Because you have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My prized possessions. Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem you have sold to the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their borders. "Behold, I will raise them out of the place to which you have sold them, and will return your retaliation upon your own head”.(vs5-7)
The Lord Jesus will fight for us, even as He fought against us before. He dwindled us, threw us down because of our sin, and He gave the enemies of sin, guilt, and trouble permission to afflict us mightily. But now, we've turned, repentance has been given, and we are going to be rewarded for obeying the gospel, even bowing before Him helpless. He will intervene like a Strong Man, taking out the terror of our foes, and then giving us the victory in His love. Don't fret, puny man. Don't be hesitant about your promised blessings. The Lord is on your side. You believe in hell, believe also in heaven. You believe in Christ, believe also in power and grace from Him. He said, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). He will lift up your hand with His as more than a conqueror through Him who loves you.
I'm ashamed no more, because Christ died, and the stain is gone. He says, “I will raise them out of the place to which you have sold them, and will return your retaliation upon your own head”. I could never erase the sin if I scrubbed forever, but in one blow, the Son suffered God's curse and put away my sins. Not only that, but He's given REPENTANCE, so that I bow before God saying, “Your will be done”, and, “Help”, and “Save me Your way on Your terms”, and His response is “Yes, yes, yes”. Be thankful that He's gotten you to your knees by the oppressor, and now, by keeping you bowed before Him, He'll give the oppressors neck to your feet. You shall rule the very problems that brought you terror and grief. You shall rejoice amidst trials, conquer lusts and temptations, and you shall experience relief. This doesn't mean trials are over; it means peace that you didn't have is now here, strength you lacked is given, and power from on High has loosed the bondage you're in. Bless God! Repentance produces visible and tangible results in our hearts; it increases joy and peace.
You will win, not because you're mighty, but because God is on your side instead of against. He now sees your unbelief, shame, and fear as things that He'll conquer, and they will be subdued, just as sure as He has power over sin. When Christ DIED, He earned all the grace that God gives, and by raising Him, the Father proves that His Son has power to give LIFE to whom He wills! I don't have to look inwardly or fearfully saying, “How will I do this”, but I can lean wholeheartedly on Him.
Bless His name. This salvation is God's gift to His remnant. He says, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls” (Joel 2:32). He predestined you for salvation and deliverance from your blatant failures, and then He used pain to bring it to you... to make you willing and repentance... rather than allowing you to perish in sin. He as a Father, chastened you while it was time. And now, just as He chastised faithfully and according to His word, He will heal, deliver, and give salvation and strength by the same word of promise, that the repenter would be blessed. He says, “‘But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew––I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these. And it shall come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong (Zech 8:11-13).'”
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