Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’" (vs17)
We want God to fight for us against our sin and the devil. We need help from the Almighty. He must save us from sin, intervening on our behalf for Christ's sake and in great pity. He says, “Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, and pity His people. The LORD will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. But I will remove far from you the northern army, and will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, with his face toward the eastern sea and his back toward the western sea; his stench will come up, and his foul odor will rise, because he has done monstrous things.” He has fought against God's people as a tool the Lord will now justly punish and dispose of. He has tempted, assaulted, and plagued us with accusations, allurements, and obstacles. Now, God removes His yoke, allows us to rejoice in Christ, and He gives us power over sin.
Secondly, God's promises are good, and we're to rejoice now and always (vs21-24). He says, “Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, and the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you––the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.” I'm learning to look into the future and see the promises as real, so real, that I'm happy now. If we know that He'll save, even while we cry out, let us be assured and at peace. If we know that He'll give the power, no matter how weak we've been, let us not fret in unbelief, saying prayers that we don't mean. Instead, receive the promised grace of Christ, and take the “check in the mail” as being good. He won't forsake you, and soon you'll see the promises face to face, but until then, we have heard their truth from God, so we'll rest ourselves, rejoice, and stop the slavish fear. We shall rejoice, so now is the time to get started, knowing the future is secure!
Finally, no one cries to the Lord and gets no mercy or hearing (vs25-27). He says, “My people shall never be put to shame”. He always answers His people who like the widow before the unjust judge, plead for vengeance upon our foes and vengeance on their disturbing the peace. Bless God. It doesn't matter how bad I am, how long I've walked in hypocrisy, or how blind I've been to the damage I've caused. When I cry out to God, He hears me, and He restores the God that I lost. He says, “"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.”
It will never be a time that He doesn't hear us, so we praise Him from the heart for graciously saving us from sin. He says, “Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame”.He gave the conviction, or we'd be sinners, hardhearted and content. He told us to come back home by way of confession and repentance, admitting our sins. And, He is the One who not only forgave but also gave the peace that we enjoy. Therefore, rather than praise ourselves; we love Him from the heart, and we believe that glory belongs to Him rightfully, because He has done wondrously. We're saved graciously, so we praise and worship Him in the spirit by faith. We believe His greatness, and we walk as people who've obtained mercy, debtors to all men, rather than pretending that it's owed to us or we can live how we see fit.
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