Jeremiah 33

¹ While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: ² “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it - the LORD is his name: ³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ ⁴ For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword ⁵ in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

⁶ “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. ⁷ I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. ⁸ I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹ Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honour before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

¹⁰ “This is what the LORD says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more ¹¹ the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying,

“Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the LORD.

¹² “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals - in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. ¹³ In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the LORD.

¹⁴ “‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

¹⁵ “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.      

This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour.’

¹⁷ For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel,¹⁸ nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”

¹⁹ The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ²⁰ “This is what the LORD says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, ²¹ then my covenant with David my servant - and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me - can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. ²² I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

²³ The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ²⁴ “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. ²⁵ This is what the LORD says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, ²⁶ then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”

TODAY IN THE WORD

In 1871, disaster befell the burgeoning city of Chicago. At 9:00 pm, a fire began in the city’s west side. Three days later, over 2,600 acres had burned, and over 80,000 people were homeless. Some thought recovery was impossible, but soon after the fire, a Chicago Tribune editorial proclaimed, “But to a blow no matter how terrible, Chicago will not succumb.” Indeed, from ruined city blocks arose entirely new architectural wonders. The city’s extensive reconstruction erased nearly all evidence of this horrible tragedy.

Given the extent of Jerusalem’s destruction, promises of restoration must have seemed as unlikely as Chicago’s future after the fire. Despite the specter of demolished houses and city streets filled with dead bodies, the Lord assured Jeremiah that health and healing would return to the ruined city (vv 5–6).

Notice the tenderness of the Lord’s initial word to Jeremiah: “Call to me and I will answer you” (v 3). This shows that God knew how hard the upcoming disaster would be for Jeremiah and He assured him of His unfailing presence and commitment to reveal His purposes to His servant.

The promises recorded in today’s passage go beyond what Jeremiah had heard before. The promise of restoration for the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah is repeated, but to this is added the picture of the entire world being struck by the Lord’s faithfulness to His chosen ones (v 9). This promise also reconfirmed the Lord’s earlier promises concerning the coming Messiah who would sit on David’s throne forever. Today’s passage also promises priests who would never fail in their responsibilities. 

APPLY THE WORD

“All nations on earth ... will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide” (Jer. 33:9).

Jeremiah 32

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah.

³ Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. ⁴ Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. ⁵ He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”

⁶ Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: ⁷ Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’

⁸ “Then, just as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’

“I knew that this was the word of the LORD; ⁹ so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. ¹⁰ I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales. ¹¹ I took the deed of purchase - the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy -
¹² and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

¹³ “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: ¹⁴ ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. ¹⁵ For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’

¹⁶ “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD:

¹⁷ “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. ¹⁸ You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, ¹⁹ great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. ²⁰ You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. ²¹ You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror. ²² You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey. ²³ They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster on them.

²⁴ “See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see. ²⁵ And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign LORD, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’”

²⁶ Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ²⁷ “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? ²⁸ Therefore this is what the LORD says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. ²⁹ The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

³⁰ “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the LORD. ³¹ From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight. ³² The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done - they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. ³³ They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. ³⁴ They set up their vile images in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. ³⁵ They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded - nor did it enter my mind - that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.

³⁶ “You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ³⁷ I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. ³⁸ They will be my people, and I will be their God. ³⁹ I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. ⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. ⁴¹ I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

⁴² “This is what the LORD says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. ⁴³ Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ ⁴⁴ Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”
TODAY IN THE WORD
May 2003 saw the first official game of the Gary, Indiana, South Shore Railcats in their newly constructed home, the US Steel Yard. Many considered this new ballpark to be a risky business proposition because of Gary’s depressed economy. But supporters had a vision of what this ballpark could do to break down racial barriers and open investment doors in Gary, and so far, it’s bringing hope to this city.
When Jeremiah bought a field from his cousin, Hanamel, many people probably thought he was making a risky business decision. After all, this transaction probably took place in 588 BC, only months before Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians. After the glorious visions that we looked at the past two days, the desperation portrayed in today’s passage is jarring. Why this stark contrast? First, because it underscored the necessity of judgment. Even with promises of future restoration, God’s justice still required that sin’s consequences be borne out. Second, the bleakness of the situation with Jeremiah in prison (v 2) and the city facing destruction emphasized that the only possible source of hope was God, and God alone. Unless He acted to bring about restoration, humanly speaking, there was no hope.
Jeremiah’s cousin seems to have been a first-class opportunist! This relative reminded Jeremiah of his familial obligation to ensure that family land not be sold outside the family (v 7). His timing couldn’t have been worse – Jeremiah was in prison! Still, Jeremiah saw the hand of God in this crass demand. He not only came up with the money, he made sure that proper deeds of sale were drawn up. This simple action revealed just how much Jeremiah believed that God would restore the land to His people (v 15)! 
APPLY THE WORD We can learn a lot from Jeremiah about how to pray when circumstances seem impossible. First, did you notice that Jeremiah began with praising God for His incomparable character? There were many legitimate needs he could have mentioned first, such as his imprisonment or the city’s siege! But he focused on God’s person, and as he did so, he began to see glimmers of hope once again. In the same way, when we focus on who God is, our hearts begin to change, even if our circumstances don’t.

Jeremiah 31

¹ “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

² This is what the LORD says:

“The people who survive the sword will find favour in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.”

³ The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

⁴ I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.

Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful.

⁵ Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.

⁶ There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Zion,  to the LORD our God.’”

⁷ This is what the LORD says:
“Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations.

Make your praises heard, and say, ‘LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’

⁸ See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth.

Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labour; a great throng will return.

⁹ They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back.

I will lead them beside streams of water  on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

¹⁰ “Hear the word of the LORD, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands:

‘He who scattered Israel will gather them  and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’

¹¹ For the LORD will deliver Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.

¹² They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD - 

the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,  the young of the flocks and herds.

They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.

¹³ Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
¹⁴ I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty,” declares the LORD.
¹⁵ This is what the LORD says:
“A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, 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.
“They will return from the land of the enemy. ¹⁷ So there is hope for your descendants,” declares the LORD.
“Your children will return to their own land.
¹⁸ “I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined.
Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God.
¹⁹ After I strayed, I repented;
after I came to understand, I beat my breast.
I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
²⁰ Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him, I still remember him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD.
²¹ “Set up road signs; put up guideposts.
Take note of the highway, the road that you take.
Return, Virgin Israel, return to your towns.
²² How long will you wander, unfaithful Daughter Israel?
The LORD will create a new thing on earth - the woman will return to the man.”
²³ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The LORD bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’ ²⁴ People will live together in Judah and all its towns - farmers and those who move about with their flocks. ²⁵ I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
²⁶ At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
²⁷ “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. ²⁸ Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD. ²⁹ “In those days people will no longer say,
‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
³⁰ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.
³¹ “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
³² It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.
³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
³⁴ No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

³⁵ This is what the LORD says,he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar - the LORD Almighty is his name:
³⁶ “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,” declares the LORD,
“will Israel ever cease being a nation before me.”
³⁷ This is what the LORD says:
“Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the LORD.
³⁸ “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. ³⁹ The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. ⁴⁰ The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
TODAY IN THE WORD
Jesus of Nazareth is not typically regarded as an author. The Gospels report His one transient writing, content unknown: a sketch in the dirt before the woman caught in adultery. In the literal sense, Jesus of Nazareth never wrote a book. But in the figurative sense, He may be one of the most prolific “writers” in the history of the world, if we understand the faith of the church through history to be His magnum opus, His masterwork.The author of Hebrews calls Jesus the “author . . . of our faith” and “salvation,” and Paul says the Corinthian church is a “letter from Christ.” Jesus authors the faith of individuals and whole churches through the efficacious and obedient action of His life, death, and resurrection. His incarnate life composed the script of salvation; His indwelling Spirit casts us as characters.
Paul describes the result of Jesus’ authorship among the Corinthians as a letter of recommendation, that is, a document addressed to a particular group of people aiming to commend. This letter, “read by everybody,” is open to all. It is a public, not a private, letter.
Written on Paul’s heart (how he loves those Corinthians!), it is read wherever he goes. Jesus’ authorship of the Corinthians’ faith is all the recommendation Paul needs to justify his apostleship. He simply has to point at the visible evidence of God’s work among them - their faith.
Yet the letter is the Corinthians’ hearts as well. It not only commends Paul to the world; it commends the gospel and signals the arrival of the new covenant.

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APPLY THE WORD
Jesus rewrites the stories of our lives and gives us a commission to be living letters by Him. 

Jeremiah 30

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ² “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. ³ The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the LORD.”

⁴ These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: ⁵ “This is what the LORD says:

“‘Cries of fear are heard - terror, not peace.

⁶ Ask and see: Can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labour, every face turned deathly pale?
⁷ How awful that day will be! No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.

⁸ “‘In that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty,
‘I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds;
no longer will foreigners enslave them.
⁹ Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰ “‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel,’ declares the LORD.
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.
¹¹ I am with you and will save you,’ declares the LORD.
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’

¹² “This is what the LORD says:

“‘Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing.
¹³ There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you.
¹⁴ All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel,
because your guilt is so great and your sins so many.
¹⁵ Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure?
Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.

¹⁶ “‘But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
¹⁷ But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD,
‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’

¹⁸ “This is what the LORD says: ‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents
and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
¹⁹ From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honour, and they will not be disdained.
²⁰ Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me;
I will punish all who oppress them.
²¹ Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them.
I will bring him near and he will come close to me - for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’
declares the LORD.
²² “‘So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’”

²³ See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.
²⁴ The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart.
In days to come you will understand this.

TODAY IN THE WORD
Record-low interest rates have persuaded many people to refinance their homes recently. The procedure is fairly straightforward. A homeowner shops around for a new mortgage loan with a lower interest rate. Once the new loan is secured, the old loan agreement is nullified. The original house remains the same, but its mortgage has been changed.

In some respects, refinancing is similar to the promised new covenant. The basic agreement, or covenant, remains unchanged, but the way that it’s effected changed greatly. Under the old covenant, the people were supposed to remain obedient to God’s law, yet sin made that impossible. Sacrifices for sin were designed to show that a price had to be paid, and to point toward the future Messiah.

Today we’ll look at Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning the new covenant, perhaps one of the most exciting sections in this book. Notice that this prophecy was addressed to both Israel and Judah (v 3). You may recall that after Solomon’s reign, Israel split into two nations. The northern tribes followed Jeroboam and were known as Israel. The southern tribes formed Judah, under Rehoboam. A divided nation was never part of God’s plan, so it’s not surprising that the new covenant began with a promise of a restored, united kingdom.

As we have seen before, however, the path to future restoration led through present judgment (vv 5–8). Yet after this devastation, the Lord promised to break the yoke from His people. Moreover, He would also restore “David their king” (v 9), which is another reference to the true King, Jesus.

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APPLY THE WORD
Today’s passage ends curiously: “In days to come you will understand this.” Many prophecies made sense only after the Exile ended. At another level, however, “the days to come” have not yet come. Some prophecies will only make sense with the final fulfillment of all God’s plans. This encourages us to keep an “eternal perspective” this side of heaven. We also need to read Jeremiah in light of the whole Bible. As we’ll see tomorrow, the new covenant leads us to the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 29

¹ This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ² (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) ³ He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

 ⁴ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. ⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” ⁸ Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. ⁹ They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD.

 ¹⁰ This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹²Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

¹⁵ You may say, “The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” ¹⁶ but this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile - ¹⁷ yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. ¹⁸ I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. ¹⁹ For they have not listened to my words,” declares the LORD, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the LORD.

 ²⁰ Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. ²¹ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. ²²Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.’ ²³ For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies - which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it,” declares the LORD.

²⁴ Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, ²⁵ “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, ²⁶ ‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the LORD; you should put any maniac who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons. ²⁷ So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? ²⁸ He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”

²⁹ Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰ Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ³¹ “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, ³² this is what the LORD says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the LORD, because he has preached rebellion against me.’”

TODAY IN THE WORD
The whole town was buzzing. Store-owners closed early. Strangers came in from all parts. And, even though the town’s size doubled in a day, crime seemed to be “on hold”! No one wanted to miss the big event ... revivalist Charles Finney was preaching that night!

It’s hard to imagine the stir that this one individual caused. One historian wrote that Finney had as much impact on mid-nineteenth century America as did President Andrew Jackson. Amazingly, Finney didn’t accept Christ until he was almost thirty.
As a young lawyer, Finney bought a Bible because so many lawyers quoted from it. He also began attending the local church that “all the right people” attended. When he was twenty-nine, however, going through the motions of being a Christian began to trouble Finney. Finally, one day he decided to “settle the question of his salvation.” As he prayed, he became profoundly aware of his own sin, and the words of Jeremiah 29:12–13 seemed to echo within him.
It’s not surprising that the Spirit would use these words to quicken Finney’s heart. Jeremiah cried out the Israelites to repent of their sin and to return to the Lord during one of the most difficult times in Israel’s history - the Exile. Today’s passage was written in 597 BC to encourage the exiles in Babylon that the Lord promised to return and bring them back to their land (v 10). Verse 11 boldly declares God’s sovereignty and mercy, highlighting His redemptive nature. Despite terrible sin, God is not a god who remains hidden from those who cry out to Him. 

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APPLY THE WORD
Today’s verse (Jer 29:13) brought a nonbeliever like Charles Finney to faith. This verse was originally addressed to those who already had a relationship with God, but who were far away Him

Jeremiah 28

¹ In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people: ² “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the LORD’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. ⁴ I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD. ⁶ He said, “Amen! May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfil the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the LORD’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. ⁷ Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: ⁸ From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognised as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true.”

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, ¹¹ and he said before all the people, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

¹² After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ¹³ “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. ¹⁴ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.’”

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. ¹⁶ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.’”

¹⁷ In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.

TODAY IN THE WORD

It’s amazing what a powerful thing wishful thinking can be! Teachers often see this first-hand. For example, some students keep putting off studying for an exam, convincing themselves that they know enough to slide by or that they are good guessers. Despite repeated warnings that hard work is required, these students have great confidence in their short-term memory and spend all night “cramming” before the exam. All too often, however, exam results prove that these students were deceiving themselves, and they end up paying a price for all their wishing and procrastinating!

In some ways that’s how it was for Judah. Probably deep down people had a vague sense that judgment was inevitable. They certainly got this point loud and clear from Jeremiah. But even so, the lure of wishful thinking can be quite strong!

We could call Hananiah a prophet of wishful thinking. He probably uttered the prophecy recorded in today’s passage around 594 BC, when Zedekiah was Judah’s king. By this time, Judah was paying a burdensome tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. Any-one who “prophesied” that this “yoke” might be broken would be gladly welcomed! The only problem was that Hananiah wasn’t prophesying God’s word!

Just prior to Hananiah’s appearance, Jeremiah had acted out another parable (see Jer 27), during which he had placed a wooden animal yoke around his neck to symbolize Judah’s submission to Babylon. Even worse, Jeremiah claimed that Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant, used by God to subjugate all nations (Jer 27:6,7). Not only that, Jeremiah performed his pantomime in front of emissaries from several nations who were planning to revolt against Babylon. Then along came Hananiah, prophesying exactly what everyone wanted to hear, namely that freedom was just around the corner.

APPLY THE WORD

Hananiah’s “prophecy” was very appealing: continue rebelling without any consequences! But God’s way with the nation’s sin required submission to His discipline, in this case, the “yoke” of Babylon.

Jeremiah 27

¹ Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ² This is what the LORD said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. ³ Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. ⁴ Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: ⁵ With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁶ Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. ⁷ All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him.

⁸ “‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I destroy it by his hand. ⁹ So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ ¹⁰ They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. ¹¹ But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the LORD.”’”

¹² I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, “Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live. ¹³ Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the LORD has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? ¹⁴ Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁵ ‘I have not sent them,’ declares the LORD. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.’”

¹⁶ Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the LORD says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles from the LORD’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁷ Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin? ¹⁸ If they are prophets and have the word of the LORD, let them plead with the LORD Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the LORD and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. ¹⁹ For this is what the LORD Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea, the movable stands and the other articles that are left in this city, ²⁰ which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem - ²¹ yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the LORD and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: ²² ‘They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’”

Matthew Henry

Jeremiah is to prepare a sign that all the neighbouring countries would be made subject to the king of Babylon. God asserts his right to dispose of kingdoms as he pleases. Whatever any have of the good things of this world, it is what God sees fit to give; we should therefore be content. The things of this world are not the best things, for the Lord often gives the largest share to bad men. Dominion is not founded in grace. Those who will not serve the God who made them, shall justly be made to serve their enemies that seek to ruin them. Jeremiah urges them to prevent their destruction, by submission. A meek spirit, by quiet submission to the hardest turns of providence, makes the best of what is bad. Many persons may escape destroying providences, by submitting to humbling providences. It is better to take up a light cross in our way, than to pull a heavier on our own heads. The poor in spirit, the meek and humble, enjoy comfort, and avoid many miseries to which the high-spirited are exposed. It must, in all cases, be our interest to obey God's will.