Zechariah 10:1-12: a reflection

1Ask of the LORD rain in the spring time, the LORD who makes storm clouds, and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field. 2For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd. 3My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats, for the LORD of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle. 4From him will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. 5They will be as mighty men, treading down muddy streets in the battle. They will fight, because the LORD is with them. The riders on horses will be confounded. 6“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, for I have mercy on them. They will be as though I had not cast them off, for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them. 7Ephraim will be like a mighty man, and their heart will rejoice as through wine. Yes, their children will see it and rejoice. Their heart will be glad in the LORD. 8I will signal for them and gather them, for I have redeemed them. They will increase as they were before. 9I will sow them among the peoples. They will remember me in far countries. They will live with their children and will return. 10I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and there won’t be room enough for them. 11He will pass through the sea of affliction, and will strike the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile will dry up; and the pride of Assyria will be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt will depart. 12I will strengthen them in the LORD. They will walk up and down in his name,” says the LORD.

God promises to gather and restore his scattered people, having mercy on them so fully that it will be as though he had never cast them off. I will bring them back, for I have mercy on them, God says; they will be as though I had not cast them off, for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them. God's people had been scattered, cast off for a time. But God promises to gather them again, to restore them, to have mercy on them; and his restoring mercy would be so complete that it would be as though he had never cast them off at all. Their restoration would not be partial or grudging, but full: as if the estrangement had never happened. This shows the completeness of God's restoring mercy, which restores as though we had never been cast off. God's restoring mercy is so complete it is as though he had never cast us off. God gathers and restores his scattered people fully, not partially. His mercy does not merely patch up, but fully restores. When God restores, he restores completely, not grudgingly.

Notice the fullness of the restoration God promises. His people had been scattered and, for a time, cast off because of their sin. It would have been much simply to be gathered back at all. But God promises more than a grudging, partial return: he will have mercy on them, gather them, and bring them back so fully that they will be as though he had never cast them off. The estrangement would be so completely healed, the restoration so full, that it would be as if the casting-off had never happened. This reveals the completeness of God's restoring mercy. When God restores those who have been estranged from him by sin, he does not do it grudgingly or partially, holding the past against them, keeping them at a distance, restoring them only halfway. His mercy restores fully: he receives them back as his own, as though the estrangement had never happened, hearing them again as their God. This is a deep comfort for any who have been far from God, estranged by sin, and fear that even if received back they will be kept at a distance, never fully restored. But God's restoring mercy is complete: he restores as though we had never been cast off. We do well to trust the completeness of God's restoring mercy, that when he receives us back, he restores us fully, as though we had never been cast off. Trust the completeness of God's restoring mercy, which restores as though you had never been cast off. When God restores you, he does not keep you at a distance but receives you fully. God's mercy does not merely patch up, but fully heals the estrangement. Do not fear being kept at a distance; God restores completely.

That is worth resting in, for God's restoring mercy is so complete that it is as though he had never cast us off, and we do well to trust it, as God promised to restore his scattered people fully. We can fear that even if God receives us back, he will keep us at a distance; but God promised to have mercy and restore his people as though he had never cast them off. His mercy restores fully. When you have been far from God and fear being kept at a distance even if received back, trust that God's restoring mercy is complete, restoring you as though you had never been cast off. Trust the completeness of God's restoring mercy, that when he receives you back he restores you fully, as though you had never been cast off, as God promised to gather and restore his scattered people, having mercy on them so fully that it would be as though he had never cast them off, saying he would bring them back for he had mercy on them and they would be as though he had not cast them off, for he was the LORD their God and would hear them; for God's people had been scattered and cast off for a time because of their sin, but God promises to gather them again and restore them and have mercy on them, his restoring mercy so complete that it would be as though he had never cast them off, their restoration not partial or grudging but full as if the estrangement had never happened, which reveals the completeness of God's restoring mercy, that when he restores those estranged from him by sin he does not do it grudgingly or partially or hold the past against them or keep them at a distance but restores them fully, receiving them back as his own as though the estrangement had never happened and hearing them again as their God, which is a deep comfort for any who have been far from God and fear that even if received back they will be kept at a distance, since God's restoring mercy is complete and restores as though we had never been cast off, so that we do well to trust it.

Lord, you promise to gather and restore your scattered people, having mercy on them so fully that it will be as though you had never cast them off. I will bring them back, for I have mercy on them, you say; they will be as though I had not cast them off, for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them. Your people had been scattered, cast off for a time. But you promise to gather them again, to restore them, to have mercy on them; and your restoring mercy would be so complete that it would be as though you had never cast them off at all. Their restoration would not be partial or grudging, but full: as if the estrangement had never happened. Show me the fullness of the restoration you promise. Your people had been scattered and, for a time, cast off because of their sin. It would have been much simply to be gathered back at all. But you promise more than a grudging, partial return: you will have mercy on them, gather them, and bring them back so fully that they will be as though you had never cast them off. The estrangement would be so completely healed that it would be as if the casting-off had never happened. This reveals the completeness of your restoring mercy. When you restore those who have been estranged from you by sin, you do not do it grudgingly or partially, holding the past against them, keeping them at a distance. Your mercy restores fully: you receive them back as your own, as though the estrangement had never happened. This is a deep comfort for me if I have been far from you, estranged by sin, and fear that even if received back I will be kept at a distance. But your restoring mercy is complete. Take that to my heart. When I have been far from you and fear being kept at a distance even if received back, help me trust, Lord, that your restoring mercy is complete, that when you receive me back you restore me fully, as though I had never been cast off, hearing me again as my God, not merely patching up but fully healing the estrangement.