Today’s post is again an opportunity to meditate on God’s faithfulness. When we say God “must” guarantee Israel’s future you may wonder how God can be required to do anything? The answer is, of course, that God “remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13). God cannot lie (Num. 23:19).
The issue of His faithfulness to Israel is, I
believe, a critical area of truth in the last days. My understanding of the judgment of the
nations in Matt. 25:31-46 indicates this.
Matthew 24-25 is Jesus’ teaching on the end times, answering the
questions that include “what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of
the age” (24:3). What the judgment of
the nations passage tells us is that the indication of true faith, and perhaps
the key indication, is how people of the nations care for “the least of these
My brethren” (25:40,45). These “brethren”
are His earthly family, His “own” as he put it in John 1:11. Thus, in the last days, God’s promises to
Israel must be fulfilled, so that the nation not only “exists” but “flourishes”
under the rule of their Messiah!
Now, in these passages, the question is, “What
is God’s character for guaranteeing Israel’s future?”
And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us
fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me
fall into the hand of man.” (2 Samuel 24:14)
David prefers God’s chastening, chastening
which can be great because it is from the hand of Almighty God. David prefers it because His mercies are
great. This term for “mercy” is raham,
which means “womb” (e.g. Gen. 49:25).
God will be to David what the womb is for the unborn child: the ultimate
place of protection.
29 And testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your
law.
Yet they acted proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
‘Which if a man does, he shall live by
them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
30 Yet for many years You had patience
with them,
And testified against them by Your Spirit
in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
Therefore You gave them into the hand of
the peoples of the lands.
31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy
You did not utterly consume them nor
forsake them;
For
You are God, gracious and merciful. (Neh. 9:29-31)
God’s
mercy to Israel extends even in the face of repeated disobedience. The mercy words are raham; “gracious”
is hannun, related to the name “Hannah” (mother of Samuel, a tremendous
illustration of grace). All these words
are part of the “Name of God” in Ex. 34:6.
18 O my
God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations,
and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our
supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your
great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord,
listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your
people are called by Your name.” (Dan. 9:18-19)
Daniel,
in his intercessory prayer for Israel, counts on God's "womb-like mercy."
O Lord, I have heard Your speech and
was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the
midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it
known;
In wrath remember mercy. (Hab. 3:2)
What
a marvelous prayer of Habakkuk, after God told him His judgment through Babylon
was coming. The prophet can still pray
with confidence! Each of these passages,
including the reading for the day, contain the term raham. God is a God of tender mercy on His
people. Now, read Prov. 28:13 and find
that this mercy is available to all who come to God in humility. Then remind yourself of Rom. 12:1 where God’s
mercies are our strongest motivation to serve Him wholeheartedly.
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