The unbelievers will end up in the realm of death, all the nations who have forgotten God.
By forgetting God and banning God out of their lives, the nations have come to evil acts. They have harassed the author and wronged him. By doing that, they dig their own grave and deserve perdition. The other side of the coin is that the poor are not forgotten by the Lord. For the weak there is certainly hope.
Please note how remarkable the use of the word forget
is: the wicked have forgotten God—that becomes their downfall. And the Lord certainly does not forget those who are weak.
With the great event of Jesus coming to earth, the Lord shows that he can give great tasks to humble people. Mary becomes the mother of Jesus. Luke 1:48–49 reads, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant…for he who is mighty has done great things for me.
We also recognize God, who is just and who frees his people from enemies, in Luke 1:71 (the prophecy of Zechariah), that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
17 The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.