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Like kindling when it just begins to catch fire, or like water that’s about to boil.
    If only You would come like that so that all who deny or hate You
Would know who You are and be terrified of Your grandeur.

The prophet is convinced that there is no hope apart from God’s decisive action. It is not enough to address God’s people and the nations and urge them to do better next time. The world cannot be repaired this way; in fact, it can’t be repaired from below at all. It must be made new from above. So the prophet turns to God and utters a prayer, “Rip open the heavens. Come down. Strike your enemies with terror. Do for us what You did for Your people in times past.” This is what it will take to restore God’s people, illumine the nations, and repair a world desperately broken by sin.

We remember that long ago You did amazing things for us
    that we had never dreamed You’d do.
You came down, and the mountains shook at Your presence.
Nothing like that had ever happened before—no eye had ever seen,
    and no ear had ever heard such wonders,
But You did them then for the sake of Your people, for those who trusted in You.

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