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I will sow them among the people - Wherever they have been dispersed, my voice in the preaching of the Gospel shall reach them. And they shall remember me, and they and their children shall turn again to the Lord, through Messiah their King.

And I will sow them among the nations - Such had been the prophecy of Hosea; “I will sow her unto Me in the earth,” as the prelude of spiritual mercies, “and I will have mercy on her that had not obtained mercy, and I will say to not-my-people, Thou art My people, and they shall say, my God”. Hosea‘s saying, “I will sow her in the earth” that is, the whole earth and that “to Me,” corresponds to, and explains Zechariah‘s brief saying, “I will sow them among the nations.” The sowing, which was future to Hosea, had begun; but the purpose of the sowing, the harvest, was wholly to come; when it should be seen, that they were indeed sown by God, that “great” should “be the day of Jezreel” (Hosea 1:11. See vol. i. p. 25). And Jeremiah said, “Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah, with the seed of man and with the seed of beast” Jeremiah 31:27. The word is used of sowing to multiply, never of mere scattering.

And they shall remember Me in far countries - So Ezekiel had said, “And they that escape of you shall remember Me among the nations, whither they shall be carried captive - and they shall loath themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations, and they shall know that I am the Lord” Ezekiel 6:9.

And shall live - As Ezekiel again says, “Ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up out of your graves, O My people, and shall put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live” Ezekiel 37:13-14. “With their children.” A continuous gift, as Ezekiel, “they and their children, and their children‘s children forever: and My servant David shall be their prince forever.” Ezekiel 37:25.

And turn again - To God, being converted, as Jeremiah had been bidden to exhort them; “Go and proclaim these words toward the north” Jeremiah 3:12, the cities of the Medes whither they were carried captive, “and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you;” “Turn, O backsliding children - and I with take you, one of a city, and two of a family, and will bring you to Zion, and I will give you pastors according to Mine heart” Jeremiah 3:14-15. “Return, ye backsliding children; I will heal your backslidings.” And they answer, “Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God” Jeremiah 3:22. So Isaiah had said, “A remnant shall return, the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God”. Dionysius: “They shall return by recollection of mind and adunation and simplification of the affections toward God so as ultimately to intend that one thing, which alone is necessary.”

Here are precious promises to the people of God, which look to the state of the Jews, and even to the latter days of the church. Preaching the gospel is God's call for souls to come to Jesus Christ. Those whom Christ redeemed by his blood, God will gather by his grace. Difficulties shall be got over easily, and effectually, as those in the way of the deliverance out of Egypt. God himself will be their strength, and their song. When we resist, and so overcome our spiritual enemies, then our hearts shall rejoice. If God strengthen us, we must bestir ourselves in all the duties of the Christian life, must be active in the work of God; and we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.