But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. (NASB)
In exile, the people of Israel surely thought that God had forsaken and forgotten them. No, God had not abandoned them though one might argue that He should have, given Israel’s long history of rebellion and obstinacy. Their exile brought on God’s judgment, not His abandonment of them. In fact, even though a mother may forget her nursing child, the Lord will not forget Israel. “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” As unlikely as it is for a mother to forget her nursing child, it’s even less likely that God will forget Israel. One may argue that the child is “innocent” whereas Israel is filled with rebellion. Even so, God will not forget.
Not only does God not forget Israel, He will continue to bless her and multiply her sons and daughters. In verses 20 and 21, “The children of whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears, ‘The place is too cramped for me; make room for me that I may live here.’ “Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children and am barren, an exile and a wanderer? And who has reared these? Behold, I was left alone; from where did these come?’”
It truly is astounding God’s grace to Israel. In light of her sordid track record, generations after generations turning their back to God and towards idols, God continues to be faithful to His promise to Abraham and David. God cannot violate who He is. It’s His nature to be faithful, gracious, merciful. Even though we may be faithless, He remains faithful so that in the end, “And all flesh will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Of course holiness is also God’s nature. He does not turn a blind eye to sin, thus Israel’s exile.
Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come. 