“A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.” Isaiah 10:21 ESV
Reflection: who is the remnant of Israel that will return?
We can read an account of the return to Judah and Jerusalem from the exile in Babylon in the book of Ezra. This started with God, stirring the heart of the king of Persia to send the people of Israel back, “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:” Ezra 1:1 ESV And therefore, “Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.” Ezra 1:5 ESV. Notice that this was only from two tribes – Benjamin and Judah.
Ezra then provides a detailed account of who and how many returned “Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. The whole assembly together was 42,360, besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720.” Ezra 2:1, 64-65, 67 ESV. Notice that this was only a small portion of the people who had been taken into exile, and again, only from two tribes. The other ten tribes spread throughout Europe and beyond.
We read from Isaiah about a “remnant” that will return. We read “In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.”Isaiah 10:20-23 ESV. But, let’s be careful here and not be confused – notice that Isaiah was not talking about a return to a physical land, but rather a return to following God. He writes “A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.” Isaiah 10:21 ESV.
This is clearly a prophecy that stretches far into the future, as Isaiah saw the final count of people turning to God, and the destruction of all evil by righteousness. “For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.”Isaiah 10:20-23 ESV. It is for all the earth. And we can therefore also look ahead here, to a new heaven and a new earth.
And there is a beautiful assurance of protection for God’s people following this message, of not to be afraid for the destruction that is coming “Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. For in a very little while my fury will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction.” Isaiah 10:24-25 ESV. Again here we see this beautiful image of “Mount Zion”, the highest mountain, which is the Lord. For those who dwell in Zion, who dwell in the Lord. Have you turned to, or returned to, the Lord?