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 thou - In our lesson, the prophetic lamenter reminds God of
previous awe-inspiring theophanies-visible sings from the invisible God-that have occurred
in the past. Tangible evidence of the Almighty’s presence has come through sight,
sound, perceiving, experiencing, and knowing. The ripping open of the heavens "refers
to God’s self-manifestation at Sinai." [1] Such a repeat performance would
doubtless redress the present situation of assaults and taunts from their adversaries.
we - With verse 5bwe are introduced to the "we" of the
Thou/We of the prayer. With this change comes a change of tone and form; we move from
petition to confession of sin ("all of us have been sinful . . . filthy through and
through" (v. 5). Notice the repetition of the phrase, "all of us;"
corporate sin requires honest and open community confession.
rare familial language - the father language as an allusion to God is
rare but not absent in the Hebrew Bible. The language, for example, appears in the
previous chapter as a connection to the patriarch. But here the appellation refers not to
Abraham as in 63:15-19, but rather to God as the Father-Creator, who made Adam and
humanity in the divine image. [2]
 [3] Have you in the course
of your prayer conversation journey with God prayed in the full range and intensity of
your emotions? (joy, sorrow, doubt, fear) or has prayer moved within a narrower range?
- How does your church tradition affect the emotional range of praying persons? Have you
ever wanted to say something like 63:17 or 64:12?
- When do you wish that God would do something earth-shattering?
 block #1 - Explore
the opening remark-"O that you would rip open the heavens and descend." In what
current contexts would it be appropriate to pray that line? (You might want to review the
Children’s Letters to God series for examples of authentic heaven-ripping prayers!)
block #2 - Note the shift from a petition for God to silence the
adversaries to a vulnerable admission of complicity and guilt ("It’s me, O Lord
. . ." or "I have met the enemy and it is me!")
block #3 - Note how the text moves toward Father-language and a new
ground for hope.
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