And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel - God had foretold their rebellion His forsaking them, "the troubles" which should "find" them, and that they should say, "Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?" Deuteronomy 31:17. It had been the mockery of the Pagan in their distress, "Where is their God?" Joel 2:17. "Now, by the fulfillment of His promises and by all God's benefits, they should know that He was among them by special grace as His own peculiar people." Still more was this to be fulfilled to Christians, in whose heart He dwells by love and grace, and of whom He says, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there will I be in the midst of them." In the highest sense, "God was in the midst of them," in that "God the Son, equal to God the Father as touching His Godhead, did, in the truth of human nature, take our flesh. This to see and know, is glory and bliss ineffable. Therefore He repeats, and by repeating, confirms, what he had said, "And My people shall never be ashamed." Yea, glorious, magnified, honored, shall be the people, to whom such a Son was promised, and of whom He was born. Glorious to them is that which the Apostle saith, that "He took not on Him the nature of Angels, but He took the seed of Abraham," and this glory shall be eternal."

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,.... The presence of God among his people shall be so manifest, the tokens of it so clear, that it shall be easily known, by the impressions of his love upon them; the teachings of his Spirit in them; the usefulness of the word and ordinances to them; the spiritual and heavenly frame of soul they shall be favoured with, and the savouriness of their conversation; this is the blessing Christ has promised to Gospel ministers and churches, Matthew 28:20;

and that I am the Lord your God, and none else; that he is their covenant God and Father, and acknowledge none else:

and my people shall never be ashamed; which is repeated for the certainty of it; see Joel 2:26.

They will learn thereby that Jehovah is present among His people, and the only true God, who does not suffer His people to be put to shame. The repetition of ולא יבשׁוּ וגו, by which the promised grace is guaranteed to the people for all ages, serves as a rhetorical rounding off of the section (see at Joel 2:20).

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

27. know that I am in the midst of Israel-As in the Old Testament dispensation God was present by the Shekinah, so in the New Testament first, for a brief time by the Word made flesh dwelling among us (Joh 1:14), and to the close of this dispensation by the Holy Spirit in the Church (Mt 28:20), and probably in a more perceptible manner with Israel when restored (Eze 37:26-28).

never be ashamed-not an unmeaning repetition from Joe 2:26. The twice-asserted truth enforces its unfailing certainty. As the "shame" in Joe 2:26 refers to temporal blessings, so in this verse it refers to the spiritual blessings flowing from the presence of God with His people (compare Jer 3:16, 17; Re 21:3).

2:15-27 The priests and rulers are to appoint a solemn fast. The sinner's supplication is, Spare us, good Lord. God is ready to succour his people; and he waits to be gracious. They prayed that God would spare them, and he answered them. His promises are real answers to the prayers of faith; with him saying and doing are not two things. Some understand these promises figuratively, as pointing to gospel grace, and as fulfilled in the abundant comforts treasured up for believers in the covenant of grace.