The word of the Lord

Today’s passage contains God’s response to the people’s prayer in verse 14. Its message is this: “Israel’s enemies will be put to shame.” God says, “As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles.” The underlying theme of God’s words here is the event of the Exodus. (1) In the Exodus, the Egyptians who persecuted the people of Israel were put to shame. In the same way, the Gentile nations that stand in anti-Jewish hostility will also be put to shame. (2) “They will put their hand on their mouth, their ears will be deaf” describes how they will fall silent because of the greatness and depth of their shame. (3) It says, “They will lick up dust like a snake, like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; to the Lord our God they will come in trepidation, and they will be afraid of You” (v 17). This portrays them trembling in fear of the Lord’s judgment. The Gentile nations that carried out anti-Jewish policies will be judged after the Second Coming of the Messiah.

The judgement of the Gentile nations

There are prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments concerning the judgment of the Gentile nations that follows the Second Coming of the Messiah. (1) Joel 3:1-3 prophesies this. Though it is a bit long, let us quote it: “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land. They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a prostitute, and sold a girl for wine so that they may drink.” (2) The Lord Jesus also prophesied the same event. That is found in Matthew 25:31-46: “And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left” (v 32-33). The sheep receive blessing, and the goats receive judgment. The difference between the sheep and the goats lies in how they treated the Jewish people during the Great Tribulation. In other words, those who were pro-Jewish are the sheep, and those who were anti-Jewish are the goats. As will appear in the next passage, the reason God restores faithless Israel is the Abrahamic Covenant (v 20). Within the terms of the Abrahamic Covenant is this promise: “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” The judgment of the Gentile nations after the Second Coming of the Messiah will be carried out precisely on the basis of that covenant clause. God is the One who keeps His covenant. The completion of our salvation also rests on the certainty of God’s promises. Let us praise His holy name.