GOD'S DEALINGS WITH MEN continued

THE PALESTINIAN COVENANT continued

Deut 30:5

            In our last post we discussed our Lord's return to the Jewish people.  In this post we want to meditate on the fact that Israel is to be restored in her land.  It has already begun.  Our text says, "And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers".  This cannot be talking about their return from the Babylonian Captivity.  Some of those who were taken captive by the Babylonians by command of the King of Iran returned to their home land, but not all.  The clause in our text "land which thy fathers possessed" cannot apply because those returning Jews returned to their land.  The restoration in our text speaks of them returning to the land their fathers possessed and lost.

            Isaiah gives us an explicit description of that restoration in Isa.11:11, 12.  It is called a second restoration, so it cannot be the return from the Babylonian Captivity.  Isaiah here speaks of God bringing the Jewish people back from Assyria  (a location in Northern Iraq, NE Syria, and SE Turkey), from Egypt, from Pathros (a part of Egypt). from Cush (believed to be Ethiopia, Southern Iraq, and/or Saudi Arabia), Elam, (Iran and Southern Iraq), and Shinar (Babylon or Iraq).  In addition to these areas he also brings back from the Islands of the seas.  In verse 12 it tells us that God will bring the Jewish people back into their land from the four quarters of the earth.  This kind of language indicates to me that they will be brought back from the entire world.

            Jeremiah is just as clear or perhaps even clearer.  In Jer. 23:3-8 we are told that God will gather His flock out of all countries to which He had driven them.  He promises to bring them back into their land and cause them to prosper.  He promises them shepherds to feed them, and that they will not be lacking, and neither will they be afraid.  He promises to raise up a righteous Branch to David, and a King shall reign and prosper, while executing judgment and justice in the earth.  He tells us that Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely.  This righteous Branch is to be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.  He says the time will come when Israel will no longer say, "The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land."  This language does not sound like God is through with Israel.  For that to be true this would have to refer to the Church, which is what some think, but God has never made such promises as these to the Church.

            Ezekiel gives further details of this restoration in Eze. 37:21-25.  We must remember Israel was divided into 2 kingdoms, the Kingdom of Israel in the North and the Kingdom of Judah in the south.  The Kingdom of Israel was captured by the Assyrians, and they have never been known again since.  In this Ezekiel passage God said He would bring Israel from among the heathen (or nations), and gather them on every side bringing them into their own land.  He further promises to make of them and Judah one nation again in their land and give them one king.  He says they will be no more two nations or be divided into two kingdoms ever again.  He promises they will never again become Idolaters, and He shall save from their sins.  Then David shall be king over them again.  God further promises that they will then live in their land forever and David shall be their prince forever.  For this to be true, of course, David will have to be raised from the dead and brought back to his throne.  Is that a problem with God?  I think not.