Thursday
Evening Bible Study
March 24, 2005
Jeremiah 31
Jeremiah 30-33
are called Jeremiah’s “Book of Consolation”. Just before the nation of Judah
goes into its final moments, God sends this word of future hope and restoration.
:1-6 God’s love, joy restored
(NKJV) :1 "At the same time," says the LORD, "I will be the
God of all the families of Israel,
and they shall be My people."
Not just the tribe of Judah,
but all the tribes will be called God’s people. There would be a uniting of the
nation once again.
:2 Thus says the LORD: "The people who survived the sword Found grace
in the wilderness; Israel,
when I went to give him rest."
The people who survived the sword – This is talking about Israel
escaping the bondage of Egypt.
grace in the wilderness –
They went through forty years of struggling, yet they found grace.
:3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you
with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
everlasting – ‘owlam – long duration, antiquity,
futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient,
world; it speaks of the “vanishing point”.
God has loved us for a very long time.
lovingkindness –
The Hebrew word is hesed, used
about 250 times in the OT. It means loyal, steadfast, or faithful love and
stresses the idea of a belonging together of those involved in the love
relationship.
Here it connotes God’s faithful love for His unfaithful people. In the OT,
communion, deliverance, enabling, enlightenment, guidance, forgiveness, hope,
praise, preservation are all based on God’s hesed.
Lesson
Everlasting Love
We need to be loved.
Illustration
From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage in a Lebanon
cell. For months at a time Reed was blindfolded, living in complete darkness,
or chained to a wall and kept in absolute silence. On one occasion, he was moved to another
room, and, although blindfolded, he could sense others in the room. Yet it was three weeks before he dared peek
out to discover he was chained next to Terry Anderson and Tom Sutherland.
Although he was beaten, made ill, and tormented, Reed felt
most the lack of anyone caring. He said
in an interview with Time, “Nothing I
did mattered to anyone. I began to
realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring
around [me]. ... I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful
force. If no one cares, you are truly
alone.”
God has let us know He loves us. He’s
written love letters to us.
Illustration
When Elizabeth Barrett became the wife of Robert Browning,
her parents disowned her because they disapproved of the marriage. The
daughter, however, wrote almost every week, telling them that she loved them
and longed for a reconciliation. After
10 years she received a huge box in the mail that contained all the notes she
had sent. Not one had been opened! Although these “love letters” have become an
invaluable part of classical English literature, it’s really pathetic to think
that they were never read by Elizabeth Barrett’s parents. Had they looked at just one, the broken
relationship with their daughter might have been healed.
His love letters can penetrate our heart.
Illustration
Richard Armstrong, Make
Your Life Worthwhile, reports the story about a man in Wales
who sought to win the affection of a certain lady for 42 years before she
finally said, “Yes.” The couple, both
74, recently became “Mr. and Mrs.”
For more than 40 years, the persistent, but rather shy man
slipped a weekly love letter under his neighbor’s door. But she continually refused to speak and mend
the spat that had parted them many years before.
After writing 2,184 love letters without ever getting a
spoken or written answer, the single-hearted old man eventually summoned up
enough courage to present himself in person.
He knocked on the door of the reluctant lady and asked for her
hand. To his delight and surprise, she
accepted.
God has loved us more than just with words, but in action as well.
(John 3:16 NKJV) "For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life.
(Rom 5:8 NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
And this love that comes through Jesus was something that was set up a long
time ago. It is from everlasting.
(Micah 5:2 NKJV) "But
you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."
(1 Pet 1:20 NKJV)
He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you
(Rev 13:8 NKJV) All who
dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the
Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Illustration
In the French revolution, a young man was condemned to the guillotine and
shut up in one of the prisons. He was greatly loved by many, but there was
someone who loved him more than all the others put together. That one was his
own father, and the love he bore his son was proved in this way: when the lists
were called, the father—whose name was exactly the same as the son’s—answered
to the name, and the father rode in the gloomy tumbrel out to the place of
execution, and his head rolled beneath the axe instead of his son’s, a victim
to mighty love. (Spurgeon)
:4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the
dances of those who rejoice.
:5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.
We call the “mountains of Samaria”
the “West Bank” today.
:6 For there shall be a day When the watchmen will cry on Mount
Ephraim, 'Arise, and let us go up
to Zion, To the LORD our
God.'"
Ephraim – one of the northern tribes, the name is also used to
represent the entire northern kingdom. When Jesus returns, there will be no
split between the north and the south. The north will also come to Jerusalem
to worship.
:7-9 They will return
:7 For thus says the LORD: "Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout
among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, 'O LORD, save
Your people, The remnant of Israel!'
:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from
the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child
And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there.
:9 They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I
will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which
they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My firstborn.
Even though much of Jeremiah’s ministry has been a warning of the judgment
that’s coming, he also lets the people that they have a future. God will one day restore the nation.
:10-14 Prosperity
:10 "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare it in the isles
afar off, and say, 'He who scattered Israel
will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.'
:11 For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of one
stronger than he.
ransomed – from Babylon,
in the future it’s from the antichrist
He has ransomed us from sin.
:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to
the goodness of the LORD; For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the
flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they
shall sorrow no more at all.
There was a song we used to sing a long time ago …
(Jer 31:12 KJV) Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of
Zion,
and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine,
and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul
shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
:13 "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and
the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
:14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people
shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD."
The priests being “satiated” speaks of prosperity. The people are not only doing well, but they
are bringing their offerings to God.
As we’ve talked about, these prophecies of Jeremiah about Israel’s
restoration not only had a partial fulfillment when the people returned from Babylon
and another partial fulfillment in 1948, but this picture of prosperity speaks
of when Jesus will return.
:15 Rachel weeping
:15 Thus says the LORD: "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and
bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for
her children, Because they are no more."
Ramah – a city 5 miles north of Jerusalem.
It was a gathering point where captives were taken before beginning the journey
to Babylon (Jer. 40:1).
Rachel – one of Jacob’s wives, one of the mothers of Israel.
The picture is of Rachel weeping for her children being taken off to Babylon.
There is also a prophetic side to this verse:
When Herod realized he had been tricked by the wise men, he had all the
children two years and under in the area of Bethlehem
put to death. Matthew quoted this verse (Mat. 2:18),
saying that the sorrow that came in Jesus’ day was a fulfillment of this verse.
:16-20 Repentant, joy, God’s mercy
:16 Thus says the LORD: "Refrain your voice from weeping, And your
eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall
come back from the land of the enemy.
:17 There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall
come back to their own border.
:18 "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: 'You have
chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I
will return, For You are the LORD my God.
:19 Surely, after my turning, I repented; And after I was instructed, I
struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, Because I bore
the reproach of my youth.'
:20 Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke
against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD.
Jeremiah has been telling the people that they need to learn the lessons
that God is putting before them, but they’ve been stubborn and stiff-necked.
But there will be a day when they people will come to their senses.
Jesus talked about this in one of His parables:
(Luke 15:11-24 NLT) To
illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two
sons. {12} The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate
now, instead of waiting until you die.' So his father agreed to divide his
wealth between his sons. {13} "A few days later this younger son packed
all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all
his money on wild living. {14} About the time his money ran out, a great famine
swept over the land, and he began to starve. {15} He persuaded a local farmer
to hire him to feed his pigs. {16} The boy became so hungry that even the pods
he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. {17}
"When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, 'At home even the
hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! {18} I
will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both
heaven and you, {19} and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please
take me on as a hired man."' {20} "So he returned home to his father.
And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled
with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. {21}
His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I
am no longer worthy of being called your son.' {22} "But his father said
to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him.
Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. {23} And kill the calf we
have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, {24} for this
son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is
found.' So the party began.
The Father has a heart for His children. He longs for the day that they
will come to their senses and come home.
:21-22 Remember the way home
:21 "Set up signposts, Make landmarks; Set your heart toward the
highway, The way in which you went. Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
Hanzel and Gretel left breadcrumbs to find their way back home.
The Jews were to be a little smarter and they were to set up large
landmarks to help them find their way back from Babylon.
:22 How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter?
(Jer 31:22 NLT) How long
will you wander, my wayward daughter?
:22 For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth; A woman shall
encompass a man."
The meaning is uncertain.
Some say it refers to the safety in the millennium when a woman is all the
protection a man would need.
Others say it refers to Israel
(as the woman) returning to God (as the man)
Others say it refers to the incarnation, when God became a man inside the
womb of a woman.
:23-26 God gives rest
:23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
"They shall again use this speech in the land
of Judah and in its cities, when I
bring back their captivity: 'The LORD bless you, O home of justice, and
mountain of holiness!'
:24 "And there shall dwell in Judah
itself, and in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with
flocks.
:25 "For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every
sorrowful soul."
Not only is there a restoration of the entire nation of Israel,
but Judah in
particular will be restored.
:26 After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.
It seems that some of this chapter may have been given to Jeremiah in a
dream. And now he wakes up to think
about what he has dreamed.
Sometimes the things we dream about cause us to worry even more.
These things have brought Jeremiah peace.
:27-30 Reap from your own sour grapes
:27 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will sow the
house of Israel
and the house of Judah
with the seed of man and the seed of beast.
:28 "And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to
pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will
watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD.
:29 "In those days they shall say no more: 'The fathers have eaten
sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.'
:30 "But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats
the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Ezekiel was given a similar message while in Babylon:
(Ezek 18:1-4 NKJV) The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
{2} "What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: 'The
fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge'? {3}
"As I live," says the Lord GOD, "you shall no longer use this
proverb in Israel.
{4} "Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the
soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.
I wonder if the people had developed this saying because of the Babylonian
captivity. Their nation was being punished partly because of the sins of their
fathers.
Yet there would be a day when each person would be punished for their own
sins. That’s the way it is now.
:31-34 New Covenant
:31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah;
:32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in
the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My
covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
:33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it
on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
:34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of
them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity,
and their sin I will remember no more."
Elements of the New Covenant:
A change of heart, the God’s ways written on our hearts
Knowing God
Forgiveness
The way it happens in our lives, the order is reversed: First comes forgiveness, then we can know
God, and God writes His ways on our hearts.
Lesson
God’s forgiveness
The Bible says that if we confess our sins (1John 1:9), God will forgive.
His forgiveness is complete. He wipes the slate clean.
When God buries our sins in the deepest sea, He posts a sign which reads:
No Fishing!
(Micah 7:18-19 KJV) Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he
retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. {19} He will
turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and
thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
(Psa 103:12 KJV) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath
he removed our transgressions from us.
Illustration
“The Blood of Christ”
One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of the Holy Spirit
in her heart. She responded to God’s call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and
Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs and
prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a
faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry
teaching young children. It not very long until this faithful young woman had
caught the eye and the heart of the pastor’s son. The relationship grew and
they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began.
You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a
past such as hers was suitable for a pastor’s son. The church began to argue
and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people
made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting got completely out of
hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up
about her past. As she began to cry, the pastor’s son stood to speak. He could
not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his
statement was this: “My fiance’s past is not what is on trial here. What you
are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today
you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?”
Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon
against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the
other person completely, then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the
case, then we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins? Nothing
but the blood of Jesus.
(Eph 4:32
KJV) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even
as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Jesus referred to this “New Covenant” at the Last Supper, the Thursday
night before He died.
(Mat 26:26-28 NKJV) And
as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the
disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." {27} Then He took
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all
of you. {28} "For this is My blood of the
new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
The change of heart, knowing God, and forgiveness would
come at the cross. It would come as
Jesus shed His blood for us.
NOTE: The “New Covenant” is another way of
saying the “New Testament”.
:35-37 God’s unbreakable bond with Israel
:35 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The
ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the
sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name):
:36 "If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then
the seed of Israel
shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever."
:37 Thus says the LORD: "If heaven above can be measured, And the
foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the
seed of Israel
For all that they have done, says the LORD.
Is God finished with Israel?
Some say that God is done with Israel.
Does the sun still rise?
:38-40 Jerusalem
to be rebuilt
:38 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall
be built for the LORD from the Tower
of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
:39 "The surveyor's line shall again extend straight forward over the
hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath.
:40 "And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all
the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward
the east, shall be holy to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down
anymore forever."
This restoration that Jeremiah has been talking about will include a rebuilding
of the city of Jerusalem.
At this restoration, the whole city will be “holy to the LORD”.
That’s not true today.
At that restoration, it will never be destroyed again.
That didn’t happen after the Babylonian captivity. It WILL happen when Jesus returns.