3. I Will Bring You into Your Own Land. God gave the land of Palestine to the fathers of Israel, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. In that future day, of which the prophet wrote, God will lead Israel, not to Ethiopia, not to China, not to South Africa, not to any o f the places to which the schem ing politicians of the, world have thought to send them. Nor is Ezekiel’s record of God’s grant of this land to Israel an isolated utterance in the Holy Scriptures. A t least three times the promise was confirmed to Abraham, and later to Isaac, to Jacob, and to David; and hundreds of times God reassured His people of this part of His covenant with Israel. Palestine belongs to the Jew! It is not the prerogative of any man or nation or government to attempt to give this land to any other people. Nor is the narrow strip which the Jews once occupied all the land given to them by God. In Genesis 15:18 we read: In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, TJnto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. Some have wondered not a little how the entire population of Jews the world over could ever find subsistence in the small section o f land between the Jordan River and the Mediter ranean Sea. But they do not know that the land which God originally gave to Abram and to his seed is about fifty times the size of that portion conquered by Joshua. Therefore, we need not fear about the man-made schemes to keep Israel from her homeland. No one in earth or in hell can prevent the return of the Jew to his own land o f promise. All the diabolical plots of Satan and his hosts cannot stay the execu tion of God’s appointed plan. The Jew will return to Palestine, even as He said. 4. th e Wastes Shall Be Builded. We quote only portions of these wonderful words of Ezekiel 36:29-38: I will call fo r the com , and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit o f the tree, and the increase of the field . . . I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight o f all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was deso late is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are in habited . . . So shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord. My friends, this is already coming to pass in a remarkable degree. Later, as we study the next chapter o f Ezekiel, we shall see just a little of the marvels of scientific farming and progress industrially, culturally, and educationally in this ancient land today, promoted and encouraged by the Zionist Movement. And surely even greater development lies in the not far distant future. The Word of Israel’s God cannot be broken! (Continued in ihe November number)
How much sorer punishment will be meted out to those who consistently reject His full and free salvation! We tremble to think of God’s wrath that must be poured out upon an anarchistic, Christ-rejecting world. Israel's Future Restoration 1. Hath God Cast Away His People? The words which we have just read from Ezekiel would leave a dark, dark picture in our minds, were we to stop there. But let us go on to Israel’s promised deliverance foretold in the same chapter. Centuries after Ezekiel lived, the Apostle Paul raised the question, “ Hath God cast away his people?” (Rom. 11:1). And under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he answered, say ing, “ God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew” (Rom. 11:2). Even though they are scattered among all the nations o f the world, Jehovah has not forgotten His chosen people, Israel. He has a future for them, which is glorious with all the light o f His never-failing promises. And some o f . these promises are found in Ezekiel 36:22-28, from which we quote in part: Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God . . . I will take you from among the nations [B .V .], and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit'will I put within you : and I unii take away the stony heart out o f your flesh, and I will give you an heart o f flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. These are wonderful words; and how they tend to soothe the hearts that are nigh to be broken over Israel’s condition today! There is coming a time when God will act swiftly and with certainty on Israel’s behalf. We know o f a surety that these events will come to pass when God’s eternal Son re turns unto His own who once rejected Him. He will come with power and great glory, “ and his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives” (Zech. 14:4). This is His promise to Israel as a nation. Repeatedly in these verses which we have just read God says, “ I will.” These are not the vain promises of men; they are the sure, infallible promises of God Himself. I f you are inclined to doubt the literal fulfillment o f these words, my friend, remember that the conditions of verse 19 were ful filled to the very letter, for God assuredly did “ scatter” Israel. Now if these words were literally and actually ful filled, by what law of interpretation can we say that the verses which follow will not also be actually fulfilled to the letter? When God promised that He had not “ cast away his people,” He meant exactly what He said. 2. A New Heart Also Will I Give You. Here is something that gives us comfort. That stony heart of Israel, which has withstood the gracious pleading o f their God for so long is to be replaced, and in its room there is to be a God-given heart of flesh. What does this mean? Just this: that God is going to refashion the Jewish character. In the place of disagreeable traits, He will give them characteristics o f which He Himself will approve: His Holy Spirit will rule in them; and when this has come to pass, they will serve God from the heart. Then they will gladly walk in His statutes and keep His commandments. We all know that there are many traits in the Jewish personality which are hard to like, but this is also true of Gentiles, and let us not forget it! Besides, we should love Israel for Christ’s sake, even though we may not like all they are and all they do. But in that day foretold by Ezekiel all these objectionable traits of character will be changed; a new and truly lovable spirit will be given His people by the Lord Himself. They will recognize in Jesus their long-unseen Messiah. John tells us that “he came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). But when He comes again, Israel will spontaneously and joyfully acclaim Him as their long-awaited Messiah, and with new hearts they will serve Him.
Wailing WaU in Jerusalem, with elderly Jews at prayer .
Page Seven
O C T O B E R , 1947
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