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| 1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. |
Come – In their afflictions, the great time of trouble, they will come to acknowledge their guilt and to seek the Lord. R1434:1*
Verses 1 to 3 refer to Israel's judgments and their final repentance and reconciliation. Q788:4; R2294:5
Let us return – The returning ones represent those fullest in faith in the Lord and his promises.
The prodigal must will to return, the prodigal must strive to return, but the Father will meet him on the way to receive him and to bless him. R3361:6
He hath torn – He wounds to heal. SM55:T
He will heal us – After the time of trouble is past. A256; SM55:T
The great Messiah, Christ and the Church. SM55:T
As Priest of the Millennial time. SM55:T
The healing process will be coincidental to the wounding and breaking. SM55:T
When his sharp arrows shall smite them, and his judgment, as a hammer, shall break the hard, stony hearts. SM54:2
Giving them "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." (Isa. 61:3) A256
He hath smitten – The Jews had experienced the judgment of the Lord in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem at a time corresponding to the fifth thousand-year day. Q788:4, Q795:2
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| 2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
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After two days – The fifth and sixth thousand-year days. R2294:5, R643:1*; Q788:4
In the third day – The seventh thousand-year day, a sabbath. R2294:5, R643:1*; Q788:4
Jesus spoke in the fifth thousand-year day since Adam. So the seventh thousand years, the Millennium, would be the third day from when he spoke. Q635:1; R92:6*
Early in the morning of this third day--the thousand years of Messiah's reign--"all Israel shall be saved." (Rom. 11:26) Q789:T, Q795:2
If our Lord knew of the third day as indicating a three thousand year period, he did not know what day and hour in that three thousand year period he would be present and the work begin. (Mark 13:32) Q635:1
He will raise us up – Two thousand years of the Jews' cast-off condition is followed by the thousand years of favor and resurrection--an additional reason why Christ arose on the third day. R643:2*, R2294:5
A double signification: one phase of this prophecy applied to Christ in person, and that has been fulfilled, and is the pledge that the other phase of it will be fulfilled in subsequent resurrections. R350:1*
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| 3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. |
If we follow on – A continuous eating. You must seek. R201:5
It is as much our work to follow as it is the Spirit's work to lead us into all truth. R130:4*
Let us not put down stakes and say, "Thus far will I believe and no farther." R130:4*
We must not expect to obtain all the truth in one swallow, it is a continuous eating. R201:5
As the rain – Truth. B256
Of the two rains picturing Christ's first and second coming. R643:4*
Latter – Spring. R643:4
Former – Fall. R643:4*
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| 4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. |
O Ephraim – Christendom. D22
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| 5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. |
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| 6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. |
Mercy, and not sacrifice – Explaining why the publicans and sinners were more attracted to the Lord's words than the Pharisees-the latter trusted in themselves that they were righteous, spurning to ask or accept mercy; the former admitted that they were unrighteous and had need of mercy. R2260:5, R2591:6
The great lack of many critics and faultfinders is their lack of mercy and of love. R3754:4
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| 7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me. |
Like men – Like Adam. (Margin and R.V.) R4902:2, R5832:3, 5 R762:3, R4570:2*
Transgressed the covenant – Abolishing that covenant relationship and all its privileges. R5021:3
One act of disobedience broke the covenant between God and Adam by which he was treated as a son and guaranteed everlasting life. R5149:2, R4902:2, R5021:3, R5223:3, R5832:3
Because of Adam's transgression the world is not in covenant relationship with God in any sense of the word. R5162:3
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| 8 Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood. |
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| 9 And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness. |
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| 10 I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled. |
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| 11 Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the prosperity of my people. |
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