I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
God promises to be as the dew to Israel when they repent and return to Him, a promise given in times past that still applies today. Returning means coming with confession asking Him to take away all iniquity, renouncing trust in human power and idols and self-chosen ways, and taking His way and instruction. To those who so return He heals backsliding, loves freely and turns away His anger, Himself giving spiritual life and refreshment by His grace so they blossom as the lily and stand deep-rooted, firm and stable as Lebanon. That lily-like growth comes not by anxious effort but as a plant receives sunshine, dew and rain, by taking deep root in Christ, opening the heart to the Holy Spirit and continually relying on Him. It is fulfilled in all who truly follow Christ in purity of character, obedience to all His commandments, unity with one another in service, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
Restoration Promised to Israel
The promise belongs to Israel on condition of repentance and return to God, and though spoken in times past it still applies at the present day. When Israel returns and turns from sin, God undertakes to refresh and revive His people by His grace. That refreshing restores them to flourishing life and growth.
Returning means coming with words of confession, asking Him to take away all iniquity and receive graciously. It means renouncing trust in human power and in the work of the hands, having nothing more to do with idols. It means renouncing all self-confidence and ways of own choosing, and taking God's way and following His instruction. To those who so return, even those who fell by iniquity and looked on themselves as superior to their brethren, He heals backsliding, loves freely, and turns His anger away. When transgressors are given opportunity to repent and return, this healing and free love is what is promised.
He Himself becomes as dew to them, giving spiritual life, refreshment, revival and growth. Under that nurture they flourish and blossom as the lily. They cast forth roots as Lebanon, meaning deep, firm, secure and enduring rootedness and strength and stability like the cedars and trees of Lebanon. The life and fruit of this restoration come from Him.
The following verses unfold that restored life as spreading branches in beauty and fragrance as the olive and Lebanon. It is reviving as the corn and growing as the vine, with shelter for those dwelling under his shadow. Its fruit is found from God, until Ephraim renounces idols and turns away from them. The passage adds that the wise understand these things and that the Lord's ways are right: the just walk in them, but transgressors fall.
Growth in Christian Life
Christ is as dew to those who trust in Him, sustaining their life and growth as dew sustains a plant. Growth as the lily pictures spiritual growth that comes through receiving what God provides, as a plant receives sunshine, dew and rain and as the heart receives the Holy Spirit, not through a person's anxiety or effort. It is growth by taking deep root in Christ, opening the heart to the Holy Spirit, and continually relying on Christ as Saviour, while the heart stayed and fixed on Christ is sustained as rain sustains life.
The promise is fulfilled in all who truly follow Christ, with purity of character distinctly revealed in them. It means spiritual beauty and growth and deep rooting like Lebanon, as a tree strikes its roots deep to gain strength to withstand the tempest, so the Christian is rooted and grounded in truth to withstand the temptations of the enemy. Those who truly follow Christ display purity of character and grow in spiritual beauty and strength, a flourishing character produced through harmony with God's law.
This distinguishes genuine devotion from claims of sanctification that coexist with disobedience, for obedience to all God's commandments is the true sign of sanctification and loyalty, while disobedience shows disloyalty and apostasy. The just walk in the Lord's right ways, but transgressors fall therein, and the wise understand these things. The restoration is growth and fruitfulness from God, turning away from idols and walking in those right ways, with flourishing like a lily and deep secure roots like the trees of Lebanon.
The same healing is for those whose interest in God's work has abated, who have not walked in God's counsel but followed the world, with thoughts not pure, clean and holy, without fragrant spiritual influence, and with impure thought, word and deed. When they realize they are transgressing God's law and show repentance toward God and Jesus Christ, coming with words asking Him to take away all iniquity and receive them graciously, He turns away His anger, heals their backsliding and loves them freely. He then refines their perceptions by divine grace and cleanses every stain of impurity in thought, word and deed, causing them to grow pure and beautiful as the lily and to cast forth firm roots as Lebanon, with spreading branches and beauty as the olive, reviving as the corn and growing as the vine under His shadow, bearing fruit found from Him, forsaking idols and walking in the Lord's right ways.
Keeping the mind stayed and fixed on Christ and following His example brings renewal like the lily, corn and vine, with increasing faith, a sanctified conscience, greater likeness to Christ in words and actions, and the fruit of the Spirit. Those who place themselves under the control of the Holy Spirit are refreshed as with the dew of heaven and made doers of Christ's words.
The reviving and rooting is given to a people who are one, who blend with one another in service for God and link up with Christ instead of forming a separate party with a human leader. When they live in unity and speak kindly, God waters their souls with this heavenly refreshment. When the church is wholly surrendered to God its members grow in Christlikeness and unity and bear the fruit of faithful service, flourishing, firmly rooted and fruitful under His life-giving care.
The verse is God's present invitation to the fruitless backslider who is a cumberer of the ground in the Lord's vineyard, without living connection and without the fruits of the Spirit. He is not yet cut down, because God in mercy spares him this year also, keeps him night and day, waters him every moment, and labors to dig about and dress him with unwearied love. If he returns, God will heal his backsliding and love him freely and supply the refreshing nurture that causes lily-like growth and deep Lebanon-like rooting, with olive-like beauty, reviving like corn and growing like the vine, so that his fruit is found from God.
God promises to be as the dew to Israel when they repent and return to Him, a promise given in times past that still applies today. Returning means coming with confession asking Him to take away all iniquity, renouncing trust in human power and idols and self-chosen ways, and taking His way and instruction. To those who so return He heals backsliding, loves freely and turns away His anger, Himself giving spiritual life and refreshment by His grace so they blossom as the lily and stand deep-rooted, firm and stable as Lebanon. That lily-like growth comes not by anxious effort but as a plant receives sunshine, dew and rain, by taking deep root in Christ, opening the heart to the Holy Spirit and continually relying on Him. It is fulfilled in all who truly follow Christ in purity of character, obedience to all His commandments, unity with one another in service, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
Restoration Promised to Israel
The promise belongs to Israel on condition of repentance and return to God, and though spoken in times past it still applies at the present day. When Israel returns and turns from sin, God undertakes to refresh and revive His people by His grace. That refreshing restores them to flourishing life and growth.
Returning means coming with words of confession, asking Him to take away all iniquity and receive graciously. It means renouncing trust in human power and in the work of the hands, having nothing more to do with idols. It means renouncing all self-confidence and ways of own choosing, and taking God's way and following His instruction. To those who so return, even those who fell by iniquity and looked on themselves as superior to their brethren, He heals backsliding, loves freely, and turns His anger away. When transgressors are given opportunity to repent and return, this healing and free love is what is promised.
He Himself becomes as dew to them, giving spiritual life, refreshment, revival and growth. Under that nurture they flourish and blossom as the lily. They cast forth roots as Lebanon, meaning deep, firm, secure and enduring rootedness and strength and stability like the cedars and trees of Lebanon. The life and fruit of this restoration come from Him.
The following verses unfold that restored life as spreading branches in beauty and fragrance as the olive and Lebanon. It is reviving as the corn and growing as the vine, with shelter for those dwelling under his shadow. Its fruit is found from God, until Ephraim renounces idols and turns away from them. The passage adds that the wise understand these things and that the Lord's ways are right: the just walk in them, but transgressors fall.
Growth in Christian Life
Christ is as dew to those who trust in Him, sustaining their life and growth as dew sustains a plant. Growth as the lily pictures spiritual growth that comes through receiving what God provides, as a plant receives sunshine, dew and rain and as the heart receives the Holy Spirit, not through a person's anxiety or effort. It is growth by taking deep root in Christ, opening the heart to the Holy Spirit, and continually relying on Christ as Saviour, while the heart stayed and fixed on Christ is sustained as rain sustains life.
The promise is fulfilled in all who truly follow Christ, with purity of character distinctly revealed in them. It means spiritual beauty and growth and deep rooting like Lebanon, as a tree strikes its roots deep to gain strength to withstand the tempest, so the Christian is rooted and grounded in truth to withstand the temptations of the enemy. Those who truly follow Christ display purity of character and grow in spiritual beauty and strength, a flourishing character produced through harmony with God's law.
This distinguishes genuine devotion from claims of sanctification that coexist with disobedience, for obedience to all God's commandments is the true sign of sanctification and loyalty, while disobedience shows disloyalty and apostasy. The just walk in the Lord's right ways, but transgressors fall therein, and the wise understand these things. The restoration is growth and fruitfulness from God, turning away from idols and walking in those right ways, with flourishing like a lily and deep secure roots like the trees of Lebanon.
The same healing is for those whose interest in God's work has abated, who have not walked in God's counsel but followed the world, with thoughts not pure, clean and holy, without fragrant spiritual influence, and with impure thought, word and deed. When they realize they are transgressing God's law and show repentance toward God and Jesus Christ, coming with words asking Him to take away all iniquity and receive them graciously, He turns away His anger, heals their backsliding and loves them freely. He then refines their perceptions by divine grace and cleanses every stain of impurity in thought, word and deed, causing them to grow pure and beautiful as the lily and to cast forth firm roots as Lebanon, with spreading branches and beauty as the olive, reviving as the corn and growing as the vine under His shadow, bearing fruit found from Him, forsaking idols and walking in the Lord's right ways.
Keeping the mind stayed and fixed on Christ and following His example brings renewal like the lily, corn and vine, with increasing faith, a sanctified conscience, greater likeness to Christ in words and actions, and the fruit of the Spirit. Those who place themselves under the control of the Holy Spirit are refreshed as with the dew of heaven and made doers of Christ's words.
The reviving and rooting is given to a people who are one, who blend with one another in service for God and link up with Christ instead of forming a separate party with a human leader. When they live in unity and speak kindly, God waters their souls with this heavenly refreshment. When the church is wholly surrendered to God its members grow in Christlikeness and unity and bear the fruit of faithful service, flourishing, firmly rooted and fruitful under His life-giving care.
The verse is God's present invitation to the fruitless backslider who is a cumberer of the ground in the Lord's vineyard, without living connection and without the fruits of the Spirit. He is not yet cut down, because God in mercy spares him this year also, keeps him night and day, waters him every moment, and labors to dig about and dress him with unwearied love. If he returns, God will heal his backsliding and love him freely and supply the refreshing nurture that causes lily-like growth and deep Lebanon-like rooting, with olive-like beauty, reviving like corn and growing like the vine, so that his fruit is found from God.