Light Through Darkness
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and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice
of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts:
for the Lord is good; for His mercy endureth forever: and of them that
shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will
cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate
without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an
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habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. In the cities
of the mountains, and in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the
south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem,
and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands
of him that telleth them, saith the Lord.
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that
good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the
house of Judah.”
Jeremiah 33:1-14
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Thus was the church of God comforted in one of the darkest hours
of her long conflict with the forces of evil. Satan had seemingly
triumphed in his efforts to destroy Israel; but the Lord was overruling
the events of the present, and during the years that were to follow, His
people were to have opportunity to redeem the past. His message to
the church was:
“Fear thou not, O My servant Jacob; ... neither be dismayed, O
Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land
of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be
quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the
Lord, to save thee.” “I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee
of thy wounds.”
Jeremiah 30:10, 11, 17
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In the glad day of restoration the tribes of divided Israel were
to be reunited as one people. The Lord was to be acknowledged as
ruler over “all the families of Israel.” “They shall be My people.” He
declared. “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of
the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save Thy people,
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the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind
and the lame; ... they shall come with weeping, and with supplications
will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in
a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a Father to
Israel, and Ephraim is My first-born.”
Jeremiah 31:1, 7-9
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