A SECOND reason for God's assuming human form and coming as the Messiah of Israel is to restore the nation to its own land.

וְעַתָּה אָמַר יְהוָה יוֹצְרִי מִבֶּטֶן לְעֶבֶד לוֹ לְשׁוֹבֵב יַעֲקֹב אֵלָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יֵאָסֵף וְאֶכָּבֵד בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וֵאלֹהַי הָיָה עֻזִּי׃ וַיֹּאמֶר נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד לְהָקִים אֶת־שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב וּנְציּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ׃ כֹּה אָמַר־יְהוָה גֹּאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשׁוֹ לִבְזֹה־נֶפֶשׁ לִמְתָעֵב גּוֹי לְעֶבֶד מֹשְׁלִים מְלָכִים יִרְאוּ וָקָמוּ שָׂרִים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְמַעַן יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמָן קְדֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּבְחָרֶךָּ׃

"And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes of the Lord, and my God is become my strength); yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of the Lord that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee" (Isa. 49:5-7).

This passage is one of the great Servant predictions of Isaiah. One of the objects of Messiah's coming is set forth in verse 6; "to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel."

In Isa. 61:1-9 the promise is made that the Messiah shall not only restore the nation to its own land but that "they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." Again, in Jer. 23:5-8 it is clear that the Messiah will regather the nation and place it in its own land, after which He will reign over the earth. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: the Lord our righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, As the Lord liveth, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, As the Lord liveth, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries whither I had driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land."

Many are the promises throughout the Tenach foretelling the regathering of Israel and her being established in the homeland. The above, however, are sufficient for the purpose in hand. When Israel is thus restored both to fellowship and her land she "shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men" (Mic. 5:7).

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