It is written in our Torah, “The LORD your God will return as you return (ושׁב יהוה אלהיך את־שׁבותך), and will have mercy upon you, turning to gather you back…” (Deut 30:3). This has both a present and prophetic application. First, in the present hour, if you turn to God, he will show you compassion, and he will “gather back” all those distant and fragmented parts of yourself into shalom and wholeness. He will restore your lost days; he will bring you out of exile and give you comfort in Yeshua. He makes all things new. “Draw near, therefore to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Second, the LORD will return to earth as the Jewish people return from their captivity, and he will restore Zion during the time of the final redemption. The LORD will turn captivity into mercy; he will turn in his compassion to his people. As it is written: “I will be found by you, declares the LORD… (והשׁבתי אתכם אל־המקום) and I will bring you back to the place…” (Jer. 29:14).
The language of the Torah here is emphatic: “even if your exile is at the farthest edge of heaven (בקצה השמים), from there the LORD your God will gather you…” (Deut. 30:4). Note that this prophecy is written in the singular and therefore pertains to each individual exile. God will “gather you,” that is, he bring you back to make you whole. Even if your exile (singular) is to the uttermost, the LORD will take you and deliver you, as it is written, “He is able to save to the uttermost (σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς) those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). As long as you have breath within you and an iota of hope in Him, God will bring you through the darkness.
Hebrew Lesson
- Deut. 31:6b Hebrew page (pdf)