“‘Then all nations
Will count you happy!
You will be
A land of delight!’
Says Yahweh of hosts.”
Yahweh, via Malachi, said that all the countries of the world would consider the Israelites happy, because their land would be so delightful.
their land
The stone with an inscription (Zech 3:9-3:10)
“‘I will engrave
Its inscription.
On the stone
That I have set
Before Joshua,
On a single stone
With seven facets.’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
‘I will remove
The guilt of this land
In a single day.’
Says Yahweh of hosts.
‘On that day,
You shall invite each other
To come
Under your vine,
Under your fig tree.’”
Yahweh was going to set up a stone with a single inscription on it but with 7 facets or 7 eyes. Was this the priesthood of the new Temple? Yahweh was going to take away the guilt of their land in a single day. On that day, everyone would sit around talking to their friends and neighbors under their cultivated vines and fig trees.
What Yahweh was going to do (Mic 5:10-5:11)
“Yahweh says.
‘In that day,
I will cut off
Your horses
From among you.
I will destroy
Your chariots.
I will cut off
The cities of your land.
I will throw down
All your strongholds.’”
In the day to come, Yahweh was going to get rid of the horses and chariots of the Israelites. He was going to cut off their cities from their land. He was going to get rid of the military fortresses and strongholds that they had built. There would be no need for war.
No inheritance (Mic 2:5-2:5)
“Therefore,
You will have no one
To cast the line
By lot
In the assembly
Of Yahweh.”
When the Israelites would be restored to their land, these evil wicked people would have no one to cast a lot for them in the redistribution of their land within the assembly of Yahweh.
Yahweh’s response (Mic 2:3-2:4)
“Therefore thus,
Says Yahweh.
‘Now!
I am devising
Against this family
An evil,
From which you cannot
Remove your necks.
You shall not walk haughtily!
It will be an evil time!
On that day,
They shall take up
A taunt song
Against you.
They will wail
With bitter lamentation.
They will say.
‘We are utterly ruined.
Yahweh alters
The inheritance
Of my people.
He removes it from me!
Among our captors,
He divides our fields.’”
Yahweh responded that he was devising some evil against these wicked people. They would wear a yoke on their necks, so that they could not walk around in a haughty manner. There would be an evil time for them on Yahweh’s appointed day. People would sing a taunting song against them as they would be wailing in a lamentation. They would admit that they would be ruined, because Yahweh had altered their inheritance. He had sent them off as captives, so that their fields would be divided up among other people. Yahweh’s response to these evil doers was an exile captivity with the loss of their land.
Restoration of the people of Israel (Am 9:13-9:15)
“Says Yahweh.
‘The time is surely coming
When the one who plows
Shall overtake
The one who reaps.
When the one who treads grapes
Shall overtake
The one who sows the seed.
The mountains shall drip
Sweet wine.
All the hills
Shall flow with it.
I will restore
The fortunes
Of my people Israel.
They shall rebuild
The ruined cities.
They shall
Inhabit them.
They shall
Plant vineyards.
They shall
Drink their wine.
They shall
Make gardens.
They shall
Eat their fruit.
I will plant them
Upon their land.
They shall never again
Be plucked up
Out of the land
That I have given them.’
Says Yahweh
Your God.”
This later oracle of Yahweh assumed that the Israelites had been taken from their land in captivity. However, in this restoration, those plowing would be greater than those reaping. Those who treaded the grapes would be more than those sowing the seeds. There would be abundance and hope all around. The mountains and hills would drip and flow with abundant sweet wine. The Israelites would have their fortunes restored, so that they would rebuild their cities and inhabit them. They would plant vineyards and drink wine. They would plant gardens with lots of fruit. These Israelites would be planted on their own land, never to be plucked away again.
The indictment of Israel (Hos 4:1-4:1)
“Hear the word of Yahweh!
O people of Israel!
Yahweh
Has an indictment
Against the inhabitants
Of the land.
There is no faithfulness.
There is no loyalty.
There is no knowledge
Of God
In the land.”
Hosea announced the word of Yahweh to the people of Israel. Yahweh was going to bring an indictment against all the people living in Israel. They were unfaithful and not loyal. They had no knowledge about God or their land. They were in big trouble.
The resident aliens as citizens of Israel (Ezek 47:22-47:23)
“You shall allot it
As an inheritance
For yourselves,
As well as for the aliens
Who reside among you.
They have begotten children
Among you.
They shall be
To you
As citizens of Israel.
With you,
They shall be allotted
An inheritance
Among the tribes of Israel.
In whatever tribe,
Aliens reside,
There you shall assign them
Their inheritance.’
Says Yahweh God.”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel, seemed to favor the resident aliens who were living in Israel. They received the same inheritance as the sons of the tribes, especially if they have had children among the Israelites. There did not seem to be any code or legal restrictions on these resident aliens. This was a very strong open immigration policy. As long as they lived with an Israelite tribe, they became citizens. Thus, they could inherit the land. Perhaps this was a way of accepting the people who were living in these various tribal areas, without taking their land.
The returning Israelites (Ezek 39:26-39:27)
“They shall forget
Their shame.
They shall forget
All the treachery
That they have practiced
Against me.
They shall live securely
In their land
With no one
To make them afraid.
I have brought
Them back
From the various people.
I have gathered them
From their enemies’ lands.
I have vindicated
My holiness
Through them
In the sight
Of many nations.”
The Israelites were to forget their shame when they returned to Israel. They would forget their former treachery against Yahweh. They would live securely in their land, since there was no one to make them afraid. Yahweh would have brought them back from the various countries that they were in. He was going to gather them from the lands of their enemies. Yahweh would vindicate his holiness through them in the sight of many nations.
The idea of an attack (Ezek 38:14-38:14)
“Therefore,
Son of man!
Prophesy!
Say to Gog!
Thus says Yahweh God!
‘On that day,
When my people Israel
Are living securely,
You will rouse yourself.’”
Yahweh once again wanted Ezekiel to prophesize to Gog, but I am not sure how Ezekiel and Gog would connect. When the Israelites had returned to live securely on their land, Gog should rouse himself to plan an attack on them. It seemed like Yahweh wanted Gog to attack Israel.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 