8:1,2
This is another example of the great conundrum that is addressed in the Bible. Israel (and the whole human race) are a bunch of dirty rotten sinners fully deserving of judgement. Yet God is jealous for Israel, He longs to have Israel as a nation that will say “You are our God and we are your people”, and mean it. So in the previous section we have seen why Israel received judgement, and she did receive judgement, but that is not the end of the story.
8:3
“I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem.” We should note that this is at the time of the building of the second temple, after the beginning of the return from Babylon, implying that the return from Babylon was not “it”. Furthermore, note that it is now God acting. Israel had manifestly failed to fulfil God’s requirements. So God Himself would fulfil them. The fruit of this would be that Jerusalem would be called “the faithful city”, and the mountain of the Lord would be called holy. This is what happens to those whom God saves. They have faith in Christ and are sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
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