In The Word
Read: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26
Liberation from Captivity Promised
30 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. 3 For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall take possession of it.’”
4 Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:
5 “For this is what the Lord says:
‘I have heard a sound of terror,
Of fear, and there is no peace.
6 Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his waist, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?
7 Woe, for that day is great,
There is none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s distress,
Yet he will be saved from it.
8 ‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘that I will break his yoke from their necks and will tear to pieces their restraints; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. 9 But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
10 And do not fear, Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord,
‘And do not be dismayed, Israel;
For behold, I am going to save you from far away,
And your descendants from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob will return and be at peace, without anxiety,
And no one will make him afraid.
11 For I am with you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to save you;
For I will completely destroy all the nations where I have scattered you,
Only I will not destroy you completely.
But I will discipline you fairly
And will by no means leave you unpunished.’
12 “For this is what the Lord says:
‘Your broken limb is irreparable,
And your wound is incurable.
13 There is no one to plead your cause;
No healing for your sore,
No recovery for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you,
They do not seek you;
For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the punishment of a cruel one,
Because your wrongdoing is great,
And your sins are numerous.
15 Why do you cry out over your injury?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your wrongdoing is great
And your sins are numerous,
I have done these things to you.
16 Therefore all who devour you will be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity;
And those who plunder you will become plunder,
And all who plunder you I will turn into plunder.
17 For I will restore you to health
And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord,
‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying:
“It is Zion; no one cares for her.”’
Restoration of Jacob
18 “This is what the Lord says:
‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And have compassion on his dwellings;
And the city will be rebuilt on its ruins,
And the palace will stand on its rightful place.
19 From them will come a song of thanksgiving
And the voices of those who celebrate;
And I will multiply them and they will not decrease;
I will honor them and they will not be insignificant.
20 Their children also will be as before,
And their congregation will be established before Me;
And I will punish all their oppressors.
21 Their leader shall be one of them,
And their ruler will come out from their midst;
And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me;
For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the Lord.
22 ‘You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’”
23 Behold, the tempest of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
A sweeping tempest;
It will whirl upon the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back
Until He has performed and accomplished
The intent of His heart.
In the latter days you will understand this.
Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy
31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when it went to find its rest.”
3 The Lord appeared to him long ago, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you out with kindness.
4 I will build you again and you will be rebuilt,
Virgin of Israel!
You will take up your tambourines again,
And go out to the dances of the revelers.
5 Again you will plant vineyards
On the hills of Samaria;
The planters will plant
And will enjoy the fruit.
6 For there will be a day when watchmen
On the hills of Ephraim call out,
‘Arise, and let’s go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’”
7 For this is what the Lord says:
“Sing aloud with joy for Jacob,
And be joyful with the chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘Lord, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’
8 Behold, I am bringing them from the north country,
And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth,
Among them those who are blind and those who limp,
The pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
They will return here as a great assembly.
9 They will come with weeping,
And by pleading I will bring them;
I will lead them by streams of waters,
On a straight path on which they will not stumble;
For I am a father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My firstborn.”
10 Hear the word of the Lord, you nations,
And declare it in the coastlands far away,
And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him,
And He will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”
11 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
12 “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion,
And they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord—
Over the grain, the new wine, the oil,
And over the young of the flock and the herd.
And their life will be like a watered garden,
And they will never languish again.
13 Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old together;
For I will turn their mourning into joy
And comfort them, and give them joy for their sorrow.
14 I will refresh the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” declares the Lord.
15 This is what the Lord says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
Lamenting and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
She refuses to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more.”
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Restrain your voice from weeping
And your eyes from tears;
For your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord,
“And they will return from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord,
“And your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have certainly heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have disciplined me, and I was corrected,
Like an untrained calf;
Bring me back that I may be restored,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 For after I turned back, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I slapped my thigh;
I was ashamed and also humiliated
Because I bore the shame of my youth.’
20 Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a delightful child?
Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him,
I certainly still remember him;
Therefore My heart yearns for him;
I will certainly have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.
21 “Set up roadmarks for yourself,
Place guideposts for yourself;
Direct your mind to the highway,
The way by which you went.
Return, O virgin of Israel,
Return to these your cities.
22 How long will you waver,
You rebellious daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth:
A woman will shelter a man.”
23 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes,
‘The Lord bless you, O place of righteousness,
O holy hill!’
24 Judah and all its cities will live together in it, the farmers and those who travel with flocks. 25 For I give plenty of water to the weary ones, and refresh everyone who languishes.” 26 At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep had been pleasant to me.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
God told Jeremiah to write His words in a book which would allow His people to read them when they were away from Jerusalem in exile. This book would give them comfort and hope that the days of distress and captivity would one day come to an end. God would destroy the Israelites’ enemies so that His chosen people could return home, and God would restore their fortunes. They were in such a desperate situation that neither they nor their allies could save them. Since only God could deliver them, God alone would get the honor. Though God justly disciplined them, He said His love never diminished: “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). In response, God expected their love, obedience, and worship.
The written accounts in Jeremiah help us to have a clear understanding of our own salvation. Sin had taken us captive and separated us from God so that we were far from Him and without hope. But through the blood of Jesus Christ, we were reconciled and brought near to God (Ephesians 2:12-13). Jesus broke our bonds of slavery to sin so that we no longer serve that cruel master. Now we, who are saved, are free to wholeheartedly love and faithfully serve Him.
The book of Jeremiah also reminds us that God is with us no matter what we face. Even if He disciplines us, it is in love and for our benefit, because He wants to prevent anything from leading us away from Him.