A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH
Hope for the Future
Jeremiah 30 SCC 3/26/17
God had threatened Judah
with judgment for her disobedience, but still the nation did not turn back to
Him. But before this suffering began, God instructed Jeremiah to write in a book prophecies of hope. They looked forward to when
Israel and Judah would reunite in Promised Land restored to their God.
GOD PROMISES TO PERSONALLY RESTORE HIS PEOPLE IN THE
FUTURE
God instructed Jeremiah to
write these words of comfort and hope in a book that would be available to the
exiles after Jerusalem fell v 1-2. For, behold, days are
coming, declares the Lord v 3. Jeremiah
used the words “the days” in two different ways in his book. First, is the day of destruction when God would judge Judah for her sin. This day was fulfilled when Judah fell to Babylon. Second, was the day of restoration when God would bring the nations of Israel
and Judah together into a new relationship with Him and He will deal with the
Gentile nations. By looking at the immediate context,
we can discover if he’s talking about the near or far future. Also, because we
can look at what happened in history, we can discover that some of these things
have not yet happened, therefore, they would be far prophecy.
PT: God has
a plan for the ages. There is a culmination to all of history. God declares
that is a yet future moment when all things converge in his final plan. God is
moving all things in that direction.
Jeremiah’s
prophecy was that God said I will restore the fortunes of My
people Israel and Judah and I will also bring them back to the land that
I gave to their forefathers, and they shall possess it v 3. This gave hope
to those who would soon (70 yrs) be taken out of the land to Babylon. There
needed to be a permanent record of these predictions since the people rejected
the Lord's words. When He restored the fortunes of Israel and Judah and returned
the people to their land, the book would vindicate His faithfulness and His
predictions of this judgment to come.
PT: Past
literally fulfilled prophecy is the greatest argument for literal fulfillment
of future prophecy.
The nation’s faces
distress. These are the words which the Lord spoke
concerning Israel and concerning Judah v
4. I have heard a sound of
terror…dread…no peace v 5. A time of great terror, dread, and
unrest was coming. Men would behave as though they were in labor v 6. They would hold themselves in pain
with his hands on his loins as women
do when they are about to give birth. This is a picture of powerlessness and
panic. The return of these two nations is preceded by the time of Jacob’s
distress and there is none like it v 7. Because He is
talking about the distress to both of these nations, He must be
referring to future Tribulation time when both nations will receive
unparalleled persecution (Mt24:15f).
That time will end when
Christ appears to rescue His elect and establish His kingdom (Matthew 24:30-31;
25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:4-6). A coming period of time would be the
worst "Jacob" (Israel) had ever experienced, or would ever
experience. This anticipates the Tribulation, in which Israelites will suffer
more greatly than they ever have or ever will (Rev. 6—18). Perhaps the Lord
referred to His people here as Jacob because the patriarch Jacob experienced
many of his own extreme distresses. However, but he will be saved from it. The Israelites would not perish in
this distress because the Lord promised them deliverance, both physical and
spiritual.
Here are things promised
about the future restoration in the Millennial Kingdom:
I will break his yoke, strangers shall
no longer make them their slaves v 8. The Israelites were not slaves in Assyria or Babylon. At
that time, God would set His people free from all those who restrained and
enslaved them. They
shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for
them v 9. This points to a future deliverance when Christ and David will
rule. I will save you from afar and your offspring from the land of their
captivity v 10. The Lord promised to save His people from distant
lands and their descendants from the land of their captivity. The Israelites
would return to their land, where they would enjoy lasting peace and security. Jacob
shall return and shall be quiet and at ease, and no
one shall make him afraid. I will destroy completely all the nations where I
have scattered you v 11 (1 Thess
4:11). I
will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly, and will by no
means leave you unpunished (for their
sins against God). The judgment described in these verses cannot possibly be
restricted to the downfall of the Babylonian monarchy, but is the judgment that
is to fall upon all nations yet in the future at the end of the Tribulation.
PT: There is
a literal future for Israel. That future is not now. Jews are still
unbelievers, pagan, and unrepentant. But this is a promise for their literal blessed
future.
COMPUNDED SIN COMPOUNDS THE JUDGMENT, YET GOD IS
MERCIFUL
Israel’s sin caused her
wounds. Your wound is incurable, and your injury is serious v 12.
There is no one to plead your cause...no recovery for you...all your lovers
have forgotten you v 13-14.
No one could intercede effectively for them because the Lord had determined to
punish them. Israel's political allies had forsaken her and would not help her.
Even crying out would not help them. The idols and other nations cannot help
them. God has wounded you...with the punishment of a cruel one, because your
iniquity is great and your sins are numerous. God’s sovereignty, I have
done these things to you—Don’t doubt it—God’s in
charge and control v 15! God had
inflicted His people with a wound from which they could not recover.
Nevertheless, the Lord
would turn the hostility of Israel's enemies back on themselves, and
punish them with the punishment they had inflicted on His people v 16. God would heal Israel’s wounds. For
I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds, declares the
Lord. He would restore the Israelites to health and heal their wounds v 17. Part of the reason for His salvation
would be the nations charge that God had forsaken His people. God would
vindicate himself. Gods character is important.
NB: There are
degrees of sin. Greater sin, greater judgment. Jesus
said I
say to you; it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city (Lk 10:12-16). Here is a hierarchy. Sodom had such gross
sin, including homosexuality, that God rained fire and
brimstone on it (Genesis 18), yet it did not have the Gospel of the kingdom
preached in it. So its people will have less punishment at the Great White
Throne (Revelation 20:11-15) than the villages where the 70 went, proclaiming
the Gospel. With greater knowledge comes greater accountability and greater
judgment. All whose names are not written in the Book of Life will go to the
Lake of Fire. But the degree of their punishment will depend on the amount of
knowledge they had. Those who had the most knowledge of the truth will receive
the severest punishment (see Hebrews 10:29).
FULL RESTORATION AWAITS A REPENTANT JEWISH PEOPLE AND
NATION
The city [Jerusalem] shall be rebuilt on its ruin, and the
palace shall stand on its rightful place v 18. God promised to restore Israel's
tribal fortunes to have compassion on His peoples' towns and homes, and to
rebuild Jerusalem and the royal palace there. From them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry v 19.
Thanksgiving and merrymaking would mark the people. The Lord would
increase their numbers and honor them. I will multiply them...I will also
honor them. I will punish all their oppressor’s v 20. Their children would be secure and happy, as they were
before God judged the people. The people as a whole would again be stable, and
the Lord would punish their oppressors. Their leader shall be one of them [a
Jew, not a Gentile ruler such as Nebuchadnezzar or Herod] and I will bring
him near, and he shall approach Me v 21.
You shall be My people and I will be your God v 22.
Israel and God would again be in a covenant relationship as people and God.
The tempest of the Lord!
Wrath...will burst on the head of the wicked v 23.
God’s judgment on the wicked nations who
opposed Israel v 20 would break out on the wicked like a severe storm. It would
not slacken until the Lord accomplished all His purpose v 24. The people did not understand this prophecy fully when the
prophet first gave it, but they would in the far distant future.
So What?
1 God always wants what
serves our best interest. That is on his terms but we have to want that too.
2 Sin is never in our best
interest. The deception is that we believe it is. So we compete with God about
what’s in our best interest.
3 God has a marvelous life
for you if you trust Him with it rather than compete with him over it.