good thing " which Jehovah has promised them, they must give heed to the voice of the prophets, and be no more like their fathers, who brought all these calamities upon themselves by obdurate disobedience and progressive apostasy from God.
The first section of the consolatory message in chap, viii. consists of vers. i to 17.
The first thing which strikes us in reading the series of great and precious promises in this scripture is the frequent reiteration of the sentence " saith Jehovah of hosts."
Apart from the authenticating formula, " The word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me," by which each of the four sections is introduced, it is repeated eleven times in the first seventeen verses of the 8th chapter; and the object and reason for it is to strengthen our faith, and to assure us at the very outset that, however incredible from a natural or human point of view the fulfilment of these things may be, they will most certainly come to pass, because the Name of the infinite, eternal, and faithful Jehovah, with Whom nothing is too hard or impossible, stands pledged to their accomplishment.[1]
Let us bear this in mind as we proceed, and not stagger at the promises of God through unbelief, saying, as many, alas, do say, " How is it possible? " The series of promises commences with the words, " Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath (or fury )."
This is a repetition, with one slight variation in the original, but " in the same rhythm," of the declaration of His tender love for Zion in the first of the series of visions (
- ↑ "At each word and sentence in which good things, for their greatness almost incredible, are promised, the prophet declares, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, as if he would say, Think not that what I pledge you are my own, and refuse me not credence as man. What I unfold are the promises of God."Jerome.
So also Lange: "Es handelt sich darum eine ganze Reihe scheinbaren unmoglichkeiten durch die Gewahr des Namens Jehovah Zebaoth in Gewissheiten zu verwandeln." By making the name of Jehovah of hosts surety for their accomplishment, a whole series of apparent impossibilities are thus turned into certainties.
