A MESSAGE TO THE CAPTIVES – chapter 29:
This letter was written to the exiles in Babylon, who had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar. The letter tells the exiles to settle down, build houses, plant gardens, get married, pray for the welfare (literally “peace”) of Babylon (ver. 7). What a remarkable concept: pray for your enemies! It is the only place in the OT where praying for enemies is commended.
God has plans for the exiles (29:8-14). He has a future in mind for them. He offers hope to them: return from exile (ver. 14). But that return is contingent on them repenting of their sins, their idolatry and their immorality. God is punishing Israel with “sword, famine, and pestilence” (29:15-20). There are fifteen verses where Jeremiah uses this three-fold description of punishment: sword, famine, and pestilence.
The problem is highlighted once again in verse 19, “they have not listened.” Thirty-five times God has commented, in Jeremiah, that Israel has “not listened.” 35 times! What do they need to do? “Hear the word of the Lord” (ver. 20)! Fifteen times the phrase is found in Jeremiah: Hear the word of the Lord!
We have three more false prophets (29:21-32) who have been pretending to speak the word of Jehovah God. They will all be punished for lying in the name of God. Is it any wonder that faithful gospel preachers are extremely concerned with having Bible authority for what we preach and practice? You can’t read Jeremiah and not be so concerned.
RESTORING THE FORTUNES OF GOD’S PEOPLE – chapter 30:
God is certainly not just a God of judgment, wrath, and anger. God wants Jeremiah to write in a book – why? – because it will have to last a minimum of 70 years so Israel will be encouraged to stay faithful to God. Chapter 30 begins a four-chapter section of Jeremiah which Bible scholars refer to as the “Book of Consolation” because of its focus on good things: the return, blessings from God, and forgiveness of sins.
There will be a restoration (30:1-11). His people will serve the Lord and David their king. The problem (30:12-17) is that Israel is sick: sick with sin, with arrogance, with pride. But God will cure them and He will punish those who have punished Israel (ver. 16; cf. Gen. 12:3).
Again, God promises to bring about a restoration (30:18-22). They will rejoice once again. They will be blessed, again.
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Chapter 31 is the heart of Jeremiah’s preaching. It is the consolation in the middle of despair and judgment. It is quoted in Hebrews 8 and alluded to in the upper room at the Passover Feast in the expression a “new covenant.” That expression comes from here in Jeremiah 31.
This is the only place in the OT where the expression “new covenant” is found and, of course, Jesus came to establish that new covenant (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:8, 13; 9:15; 12:24). In Hebrews 8:8-12, the Hebrew writer quotes this text to argue that the first covenant was old and needed to be replaced and made room for a new covenant.
The new covenant is of a completely different quality than the first covenant. The Law of Moses was inscribed in stone; the law of Christ is written on our hearts. The law of Moses was ratified through the blood of animals. The covenant of Christ is ratified through His own blood. Under the law, the Jews had a relationship with a law; under Christ, we have a relationship with a man. That’s not to say that we do not have law under Christ; we do. But it is a law that leads us to a relationship with the man – Christ Jesus.
A DEED DECLARING HOPE IN TROUBLED TIMES – chapter 32:
We have another object lesson in this chapter but this time, it is an object lesson instigated by a cousin. Hanamel, brings the title to a piece of land, to Jeremiah for him to purchase it. If there was no hope for a return from exile, then why would he buy land? But, Jeremiah has also been preaching a return from exile so that buying a piece of land is an act of hope in the promise of God. The message of Jeremiah’s object lesson is in verse 15.
Jeremiah prays (36:16-25) and praises God for His nature and His works, His deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. But, because Israel sinned against God, then God gave them into the hands of the Babylonians (36:26-44). Yet, God told Jeremiah to buy that field! Jeremiah trusts God will bring about this return from exile that Jeremiah has been preaching.
Yes, God may punish and He may punish severely. But He also blesses, intensely.
Paul Holland
