What Old Testament passages echo the themes found in Matthew 23:37? Matthew 23:37 – The Heartbeat Behind the Study “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.” Echo 1 – Sheltering Wings: God’s Protective Compassion • Deuteronomy 32:11-12 – “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them; He carried them on His pinions. The LORD alone led him…” • Psalm 17:8 – “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” • Psalm 36:7 – “How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!” • Psalm 91:4 – “He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.” • Isaiah 31:5 – “Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of Hosts will shield Jerusalem; He will protect and deliver it…” Echo 2 – Prophets Sent, Prophets Rejected • 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 – “The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through His messengers again and again… but they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets…” • Jeremiah 7:25-26 – “From the day your fathers came out of Egypt until today, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again… yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear; they stiffened their necks.” • Nehemiah 9:30 – “You were patient with them for many years, and You admonished them by Your Spirit through the prophets, yet they would not listen.” Echo 3 – Divine Longing Met by Human Unwillingness • Isaiah 65:2 – “I spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people…” • Hosea 11:1-4, 8 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him… I led them with cords of kindness… My heart recoils within Me; My compassion is stirred.” • Psalm 81:11-13 – “But My people would not listen to Me; Israel would not obey… Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!” • Ezekiel 18:31-32 – “Cast off all the transgressions you have committed… For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death… Repent and live!” Putting the Threads Together • Matthew 23:37 stands on a rich Old Testament foundation: the God who shelters under wings, persistently sends prophets, and yearns for His people’s repentance. • Across centuries, the divine voice remains unchanged—compassionate, protective, patient—yet so often met with resistance. • The echoes call every generation to respond differently: to come willingly under His wings rather than refuse His gathering love. |
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