| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. |
Israel – At that time, distinct from Judah. R4811:1
The prophet addresses the people. R2491:2
Thou hast fallen – Applicable also to our own nation. as well as to every nation. R4811:2
Also includes nominal spiritual Israel. R4811:5
Thine iniquity – Israel had become debauched through idolatry. R4811:1
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| 2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
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Words – Of contrition, promises of reformation. R2491:2
Say unto him The Lord. R2491:2
Take away all iniquity – Israel is here represented as speaking in a repentant attitude. R2491:2
Receive us graciously – The people of Israel have not yet asked to be received by grace--graciously; but still hope for favor by keeping the law. R4811:3
Attitude of all "Israelites indeed," natural and spiritual, in returning to God in the Gospel age. R2491:4
Which the Lord has indeed done for the members of the Bride class only, putting away their iniquity through the blood of the cross. R2491:4
The great lesson to be learned by all people is that we all need divine grace, mercy and forgiveness. R4811:3
Calves of our lips – The fruit of our lips- our praise. R4811:3
"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Heb. 13:15) Q343:T, R4535:1
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| 3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. |
Asshur – Assyria. R4811:2
Horses – Imported from Egypt. R4811:2
The old, false, doctrinal hobbies. (See Isa. 31:1,3) C316
Work of our hands – Christendom's confidence is in the work of their own hands--in lodges, unions, trusts, church membership, etc. "God is not in all their thoughts." (Psa. 10:4) R4811:5
Ye are our gods – Christendom is charged with idolatry, with worshipping houses, lands, banks, stocks, bonds, name and fame. Indeed the serious charge against Christendom is that she has lost her God. R4811:5
Fatherless – The Israelites were fatherless in the sense that they had denied the Heavenly Father. R4811:2
Those who renounce sin have neither Satan nor God as their father; but to such God proffers mercy and adoption as children. R4811:5
Only a comparatively few, a handful, know God as their Father, and are known of him as his children. R4811:5
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| 4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. |
I will heal – After the time of trouble is past. A256
Israel, in the beginning of Messiah's reign. R4811:3
The Lord forgives our trespasses and assists us when we realize our wrong condition and appeal for help. R5598:3
The hand that smote will be turned to heal. A256
The Lord's answer to Israel's repentant words of verses 2 and 3. R2491:4
Freely – Unmeritedly. R2491:4
Turned away from him – Spiritual Israel is not received of Jehovah as a woman, but as a man--Jesus, the Head; the Church, his Body. R2491:4
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| 5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. |
As the dew – Refreshment. R2491:4
He shall grow – Thrive. R2491:4
His true Israel, The Christ. R2491:4
As the lily – Whose growth in Palestine is remarkable. R2491:4
Roots as Lebanon – The trees of Mt. Lebanon have very sturdy roots. R2491:4
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| 6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. |
As the olive tree – Everlasting. R2491:5
Verses 5 and 6 picture the development and establishment of the true Israel, The Christ. R2491:4
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| 7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. |
Shall return – Have restitution, for natural Israel and all nations in the Millennium. R2491:5
Scent – Rendered "remembrance" in Deut. 32:26 and "memorial" in Esther 9:28. R2125:3
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| 8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. |
Ephraim – Christendom. D22
Literally, the ten-tribe kingdom; symbolically, nominal Churchianity. R2491:5
Any more with idols – The idolatry of money, etc. B139
I have heard him – The great Prophet, The Christ (Acts 3:22) R2491:5
And observed him – Obeyed him. R2491:5
A green fir tree – An evergreen tree, symbolically representative of the possession of everlasting life. R2491:5
From me – In me. R2491:5
Is thy fruit – Character development. E206
The fruits of the spirit. E206; R2491:5
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| 9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein. |
Who is wise – It is necessary first that the transgressor shall come to a realization of his own need and abandon sin. R4811:5
"The (truly) wise shall understand, but none of the wicked shall understand." (Dan. 12:10) R2491:5
Not by earthly wisdom and intelligence, but by being taught of the Lord. R2491:5
Leeser's translation of this verse: "Who is wise that he may understand these things? intelligent that he may know them? For righteous are the ways of the Lord. and the just shall walk in them (understand them), but the transgressors will stumble through them (misapprehend them)." R2491:5
Transgressors shall fall – This scripture has no reference to the subject of temperance, but closes with an exhortation to fallen Israel to return to the Lord. R1444:5
There is no place on the highway of holiness, the highway of divine mercy, love, forgiveness and peace, for transgressors, those who knowingly and willingly go contrary to the divine will. R4811:5
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