which was broken, and I will strengthen that which was sick but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. Here God speaks of the restoration of Israel under the similitude of a shepherd seeking and restoring His own sheep. He promises that with tender care He will seek them out from among the nations and gather them from the countries whither they are scattered, and feed them upor the mountains and by the streams of their own land. That which was lost, He will bring back: that which is broken, He will bind up: that which is sick, He will strengthen. He associates David in their rulership, declaring that he shall be a prince and shepherd over them. And that men might not mistake this metaphor of the sheep, God makes it clear that it refers to Israel, by saying (Ez. 34:31), “And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God." (Jer. 23:3-8): 3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. 5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall. dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8 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. God's wondrous deliverance of Israel from Egypt and its bondage had been the theme of their praise and thanksgiving for centuries. As they recalled the wearisome years of slavery and toil under the lash of the taskmaster and then remembered the outstretched arm and mighty hand of Jehovah which had led them forth to freedom in the promised land, they ever spoke of him as "The LORD our God which brought us out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage." Nothing could stir their hearts to greater love and devotion, nor their lives to more intense zeal in His service than this phrase which ever reminded them of Jehovah and His love and power toward His own people. But now says the prophet, when the day comes in which the Lord shall deliver His people from the north country and from all the countries of the earth whither they have been scattered, so much more wondrous and mighty will be this deliverance and out-gathering that His Jewish people shall change their song of praise and no longer speak of Him who brought them out of the Land of Egypt but of Him who "led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither He had driven them." So much greater by contrast will be this deliverance which is yet to come in the days of their restoration. (Ezk. 37:21-25): 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. The prophet tells us here of the unity of the nation of Israel when restored. God makes of them one nation in the land of Israel, nor are they longer divided into two kingdoms. "And David my servant shall be king over them" is God's assurance. Some might see clash here between the kingship of David and the statement that Christ shall be their King. But there is none. For Paul's statement that "the saints shall judge the world," our Lord's word that the apostles "shall sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel," and this assertion here that David shall be "king" and "prince" simply combine to prove the truth that the Lord Jesus' own people shall be associated with Him in rulership during the millennial age, a truth which the Word of God establishes clearly by many other texts than these. (Isa. 60:1-15. Isa. 61:4-6): ARISE, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. to And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. II Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. 12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be uttterly wasted. 13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vine-dressers. 6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. This chapter is a rich brocade of golden restoation-promises to the Jews. The glory of God is to be seen upon them; their hearts shall thrill and be enlarged: the abundance of the sea and the wealth of the nations shall flow unto them; strangers shall rebuild their walls, and kings be their servants; the nations that do not serve Zion shall perish utterly; the sons of them that afflicted the Jews shall bow themselves at the soles of their feet; aliens shall be their ploughmen and |