GRACE GAZETTE
Volume XVIIssue 29
Published occasionally for Zion’s mourners
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Hebrews 12::12-13

THE DAY OF JEZREEL

Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. Hosea 1:11

The LORD does appoint all events to transpire exactly according to HIS timetable and no one else’s. Men often grow anxious as they wait for various events to occur, sometimes even doubting that the things which the LORD has decreed shall indeed come to pass. Peter references this notion when he says, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2Pet 3:3-4) Yet the LORD is never in a hurry, and has determined to unfold HIS purpose over thousands of years which to HIM are as a day since time has no relevance to HIM who, alone, is ETERNAL and inhabits eternity.

HE has loved that people which were given to CHRIST, from before the laying of the foundations of the earth and it has pleased HIM to delay the unveiling of their identity. We see this first revealed in HIS purpose to subject them unto vanity as they were ordained to be born into Adam’s posterity. The scripture says that they are by nature the children of wrath even as others.” (Eph.2:3) yet there is an important distinction made between them and the rest of Adam’s offspring. “For God hath not appointed (them) to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thes 5:9) This is what Paul speaks of when he mentions “vessels of honor” contrasted with “vessels of dishonor”, the latter of which are “fitted for destruction”. The natural man rebels against this teaching, even as he will not bow unto HIM who does all things well.

We looked at the name which the LORD instructed Hosea to give to his firstborn son, which in the Hebrew literally means “GOD will sow”. HE then instructed him to name his next child, “Loruhamah”, which literally means “not pitied” for HE said that “I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.” (Hos 1:6) And true to HIS decree HE did bring judgment upon the house of Israel.” (see I Pet.4:17)

If we took a snapshot of that moment we could in no wise determine that they were indeed the people of GOD, yet HE would in HIS own time demonstrate that “they are not all Israel which are of Israel”. Neither can current chastening destroy those whom HE loves. HE would demonstrate that HE never forsakes those to whom HE is pleased to show mercy and would single out the house of Judah (from which arose the LION of the tribe of Judah) to manifest that truth saying, (in contrast to Israel in general) “But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.” (Hos 1:7) Yet even so they were taken into captivity into Babylon in order that the LORD might demonstrate HIS deliverance of those whom HE loves. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Heb 12:11)

The manifestation of HIS love and mercy is never according to the timetable of men nor is HIS manner of deliverance of that people which are called by HIS name in keeping with their own estimation of what is right and good. Even as he declared to Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” (Exo 33:19) Oh how humbled in the dust should the sons of men be at the sound of these words, yet by nature they rise up with fists held high and accuse him of injustice. Their judgment awaits.

Then Hosea had another son and the LORD instructed him to name him, “Loammi”, which literally means “not my people”. It would appear to the natural man, (as the LORD hides such things from the wise and prudent and reveals them unto babes) that the LORD had cast off that same people which HE expressed love for. By man’s impatient considerations, this would be demonstrated, yet according to the LORD’s timetable HE is merely setting the stage in order to demonstrate the great salvation which HE purposed to show unto men and angels in HIS own time. “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (Mat 4:16)

In the natural thinking of men, it would appear that the LORD had completely turned away from that people which HE loved, for just as darkness covered the face of the deep at the beginning of Creation, so too did darkness reign for 400 years from the closing of the prophecy of Malachi, until a Nazarite prophet by the name of John, came as a herald of HIM who would be the SALVATION of Israel and would forever manifest the glory of the grace of HIM who cast off HIS people ( in the understanding of men) that HE might forever gather them unto HIMSELF. “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.” (Hos 1:10)

Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and declared the everlasting Gospel in the ears of the multitude saying, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2:39) Religious men assume that they are included in those who are the recipients of GOD’s mercy, based upon their own obedience, activity, and what they define as faith. The scoffers, on the other hand, see nothing which indicates that the LORD even has a people in the earth, for they see all things as simply occurring by random chance and natural selection, as Peter wrote in his second epistle.

The scriptures counsel the sons of GOD to wait upon the LORD; holding on to this certainty, “The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.” (2Tim 2:19) HE shall lose none of those which belong to HIM but shall indeed raise them up at the last day according to HIS purpose to demonstrate both HIS mercy and HIS justice.

In the mean time, HE is pleased to bring much comfort to the sons of GOD by causing them to find a place of rest in CHRIST as they contemplate that work which HE has performed in their behalf. “Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” (Heb 4:6-10)

As long as the sons of GOD dwell in this present world, which is a lowland of sin and sorrow, they will be beset with doubtings, fears, and unbelief. Yet they are held up by HIS precious promises and are caused to cling to CHRIST as a drowning man clings to a life preserver. “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” (Psa 91:5-7) No man who finds refuge in CHRIST, alone, shall ever perish.

The certainty of the LORD’s purpose to deliver HIS people is seen as HE reveals to the prophet that both Israel and Judah (typically Jew and Gentile alike) shall be saved “in the day of Jezreel” (i.e.; the LORD will sow) Indeed this is a day known only to the LORD wherein HE shall manifest them that are HIS. “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when 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. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isa 52:8-10) This is the day of salvation. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isa 52:7) Do you hear what the SPIRIT saith unto the churches?

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