[The only sentence of this kind, against innumerable others in the opposite sense.] The law of Divine providence with regard to the nation of _Israel_ has ever been that defection is eventually to be followed by dispersion and reconciliation by restoration. “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land they defiled it....” (Ezekiel xxxvi. 17). “... and I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries;...” (_Ibid._ 19). “... from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you” (_Ibid._ 25). “And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God” (_Ibid._ 28). There is not one passage in which the promised restoration is represented as anything other than a distinct proof of reconciliation between God and his ancient People, or dispersion as anything other than a punishment. The People and the Land of _Israel_ are so linked with one another that whatever continuity is ascribed to the one must, on all strict principles of interpretation, be also attributed to the other. In the twenty-sixth chapter of _Leviticus_ we find _Moses_ giving the people, as warning and encouragement, a prophetic outline of their future history, which forms the real basis, and, in fact, makes up the substance of all that is found in the later prophets as regards the people of _Israel_. It is true that both the judgments there threatened and the mercies there promised are set forth hypothetically, on the supposition of their wickedly departing from the Lord and afterwards repenting――“_if ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me_,” on the one hand; “_if they shall confess their iniquity_” on the other. But since the conditional statements are changed――as they are in other places――into absolute announcements of what is to take place, the hypothetical forms of expression must be regarded as merely the appropriate mode of conveying warnings against defection and an encouragement to repentance:―― “And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, ... and also that they have walked contrary to Me” (Leviticus xxvi. 40). “I also will walk contrary unto them, and bring them into the land of their enemies; ... and they shall then be paid the punishment of their iniquity” (_Ibid._ 41). “then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land” (_Ibid._ 42).