THE KING’S BUSINESS
1097
Ephriam: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city." Here w'e have a representation /of the passionate char acter of the love' of God for Israel. He says: “I will not exercise the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephriam” (cf. ch. 14:4; Ex. 32:10-14; Isa. 48:9; Jer. 30:11; Ezek. 20:8,9, 13, 14, 21, 23). Just so He is dealing with us today. We richly deserve, often times, the fierce ness of His anger; He will not exercise it. He does chasten us, and chasten us se verely for our sins. All of Israel’s hope, and all of our hope is in God, and it is be cause of what God is, and not because of what we are, that we are not utterly de stroyed. We deserve to be, but God is God “and not man,” and His purpose of love and redemption He will carry out in spite of what we may be or do (Rom. 11:28, 29). vs. 10, 11. “They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion :, when he shall roar, then the -children shall tremble from the west. They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove, out o f the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saitli the Lord.” Here we have a prediction of the repentance t>f Israel and of their restoration. In spite of their persistent backsliding, God de clares that ultimately “They shall walk after JehovahL’ (cf. Rom. 11:26). This prediction has not received its complete fulfillment to this day, but it will receive it. It -is the mighty voice of jehovah Him self that will be the means by which they will be brought to repentance, and they “shall come trembling from the west,” and “out of Egypt,” and “out of the land of Assyria.” Wherever Israel is scattered, they shall be discovered and brought back (cf. Isa. 11:11),, They shall be restored to their own land, and made to dwell in their own houses (cf. Isa. 11:11, 12; Ezek 36:24; 37:21; Zeph. 3:19, 20; Ezek. 37:19, 22, 23, 24 ; 36:25-27, 29; Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:33-38.; Zech. 8:3-5 ; Isa. 49:22,23; Rom. 11 r25-33). There is a wonderful future for Israel, guaranteed by the Word of God, who cannot lie.
God for help, but they are not exalting Him by their lives and conduct, nor doing what is pleasing in His sight. There is no power in such prayer; it is an abomination to God. When the nations repent and pray for peace, then they can expect to get it. Today, ns then, while the call is going forth to exalt the Lord, it may be said of the great mass, even of professed Christians, “none at all will exalt Him,” and while people pray to Him in times of difficulty and danger, they,forget to exalt Him in their lives. v. 8 . “How shall I give thee up, Eph raim? _ How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me; my repentings are kin dled together.” There is a wonderful ten derness in the opening words of this verse. Israel would persist in his backsliding, but still the love'of God would not let him go , (cf. Jer. 9:7; Lam. 3:33). These words remind us of the words of our Lord Jesus regarding Jerusalem in its persistent re jection of Himself (Matt. 23:37; cf. Luke 19:41, 42). God’s attitude toward the per sistent backslider today is just the same; wander as far and as often as we will, God’s love cannot and will not give us up. But while God’s love would not give Israel up, and has not given Israel up to this day, nevertheless, Israel’s persistent'backsliding made it necessary that they be sternly dealt with, dealt with)just as Admah, Zeboim and the other cities of the plain had been dealt with (cf. Gen. 14:8; 19:24, 25; Deut. 29:23). But God in His great love, in spite of further persistent disloyalty and backsliding, recoiled from punishing them as they deserved. He felt that He could not make them as Admah, nor as Zeboim. They richly deserved it, but His love would not permit it,- and with an agonized heart He cries, “How shall I give thee up, Eph riam? How shall I deliver ,thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah?” His heart was turned w-ithin Him; His com passions' were kindled. v. 9. “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker