“For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.” (2Ki 14:26 AV)
The
term ‘shut up’ here means shut up in a defended city. Most commentators believe the writer is
referring to a fortified city that would house military personnel of some kind. Any left would be any trained military personnel. And helper would be any allies to help
Israel. Israel, with the help of Syria,
went against Judah. Ahaz, king of Judah,
hired Assyria (modern-day Iran) to invade Israel and Syria. In doing so, Assyria devastated both
countries. This was before a second invasion
brought by Assyria in which Israel, or the ten northern tribes, are carried off
into captivity. When the LORD looked upon
the affliction of Israel and their completely defenseless condition, He took
pity on them that they are not consumed by their enemies. His pity was based on the covenants He made
with the forefathers of this present generation. God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and
David that Israel would outlast all of their enemies, establish an everlasting
kingdom, and realize the Messiah as their King!
Yes, it was their fault they suffered as they did. But God, in His mercy, took pity and
fulfilled His promise.
I
don’t know if you’ve ever had a child who is a stubborn learner. I had one once. It seemed no matter how many times he tried
and failed, he would continue to try the same thing over and again until the
consequences became too unbearable. I
cannot remember a specific case, but something similar to the following was not
uncommon. This child might attempt to
reach for something he is not allowed to have.
He may climb on furniture to get to it.
He would fall and bump his head.
After a bit of consoling and comforting, down on the floor he would
return. Yet, that forbidden object is
still above his head. He wants it
badly. So, he stacks a few things. Climbing up, the tower falls and he suffers
another injury. Consoled and corrected
again, he may ignore the object only as long as the pain from the last attempt reminds
him of the consequences. He now tries a
different approach. He attempts to jump
from one piece of furniture to another thinking he can grab the item while
flying through the air. However, he
misjudges the distance and misses his intended landing pad. Tears flow again. What kind of father would not take pity on
such a child as this? Dad does not remove
every conceivable plan this child may imagine.
Rather, Dad constantly reminds this child he is only hurting
himself. Dad always stands ready to keep
this boy from any permanent damage but will allow his son to learn things the
hard way. Dad’s love will not allow the
foolishness of his child to cause harm beyond Dad’s ability to fix it.
Putting
it another way, Jeremiah wrote, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (La 3:22 AV) God is far more merciful than we
realize. Israel had done some pretty
wicked things. They turned their back on
the very God who brought them out of slavery and gave them a country they could
call their own. The LORD kept them safe
from external enemies and provided all that was necessary for their sustenance
and growth as a nation. He had even
instilled fear in their neighbors so Israel was respected among their
peers. But what did they do? They went down the road of immorality and
pagan worship. Totally and completely they
rejected their God of mercy. Yet He
never rejected them. God continued to
keep them in His hand was will do so into eternity. Despite their commitment to Him, He remains
faithful to them. The same is true with
the New Testament saint. No matter how
unfaithful we are to the LORD, He will not abandon us and allow our lives to
become a complete ruin. He will remain
faithful to the work of His hands. He
cannot abandon us no matter how we treat Him!
His grace and mercy will not allow it.
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