19 [v]O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. 20 Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. 21 Your ears will hear a word behind you, “[w]This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. 22 And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to [x]them, “Be gone!”
23 Then He will give you rain for [y]the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be [z]rich and [aa]plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture. 24 Also the oxen and the donkeys which work the ground will eat salted fodder, which [ab]has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25 On every lofty mountain and on every high hill there will be [ac]streams running with water on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26 The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the Lord binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise [ad]He has inflicted.
In this passage we have a couple things going on. First, we have the promises of what will happen if God’s people cry out to Him and listen to His voice. Second, there is a vision of what seems to be the end-days judgment, with a great slaughter, towers falling, and the sun being seven times brighter.
Some commentators (Chuck Smith for one) have noted that such a thing would be like a supernova and would scorch the earth, and possibly kill anyone exposed to it. That doesn’t sound to me like anything that has ever happened before, and I don’t know that we learn anything from that except you don’t want to be left on this earth when God’s final judgment is poured out.
So we’re back to thing one, and let’s start with v. 19. Paraphrasing a bit, “when God hears your cry, He will answer you.” Great, let’s all cry out for a million dollars! Right? Rather, as we see in v. 20, this is a cry born of privation and oppression, out of hardship–the same sort of stuff Jesus promised us. Yes, that again. If you want an easy life, you can go follow someone else, and wait for that supernova…
Anyway, when life is hard, and we cry out, God always hears us. Think of that… God always hears you. Not sometimes, not when He has time, or when He is close enough, but always. If you’re asking for something selfish, it’s likely to be a big, fat “No!” But if you’re focused on God, and asking for His will, that’s going to be an affirmative, even if you have to wait a while (more fun!).
Which leads us back into v. 21, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” That is, when we get off course, and if we are listening, we will hear His voice telling us to get back on track. Again with the listening, but it is so important, and I know I don’t do it enough.
I could be reminded every day and might not do it enough–maybe that’s what God is telling me also! Let us all take that to heart then, that we need to be better listeners. It’s a good habit in our relationships with others, and no less important when it comes to our relationship with our Father. Listen, and then trust His guidance and obey, just like the Israelites in v. 22. Don’t hold on to your idols, but chase after Him with your whole heart… and both ears!