Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected the Israelites. Elijah had warned Israel. He told Yahweh that he was now alone. However, Yahweh told him that there were seven thousand people who had not bowed to Baal. Thus, today, there was a remnant left, but it was grace, not works that made them special. Do you accept the remnant of Israel?
The remnant of Israel
The humble poor of Israel (Zeph 3:11-3:13)
“On that day,
You shall not
Be put to shame,
Because of the deeds
By which you have rebelled
Against me.
Then I will remove
From your midst
Your proudly exultant ones.
You shall no longer
Be haughty
On my holy mountain.
I will leave
In the midst of you
A humble people,
A lowly people.
They shall seek refuge
In the name of Yahweh.
The remnant of Israel
Shall do no wrong.
They shall utter no lies.
A deceitful tongue
Shall not be found
In their mouth.
They shall pasture.
They shall lie down.
No one shall make them
Afraid.”
Yahweh, via Zephaniah, said that the Israelites would not be put to shame. The reason was fairly simple. Yahweh was going to remove all those rebellious ones that proudly exulted themselves. Thus, there would be no more haughty ones in their midst. Instead, all the people left would be humble and lowly people, who took refuge in Yahweh. These were the remnant of Israel, who would not do anything wrong or utter any lies with a deceitful tongue. They would be able to lie down in their pastures, since no one was going to make them afraid.
The cry of Ezekiel at the death of Pelatiah (Ezek 11:13-11:13)
“Now
While I was prophesying,
Pelatiah,
The son of Benaiah,
Died.
Then I fell down
On my face.
I cried
With a loud voice.
I said.
‘O Lord God!
Will you make
A full end
Of the remnant of Israel?’”
There is a strange cry of Ezekiel about the death of Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, who was one of the wicked ones mentioned earlier in this chapter. He died while Ezekiel was prophesying. It is not clear why Ezekiel was so upset. Nevertheless, Ezekiel fell down with his face to the ground and cried out loudly. He wanted to know if this was the end of the remnant of Israel. Would no one be left in Israel?
The remnant of Israel (Isa 10:20-10:21)
“On that day,
The remnant of Israel
With the survivors
Of the house of Jacob
Will no more lean on the one
Who struck them.
But they will lean
On Yahweh,
The Holy One of Israel,
In truth.
A remnant will return.
The remnant of Jacob,
to the mighty God.”
Isaiah returns to the theme of the remnant of Israel, which is actually the name of his son Shear-Jashub, as mentioned earlier in chapter 7 of this work. They will no longer lean on Assyria but on the Lord, Yahweh, the true holy one of Israel. This remnant returning was a common theme during the Exile.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 