiah 18:1-6).
The temple lay in ruins for many years after the exile, until it was rebuilt around 515 BC (Ezra 6:15).
Advent means "coming." The church prays this prayer as it waits to celebrate Jesus's coming at Christmas, and his coming again.
Literal Reader Alert
Are my good works worthless? Good works help our neighbors, and God loves them. But they can't make us clean before God. Only God's forgiveness can.
Does God hide his face? Sometimes God feels far away. The people tell God honestly how it feels. God is still listening.
Can I pray like this? Yes. Honest prayer, even "Where are you, God?", is part of the Bible.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The people | Grateful | They remembered God's love (63:7) |
| The people | Desperate | They wanted God to come down (64:1) |
| The people | Ashamed | They confessed their sins (64:6) |
| The people | Hopeful | God is their Father, the potter (64:8) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What would you pray today? Tap one.
Come down
"Tear open the heavens." Tell God you need him.
I'm sorry
Like the people, you can confess honestly.
Shape me
"We are the clay." Ask God to shape you.
Thank you
Remember how God has carried you.
You Might Have Heard
"If I try hard enough, I can be good enough for God."
What's true: God wants us to do good.
What the passage is mainly about: The people admit that even their best is like filthy rags. They don't promise to try harder. They ask God, their Father and potter, to come down and save them.
Where Jesus is: God answered this prayer. He tore open the heavens and came down in Jesus.
Good News
The people cried, "Come down!" God did.
"But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter" (64:8).
In Jesus, God came down. He shares our pain, forgives our sins, and shapes us into his people.
The people begged God to tear open the heavens and come down. He did, in Jesus. We are the clay, and he is the potter.
Big Idea
"Tear open the heavens and come down!" The people confessed their sin and called on God their Father, the potter. He came down, in Jesus.
If this message brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther taught that our righteousness is like filthy rags, but Christ covers us with his own. Isaiah 64:6 was one of the verses he used to show we are saved by grace.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year B, it reads Isaiah 64:1-9 on the First Sunday of Advent. In Year A, it reads Isaiah 63:7-9 on the First Sunday of Christmas.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter
How did that feel?
You finished Tear Open the Heavens.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- First Sunday of Christmas Year AFirst reading, Isaiah 63:7–9
- First Sunday of Advent Year BFirst reading, Isaiah 64:1–9
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Tear Open the Heavens, explained in plain words. God's people beg him to come down. An honest prayer for Advent. About 7 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/tear-open-the-heavens/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church