"YET"

If you will remember, in the book of Deuteronomy, God threatened Israel that if they, as a nation, sinned against Him, they would be scattered among the nations and cast far off among the heathen. Many a time they so sinned. I need not recapitulate the story of their continued transgressions and their multiplied backslidings. The Lord was slow to fulfil His utmost threatenings but put forth His utmost patience, till there was no more room for long-suffering. At last the threatened chastisemnt fell upon them and fierce nations carried them away in bonds to the far off lands of their dread. They were not utterly destroyed. Though they were a people scattered and peeled yet they were a people still, even as Israel is to this day. For all that tyrants and persecutors have ever done, yet the Jew is still extant among us, even as the bush burned with fire but was not consumed. Israel is still to the front and will be until the world's end. The Lord has not cast away His ancient people, even though He has cast them far off among the heathen. He has scattered them among the countries, but they are not absorbed into those countries, they still remain a people separated unto the Living God, in whom He will yet be glorified.
But assuredly the chosen seed came under chastisement. But yet God loved them and had a choice word for them, for He said "although I have cast them far off among the heathen, yet I will be to them as a little sanctuary." Beloved, you and I may lay under the rod of God, and we may smart sorely because of our iniquities, even as David did, and yet we may still be the children of God towards whom He has thoughts of grace. Our moisture may be turned into the drought of summer, while day and night The Lord's hand is heavy upon us, we may be in sore temporal trouble, and we may be compelled by an enlightened conscience to trace our sorrow to our own folly. We may be in great spiritual darkness, and may be compelled to confess that our own sins have procured this unto ourselves. And yet for all that, The Lord may have sent the chastisement in love and nothing but love. God has a word for any such and the word is "yet" which serves to show that there is a limit to His anger. He smites, but it is with an "although" and a "yet." He scatters them to a distance, but He sends a promise after them and says "yet I will to them as a little sanctuary." In The Lord's hand toward His chosen there may be a rod but not a sword. Listen to His own words of love and faithfulness "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith The Lord thy Redeemer."