There is an impression arising in the soul from this chapter, and it is this, first, love never cools in the heart of the Lord towards us. He never forgets it, though as we know, we may and do towards Him. This chapter opens with the Lord telling Israel this:—" I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals."—Thus Israel was "holiness to the Lord, and the first fruits of His increase." Then all that would dare to devour them would offend Him. Such was then the mind of the Lord towards His elect one. She was precious to Him. This is the force of verse 2. His love to her, not hers to Him. He had chosen her for His own. He was a husband to her, and He hung over her in the freshness of the fervor of love. Had He changed? Was any iniquity to be found in Him? Had He become to Israel a wilderness, or a land of darkness? As in another Scripture He says, "Is my ear heavy that it cannot hear, or my hand shortened that it cannot save?" This is not so. He was " the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." It was nothing less than a " fountain," and that of " living waters." Israel had been invited to drink of a spring whose waters never failed, but which were as fresh as ever for Israel's use.
This is the reasoning of the Lord in this striking chapter, with His people. They were now a home-born slave, they were now spoiled it is true—but this is to be accounted for by everything rather than change in the Lord. He at that moment remembered the love of Israel's youth, and was ready to act in all fervency as well as devotedness—but Israel themselves would not. He was ever as a hen ready to gather under His wings—but they would not. This had been His constant way throughout, and at last the life and ministry of Jesus, after so long a time, is the witness of the same fresh, first love of Jehovah towards Israel, the witness of it, may I not say, in more than its earliest fervency. What affection, what self-devotedness, patience of love, what labors of love, what associations of love were expressed in it! Surely many waters could not quench it then. It was stronger than death. And we do not rightly regard the ministry of Jesus through the cities and villages of Israel without seeing this " great love" of her Lord in all its fervency and faithfulness.
Surely again it says, in the words of our Prophet, " I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals." And again it tells us that there was that love of His Word still burning in the heart of Him who had espoused her to Himself. All this is happy both for poor saint and sinner. And this beautiful chapter from God's mind, gives us to know that the Lord never does, never can, forsake His object. He is " the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever." Love never faileth. If it abated in its ardor it would fail, as it would if it slackened in its toil or service. But love never faileth, with the Lord it is ever warm and fresh, for He ever remembers the day of espousals. It was Israel that lost the honor of it. It was Israel that changed her God for that which was no God. Blessed to know it to be thus. Blessed to know the prospect of enjoying it forever and ever. Our God is a "fountain," and that of " living waters." And though Israel has lost the fruit of all this by her departing from Him who had thus espoused her to Himself, because she trusted in her beauty, and went from Him, yet when He returns to her in the day of her repentance, it will be in this way of His first love. As in the kindness of her youth, as in the love of her espousals He will return and still prove that love never faileth to the very end, but holds to its first and blessed intent. All scripture verifies this. It was One that loves her with the love of Him who has chosen her for Himself that the Lord will return and take Jerusalem. Isaiah teaches us this, for speaking of Him he says, "As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."
So says the Lord of Israel by Hosea, "And it shall he at that day that thou shalt call me Ishi, and shall call me no more Baali." And Zephaniah tells Jerusalem " He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." Language which sweetly and fervently tells the heart with what affection the Lord will retake Zion to Himself And Jeremiah is very bold and says, " they say if a man put away his wife," etc., etc., yet " return again unto Me saith the Lord." This and far more than this which we might gather from Scripture, lets us know that not only up to the day of Jeremiah, not only up to the day of the ministry of Jesus, but even to the last when He takes the daughter of Zion to Him again, He will still he able to say, " I remember the kindness of thy youth, the love of espousals." He remembers the affection, the fervor with which He at the first betrothed her to Himself,—and that in its earliest fervency He will win her and claim her and look on her again as His,—re-taking her to Himself in an everlasting covenant.
Happy truth! It is not merely that He is ever faithful to His object, but ever true to that affection in which He first took up His object. "Nothing changeth God's affection." Happy truth indeed! The fruit of it to us eternal and perfect joy.