Zechariah 13:9 – “…This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
Throughout the history of Israel, they have both been faithful to God for a time and then, every time, they have fallen back into rebellion and to being unfaithful. Though God would discipline Israel, He also always offered grace to them. He always called them back. He always made a way back. Even now as the nation of Israel, as the people of Israel, the Lord always has a remnant of those faithful to Him (Isaiah 10). Noah and his family were a remnant of faithful and obedient to God (Genesis 6-8). Lot and his daughters were the remnant that survived the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). When the prophet Elijah thought he was the last remaining person on the earth who was faithful to God the Lord revealed to him that he had thousands of others who have remained faithful to him (1 Kings 19). And the Lord is still calling to the nation of Israel back to Him. Jeremiah 30:7 refers to the Great Tribulation as the “Time of Jacob’s trouble.” The End Times signs revolve around Israel because even though they rejected Jesus their Messiah, God continues to love them and call them back. Though they are unfaithful, God remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). God gives us grace not because of who we are, but because of who He is. He loves us because of who He is and not because any of us deserve His love. He is faithful to Israel because He made a promise to them and He will keep it. As we read the Old Testament, the mercy and grace of God, the faithfulness of God, jumps off the pages to us. When Jesus spoke of forgiveness, it was no theory, it is what God does for Israel, and all of us, every day.
Throughout the Word of God, His love, mercy and grace are evident for all to see, for all who will want to see. In the final days before the second coming of Jesus, the Lord will gather in His lost sheep, the remnant of Israel. We, the church of Jesus, should gather strength and faith from His faithful relationship with Israel. As He is faithful to Israel, so He is faithful to us. As He has never given up on Israel, so He never has, and never will, give up on us. His faithfulness to us is displays a part of who He is. His faithfulness to us can be traced back to His love of us. God is two things. He is righteous and He is loving. God is righteous, meaning He is good all the time. He is loving and He loves no-one more than His children. God is good all the time and He loves us. With a love that never ends and with a goodness that He cannot betray God will always save. That is who He is. It is part of His goodness and His love. God offers forgiveness to all because it is who He is. God saved and saves. He saves us and keeps saving us as He brings us home. So let us look at the faithfulness of God to Israel and let our faith in who God is grow. Look at the goodness and love of God in our own personal lives. We see that He saved us and saves us. We see that He is our Savior, our Healer, our Provider, our Protector and our God. He is the source of all blessings. We thank Him for every good thing. God has prophesied that Israel will come back to Him and acknowledge Him as their God. It is the same with us. It is true of us. We too do say, and will always say “The Lord is our God.” We will call on Him and He has stated “I will answer them.” We know who are God is. That He is good. That He loves us. And that He will answer us. God is faithful to us and we can, and we do depend on Him. Praise our God who is our refuge and comfort! Praise our God who is our everything! Seek our God in good times and in tough times. He always seeks us. May we always seek Him in all that do and with all that we are. He is worthy! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.