In today’s section, we read about:
Judgment on false prophets
70 years of captivity in Babylon forecast
Jeremiah’s persecutions continue as he confronts the false prophets
A letter is sent to the exiles, telling them to prepare for the long haul
Hope for future restoration, a new covenant and promises of God’s undying love
Some thoughts that struck me today:
In desperate times, such as Judah was facing after the first wave of exiles were taken away, it is not surprising that there were so many eager to speak in God’s name, promising deliverance and that the worst would not happen. However, Jeremiah has to speak, even though he himself would rather keep silent. Yet he is so sure of his relationship with God, that he continues to speak out, even though he endures the wrath of those who are listening to him.
25:11 – here we see the mercy of God in limiting the punishment to a period of 70 years of exile. Judah, his special people, will endure a man’s lifetime in exile, but Babylon will suffer a lot worse (25:12).
Even in the darkest days, God does not leave people on their own, even though that it was it seems like (26:14).
Ch 29 is full of joy and hope, yet it is important to remember the context of the promise in 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you… They are plans to give you a future and a hope.” The expectation, from the human perspective of the false prophets, was that God would miraculously step in and bring back the exiles and spare Judah from Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar. However, God’s message here, and in the other chapters we read today, is that there is no escape from God’s judgment. If the people submit to this, God will bless them, but it will be a long time -70 years. They are to settle down and build their lives in exile. Only by submitting fully to God’s will, will the people enjoy the blessings that God has in store for them.
Reading from ch 29 onwards, I was struck by how God is moving the perspective forward. It is no longer just looking at the impending invasion of the Babylonians, but looking ahead at the restoration. There are a couple of key features of this:
The new covenant (31:31-34), which will be written on the hearts of the people
The people will die for their own sins, not for the sins of their parents (31:30)
The language that God uses to describe the new covenant is simply breathtaking – 31:36 “I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!” 33:20-21 “If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken.”
I like the way in 32:17 Jeremiah says to God “nothing is too hard for you”, and the when God speaks to him in 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything to hard for me?” God then goes on to make the most sublime offer to Jeremiah in 33:3 “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Yes, Jeremiah suffered enormously for bearing faithful witness to God, but God reveals Himself to Jeremiah in an amazing manner, and Jeremiah’s lasting legacy is to be remembered as a faithful prophet in extremis.
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