THE KING’S BUSINESS
1Ö96
v. 5. “He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return." Though i Jehovah’s love never tired, still Israel must be punished for their sin. Be cause of their persistent refusal to repent and return to God, they must fall under the awful power of the Assyrian. This judgment had been predicted centuries be fore in connection with the original giv ing of the law to Israel (Lev. 26:31, 33; Deut. 32:25). If any one doubts that the Pentateuch was given directly by inspira tion of God, let him compare the prophecies that were made to Israel at the beginning of the law, with Israel as a nation in the centuries that followed, and it will be clearly evident that God is the author of the revelation contained in the Pentateuch. Love does not mean that there shall be no suffering for the backslider because he is loved. Rather, jtist because God loves the backslider He chastens him (Heb, 12:6). The fact that,God loves the backslider may make the backslider sure he will suffer if he does not repent—suffer grievously. It is 'because of God’s love to the Jew that the Jews who reject their Messiah are suf fering as they do today. v. 6. "And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own coun sels.” If we will not serve God in joyous, filial, well-requited service, then we must fall under the awful yoke of the Assyrian until we are brought to repentence. Israel’s punishment was to be terrific, and Israel’s punishment has been terrific, but all be cause God is love, and the fact that God loves us makes it certain that our punish ment will be terrific if we wander from Him. v. 7. “And my people are bent to back sliding from m e :. though they called them to the Most High, none at all would exalt Him." Israel manifested one constant tendency of ever backsliding from Jehovah, and the average believer today is “bent to backsliding.” The call went forth con stantly for Israel to worship and exalt Je hovah, but none would exalt Him. The warring nations of the earth are crying to
2:13; 3:7). The history of nominal Chris tians is largely the same as the history of Israel; professing Christians are constantly going after false gods and false doctrines. They run after every new error that crops up, and also they go after money, pleasure and sin. The history of the professing church throughout the centuries has run closely parallel in essential matters -with the history of Israel, as recorded in the historical books of the Old Testament and the prophecies gj[ human nature is always the same. v. 3. "I taught Ephraim also to go, tak ing them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed, them.” Over against the per sistent backsliding of Israel, Jehovah here sets forth His own tender love to Israel. Jehovah represents Himself'' as a father teaching Israel to walk, carrying him in His arm's, and healing him when he was ill (cf. Ex. 19:14; Deut. 1:31; 32:10-12; Isaiah 46:3; 63:9). What a wonderful picture we have here of the tender, fatherly, yes, motherly (cf. Isaiah 49:15), love of God. Just so God deals with the believer today. But all the while God was thus dealing as a father, or mother, with a young child, in tenderest love and watch fulness and care, Israel “knew not” what Jehovah was doing for him. In the same way the average believer today does not recognize what God is doing for him. How little realization even the average Christian has of the tender watchfulness and minis tries of God. Hp teaches us to walk. He takes us in His arm,. He heals us. v. 4. “I drew them with cords of a man, with, bands of love : and I was to thim as they, that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat before them.” (R. V.) Here Jesus represents Himself as drawing Israel with bands of love. This even in the Old Testament. But he draws us with a mightier band of love, revealed iri the crucifixion of our Lord in our place (John 12:32; 2 Chron. 5:14; John 3:16). He also reveals Himself as delivering Israel from the grievous yoke that was upon him, and laying food before them: and so our Lord delivers us from our yoke (Matt. 11:28- 30), and lays abundant food before us.
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