CHAPTER IV.

GOD'S THOUGHTS TOWARD THE LAND.

It is most interesting to read of God's thoughts in regard to Palestine, to note how He watches over it, and what are His future intentions towards this spot of earth-more highly favored than any other spot on the entire globe.

That is a most remarkable statement uttered by Moses: "A land which the Lord thy God careth for. The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year." Of no other land could it be said what THE LORD said of this place: "Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, WHEREIN I DWELL; for I THE LORD dwell among the children of Israel."

And one particular place of Palestine was blest even more than the rest: "But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit, then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there." We read when Solomon built the Temple: "And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord."

When Israel, in spite of all His tender care and loving kindness, sinned against HIM and polluted His land, one can readily see on reading the Narrative how loath THE LORD was to leave the House:

"And the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven and brought me in the visions of GOD to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh towards the north where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. And, behold the glory of the God of Israel was there."

Then we read of the going out of the house: "Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house * * * and the

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cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub over the threshold of the house. Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over cherubims, and the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight * and the glory of the GOD of Israel was over them above." And then comes the terrible words: "I will bring a sword upon you, saith the LORD GOD." But harken to the words that GOD speaks immediately afterwards, before He leaves the Temple, His tender love breaks forth-a father who must chastise his child, and yet before the rod is laid on the child's back, HE comforts him. How graciously pitiful is our GOD. Listen: "Thus saith THE LORD GOD: Although I have cast them far off among the heathen and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they will come. Therefore say, Thus saith the LORD GOD: I will even gather you from the people and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered and I will give you the Land of Israel * * * and they shall be my people and I will be their God."

With these words of love: "Then did the cherubims lift up their wings * * * and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city." The mountain on the east side was Olivet. This was immediately before the first Temple and the first city of Jerusalem were destroyed.

"And

This sorrowing departure brings vividly to the eye another event which took place six hundred years afterwards: when He was come near, He beheld the City, and wept over it." And listen to this heart wail: "O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not! Behold your House is left unto you desolate!" And again harken to the words of a compassionate Love: "For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!"

So we see HE will come again, and they shall welcome HIM with praise and thanksgiving.

This event took place but a little time before the destruction of the second Temple and the second city of Jerusalem.

And now what are GOD's promises towards the city and the land?

Though the cloud of JEHOVAH is not now in Jerusalem HE has His watchers there. Listen: "I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give Him no rest, till He establish and till He make Jerusalem a praise on the earth. The Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies: and the sons of the strangers shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast labored: But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness. Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy Salvation cometh: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. And they shall call them The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called. sought out, a city not forsaken." "Awake, Awake: put on thy strength, O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the Holy City. * * * The Lord shall bring again Zion. * * * Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem. Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. And the Ransomed of The Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains * * and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob * * * for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and the calf and

the young lion, and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed: and their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child put his hand on the adder's den. For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. Then shall He give the rain of thy seed that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: and in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat savory provender which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. And there shall be up on every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters. Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of His people and healeth the stroke of their wound. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. And the sons of the strangers shall build up thy walls, and their Kings shall minister unto thee. 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. * * * The glory of Lebanon shall come to 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. 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. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vine dressers. Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in My people. And they shall build houses and inhabit them: and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people

and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble: and it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer: and while they are yet speaking I shall hear. And they shall dwell in Judah itself, and in the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks. Behold the days shall come saith the Lord that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beasts. Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart, and with my whole soul. Thus saith the Lord: Again there shall be heard in this place, the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, and the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of Hosts: for the Lord is good: for His mercy endureth forever. In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of Him that telleth them, saith the Lord. And it shall come to pass in that day * * * saith the Lord I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth: and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil. Fear not, O Land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid ye beasts of the field! for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree, and the vine do yield their strength. He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palm worm, my great army that I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy. And it shall come to pass in that day,