To which the Lord answers, “There shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land, but in there shall be a tenth, and the holy seed shall be the substance therefore.” The sap is still there though there are no leaves. So in Psa. 118, “He hath chastised me sore, but He hath not given me over unto death.” In the same way the Lord does not say, “Your house is left unto you desolate, and therefore you shall not see me again.” No; but He says, “Ye shall not see me until ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” He can give, as Jehovah, the answer in grace, and when He gives repentance to Israel, then He will send Jesus, whom until that day the heavens have received. Meanwhile our connection with Him comes in. The prophet spake only of earthly things, though divine; but to the Church it is, “Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,” and “hath quickened us together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” that gives security. How did I get there? By virtue of Christ. He is my title. My desire is to be acquainted with this, that I am one with Christ in heaven—an everlasting portion, that the Holy Ghost seals upon my soul, and would have me enjoy more and more.
When Israel is brought to repentance, “the stone which the builders rejected,” will be “the head of the corner,” and owned of them, they will say, “Ο give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever.” Alas! they will receive another first; but when their hearts are turned, and grace works, they will use the language of Psa. 119 and find the expression of the law within their hearts; and when faith is thus exercised, and their hearts are broken and open to receive Him, then He Himself will come to them. If there is not a prophet to say, “How long?” Jehovah will give the answer. He never changes: and though He executes judgment and righteousness, grace is found in Him still. “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Well, if there be not faith to be found, or a prophet to say, “How long?” there is ONE who will lay up, in His treasures, something for faith to lay hold on, in the sovereignty of His own grace.
Thus we see Jehovah in that humbled One, and how He is able to rise above all iniquity. How precious does all this make Jesus to us! and we are one with Him. May we learn Him, and so follow Him, remembering that all that is left outside the narrow way is the flesh and evil.