Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
Ver. 1. Come, and let us return unto the Lord, &c.] So sweetly was God's expectation answered, as likewise it was in David, Psalms 27:8. No sooner could God say "Seek ye my face," but his holy heart answered (as it were by an echo), "Thy face, Lord, will I seek." Look, what God aimeth at in his administration to his elect he will have it; he will have out the price of his Son's blood, who gave "himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity," Titus 2:14, "and that he might give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins," Acts 5:31. See the proof and practice hereof in these Jewish converts, "Come, and let us return to the Lord," &c. See how "in those days, and at that time, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten," Jeremiah 50:4,5. Judah and Israel could not agree at other times; but when they are in a weeping condition then they could; when they passed through the valley of Baca, and made it a Bochim with their penitent tears, even they could go "from strength to strength," or from company to company (one company coming this way, and another that), and not rest until "every one of them in Zion appeareth before God," Psalms 84:6,7. This was fulfilled, partly when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion out of Babylon, and those that had sown in tears reaped in joy; those that went forth weeping and bearing precious seed came again with rejoicing and brought their sheaves with them, Psa 126:5-6 cf. Jeremiah 29:13; partly, under their captivity and oppression by the Romans, which was the time in which Christ came and by his apostles converted thousands to the faith, so that multitudes of them were daily added to the Church, Acts 2:41; Act 2:47 And, lastly, at that long looked for calling of the Jews; when they shall flee to Christ crucified "as the doves unto their windows," Isaiah 60:8; when they shall "bring their brethren as an offering to the Lord upon horses, in chariots, and in litters": that is, though sick, weakly, and unfit for travel, yet rather in litters than not at all; every one exciting others, and saying, "Come, and let us return unto the Lord," &c. Return "unto him, from whom the children of Israel have deeply, revolted," Isaiah 31:6. Let us not pine away in our transgressions, as these, Ezekiel 33:10, for "yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing," Ezra 10:2. We have "done all this wickedness; yet let us not turn aside from following the Lord"; for this were to add rebellion to sin, 1 Samuel 12:20, this were worse than all the rest.
Come, let us return unto the Lord] By our sins we have run from him; by repentance let us return unto him. See for this the note on Zechariah 1:2. If the wicked have their Come, Proverbs 1:11 Isaiah 56:12, should not the saints have theirs? as Isa 2:3 Zechariah 2:6. Should not Andrew call Philip, and Philip Nathaniel, as one link in a chain doth another, &c. True grace is communicative, charity is no churl; the saints like not to go to heaven alone.
For he hath torn] Rapuit, not cepit, as the Vulgate, by a foul mistake of capio for rapio in the Hebrew Lexicons. Here these converts confess that their affliction neither came "forth of the dust," Job 5:6, nor without their desert; they acknowledge God to be the lion that tore them, Hosea 5:14, and not without cause; for that they had wickedly departed from him. This is one property of true repentance, still to justify God, and to say, as Mauritius the emperor did (after David) when he saw his wife and children slain by the traitor Phocas, &c., "Righteous art thou, O Lord, in all thy ways, and just in all thy proceedings," Psalms 119:137. Another property of it is to bring a man to God with some assurance of healing.
He will heal us] For he is "Jehovah the physician," Exodus 15:26. Now omnipotenti medico nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus, saith Isidore, to an Almighty physician no disease can be incurable. Ephraim went to the Assyrian upon sight of his disease; but he could not heal him, Hosea 5:13. But God both can and will. Here he is compared both to a physician, he will heal; and to a surgeon, he will bind up. That which the poets' fable concerning Telephus' spear is here only verified: Una eademque manus vulnus opemque ferat, the same holy hand that tear us must cure us; and the sound persuasion of his readiness to do it for us will soonest of anything bring us into his presence: Initium poenitentiae est sensus clementiae Dei. The beginnig of repentance is the feeling of the mercy of God. Judas confesseth his wound, and despaireth of the cure. But Peter is confirmed by the love of Christ to weep bitterly, and believe. A stroke from guilt broke Judas' heart into despair; but a look from Christ broke Peter's heart into tears, There is no mention of Israel's lamenting after the Lord while he was gone; but when he was returned, and settled in Kirjathjearim, then they poured forth water, 1 Samuel 7:6, then they gather about him and will do anything that he commandeth them. "Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith," Hebrews 10:22 .
“ Deiecit ut relevet; premit ut solatia praestet,
Enecat, ut possit vivificare Deus. ”