In these studies in the second half of the book of Jeremiah,  we will see God’s word coming through Jeremiah and being rejected again and again. We will see the difficulties of Jeremiah but also the way he is saved through it all. Jeremiah is God’s reporter on the spot, in the midst of one of the most tumultuous periods in Israel’s history.

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, and the particular theme, as with studies elsewhere, each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read on the main Bible page.

Promise of Restoration (1)

Jer 33:1-9

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 honor 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.’

A. Find Out

1. When did the word come to Jeremiah? v.1
2. What did the Lord say about Jerusalem’s buildings? v.4,5
3. But what did the Lord promise them? v.6
4. When would that be? v.7
5. What did He say He would do for them? v.8
6. What would the result be? v.9

B. Think:

1. What, again, are the circumstances surrounding Jerusalem?
2. What again does the Lord promise?
3. How does that promise go beyond what we’ve read previously?

C. Comment:

Jeremiah is still a prisoner in Jerusalem which is still under siege from the Babylonians.  In the midst of this, God’s word of future blessing comes again.   It seems that in the midst of judgement the Lord wants to ensure that His promise of future restoration is clearly heard, but it has to be seen in context.

The Lord first establishes His credentials –  Creator and therefore Lord of all the earth, the One who can do all things. If He is this, then He can do anything and the circumstances immediately facing them are not an impossibility to Him. So next, He reiterates yet again, that Jerusalem would fall and will be destroyed. God is not soft pedalling His word. Before there can be restoration, judgement will come, the days ahead WILL be grim.

Then comes the hope for the future. He WILL bring His future people into a place of peace and security, rebuilt and cleansed from sin. Then He adds something we haven’t seen before: the rebuilt people will be a testimony to Him, the whole world will know and be amazed when they see Jerusalem in the days to come.

D. Application:

1. Ask the Lord to help you sense the enormity of what is happening in this passage of Scripture.
2. Do we understand that God works on long-term plans and not merely isolated incidents in the present.

Promise of Restoration (2)

Jer 33:10-14

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.

A. Find Out

1. What does the Lord envisage people saying? v.10a
2. But what will be heard in the days ahead? v.10b,11a
3. What will people be saying? v.11c
4. What will they be doing as they say that? v.11b
5. What will there be again? v.12,13
6. What will the Lord actually be doing? v.14

B. Think:

1. Why is this passage clearly in the future?
2. After the temple and the city are destroyed, how would this prophecy be a comfort to those who read it?
3. How would this prophecy comfort the country people?

C. Comment:

Sometimes prophecies can seem very “spiritual”, perhaps seeming a bit unreal even, and very general. This one is very practical. As we look at it we first note that it doesn’t describe Jerusalem as it is but as it will be. After the destruction there will be desolation, emptiness and silence. Anyone who sees it will wonder if there can ever be a future for it.

Then the Lord speaks hope to them in very homely terms. The land will be re-inhabited with laughing, joyful people. The laughter and the joy will be that which comes with a normal, relaxed, secure people enjoying everyday life, getting married, going to the temple to worship and so on.

Not only that, the countryside will be at peace. Sheep will again inhabit the hill sides. At the present time, Nebuchadnezzar’s army may be clearing away every animal for food, but there will come a time when the empty countryside will again have signs of normal life. Until it comes about this will be simply a beautiful picture of hope for the people of Israel to hang on to.

D. Application:

1. Thank the Lord that He never makes “destruction” the final word, He always brings hope of something to follow.
2. Praise Him that He is the God of resurrection.

Promise of restoration (3)

Jer 33:15-26

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.
¹⁶ 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 Savior.’

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.’”

A. Find Out

1. What is going to sprout? v.15
2. Who will continue to rule over Israel? v.17
3. Who will continue to offer sacrifices? v.18
4. How did God show the sureness of this? v.20,21
5. What had people been saying? v.24
6. How does the Lord answer that? v.25,26

B. Think:

1. How is a person a part of God’s promise for the future?
2. How, according to the Lord here, does the past govern the future?
3. If yesterday’s passage spoke to ordinary people, how does today’s cover “top people”?

C. Comment:

In continuing to speak about Israel’s future, the Lord now speaks about a person who will come from David’s family and who will lead the people of God. In the immediate future this might have meant Zerubbabel (see Ezra 3:2 & Mt 1:12) but in the longer term this must refer to Jesus.

Jesus came to rule over God’s ultimate kingdom on earth        (1 Pet 3:22 & 1 Cor 15:25) and also came as the great High Priest bringing the sacrifice (Heb 8:1,2)

The Lord extends this prophecy to include future rulers and future priests. How this is fulfilled in the physical realm is not clear.  In the spiritual sense all of Jesus’ followers are both rulers (Eph 2:6) AND priests (1 Pet 2:9 & Rev 1:6)

What IS clear from this passage is that the Lord HAS a future for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Spiritual or Physical?) and that He is very, very definite about that. Such is their hope. We may not be able to fully understand it all and come to differing applications, but God WILL work out His perfect will.  The future will tell just how this yet applies to Israel

D. Application:

1. Are you aware that you are “seated with Christ” and therefore, in one sense, all things are under YOUR feet as well? (Eph 1:22 & 2:6)
2. As a priest do you bring others to God?