Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad. (Psalm 53:6)
Ever since men first felt the sting of sin’s consequence in the Garden, there has always burned the hope of a future redemption. The prophecy concerning the Seed of the Woman impregnated mankind with that hope — that one day we would be reconciled to God and would be allowed, once again, to live in His Presence. Israel became the embodiment of the people who held onto this promise and who were charged with the responsibility to present that hope to all nations. Obviously, as a nation, Israel did not always live up to what was expected of them, and just like Adam, suffered the consequence of sin — exile.
But that hope never died; whether in Babylon or in the current exile, the people of God have held fast to the belief that, one day, God will bring back the captivity of His people. One day, salvation and deliverance will no longer be a hope but a reality, when His people return from the exile to live in peace under the care of Messiah. In that day, the nations will be forced to give them up, and they will come to Zion with rejoicing and gladness. What a day that will be! But alas, that day is still ahead of us — somewhere in the near or distant future; and so we wait and hope.
But we are not hopeless. We have a sure and reliable promise that, regardless of today’s circumstances, if we continue to walk faithfully before God, our deliverance will come. That promise was made certain when Yeshua, in the midst of Zion, died and rose again. Indeed, the salvation of Israel has come out of Zion and is accessible to all who believe in Him. Through Him, all who have died to their sins and carnality have been “resurrected” as a new creation and delivered from the exile that is separation from God. Likewise, all who are in the present exile (which is likened to the grave) will be gathered from the nations (resurrected) to live in the Presence of the Holy One. That day is coming; the signs are all around us, and so, lift up your head and look up — redemption is at hand.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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