 Woe is me! For I have become
as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. 2 The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. 3 Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together. 4 The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. 5 Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; 6 for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. 7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. 8 Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. 10 Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets. 11 A day for the building of your walls! In that day the boundary shall be far extended. 12 In that day they will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain. 13 But the earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their deeds. 14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. 15 As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them[e] marvelous things. 16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; 17 they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you. God's Steadfast Love and Compassion 18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. Meditation The steadfast love of the Lord will triumph. God will have compassion and His promises will prevail. Jesus has established victory. Jesus will come again to fully apply His victory. This case against Israel, to explain the coming judgement (6:1-7:7), laments the loss of godliness (1-2), the total elimination of moral standards in society (3-4), and the loss of trust in everyone and everything (5-6). The only hope we have is to “look to the Lord” and “wait for the God of (our) salvation” (7). The salvation of God is comprehensive. Light will overcome darkness, enemies will be defeated and God’s people vindicated (9-13). God Himself will shepherd the salvation and display His mighty acts as He did in the exodus from Egypt, subduing nations to worship and serve the Lord (14-17). With the cosmic display of sovereign grace God will extend His steadfast love by pardoning iniquity, showing compassion, removing sin, and fulfilling His covenant promises (18-20). This chapter is a bright light of hope during dark days. The enemies of God will not prevail- they will be subdued and submit to serve the Lord. Darkness will not endure. Light will come and love will illuminate. Shame for sin, and judgement for breaking God’s law is not the final word. God gives forgiveness and new life, a chance to begin again for all who hope in Him! Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you about God’s case for judgement in verses 1-6? -What stands out to you about God’s promised salvation in verses 7-20? Where do these promises fuel your faith and hope? -Christ is the only one we can look to for salvation and the hope of our hearts to experience the covenant blessings of God. Which of the promises of salvation that He fulfills can you apply to your life and labor? Be specific. Key Verse 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Comments are closed.
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