God, foreseeing the incredulity of all to whom this prophecy should come, declares,
II. The certainty of its accomplishment, notwithstand- ing all the difficulties which lie in the way —
When things are far beyond the powers of man we are apt to judge that they can never be effected —
[Unbelief is deeply rooted in the heart of man. When Sarah was informed, that she, notwithstanding the advanced age of herself and her husband, should bear a child, she laughed at the idea, as altogether incredible'1. The Israelites in the wilderness, notwithstanding they had seen all God's wonders in Egypt and at the Red Sea, conceived it impossible that God should ever give them flesh to eat in the wilderness1: and Moses himself staggered at this promise through un- beliefs So it is with us all: "we limit the Holy One of Israel1," and "judge of him as if he were altogether such an one as ourselves m."]
But this is erroneous and absurd —
[Very pointed is that interrogation in the text : " Thus saith the Lord of Hosts ; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvel- lous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of Hosts." "There is nothing impossible to God." He that by a word called the whole universe into existence, What can he not do ? There were many in our Lord's days who doubted the resurrection of the body, because they could not conceive how the scattered atoms could ever be brought together and re-united into the same corporeal mass, so that every human being from the beginning to the end of the world should have his own proper body. But our blessed Lord said to them, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures and the power of Godn." A just con- sideration of God's omnipotence would at once have removed all their doubts on this subject, as it will also on every other subject connected with prophecy. Particularly in reference to the final restoration and conversion of the Jews is the power of God insisted on, as a pledge and security for the performance of his promised mercy : " They shall be graffed into their own olive- tree again ; for God is able to grafF them in again0." When therefore we see the desperate state to which the Jews are reduced, and feel inclined to ask, " Can these dry bones live?" let us bear in mind, that God has declared they shall
h Gen.xviii.9 — 15. i Ps.lxxviii. 19, 20. k Numb.xi 18 — 23. 1 Ps. lxxviii. 41. m Ps. 1. 21. n Matt. xxii. 29.
° Rom. xi. 23.