The Days Are Surely Coming - Jeremiah 33:2-11

The Days Are Surely Coming

Jeremiah 33:2-11

Lesson Setting

Jeremiah remains in prison as he offers confirmation of God’s promises to return Israel and Judah to their homeland after the extensive punishment of the Babylonian captivity.  His lengthy prison sentence parallels the seventy years of banishment that people will receive as a just consequence to their generations of sin and rebellion.  As Jeremiah lingers in prison, he struggles to internalize God’s promises and understand His mysterious ways.  With the authority of Jeremiah’s increasing experiential knowledge of God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness, the prophet offer further assurances to the nation that God will fulfill His incredible and perhaps incredulous pledge to return them to the land of their forbears and restore them with a new life.

Lesson Outline

I        Jeremiah 33:1-3 – The Incredible Power of Prayer

II      Jeremiah 33:4-9 – Confirmation of Restoration

III    Jeremiah 33:10-16 – Indeed, A New Day will Dawn

IV     Jeremiah 33:17-26 – Practical Promises of Restoration

Unifying Principle

So many times when they have done wrong things, people reach a point at which they stop and wonder which way to turn.  How can people seek renewal and accept help to turn their lives around?  Jeremiah says God is willing to forgive and bring recovery, healing and restoration.

Introduction

In the concluding verses of this chapter, Jeremiah’s fellow brothers and sisters in Israel and Judah denounce and dismiss his prophecies relating the Lord’s promises of return, renewal and restoration following the exile.  Consistent with their protracted lamentations, bitter and utter weeping, they refuse to hear and believe their lives will improve.  As they stand in the midst of ruin and rubble, they painstakingly listen to Jeremiah couple his message of total destruction with wholesale reconstruction.  Whereas they hate hearing the first message, they accept it as it unfolds before them.  Yet, it simply does not make sense to listen to the second part of his prophecies.  How can a prophet deliver such a positive message promising such an incredible future as they decay in captivity and exile?  Essentially, it appears that Almighty God has forsaken them.

The nations of Israel and Judah proceed to ask the hard and difficult questions about the character and trustworthiness of God.  Can they rely upon Him any longer?  Was there any worth to the covenant they inherited from their forbears?  How could God betray them in such a despicable and demeaning way?  After all, He gave their Gentile enemies and nemeses complete liberty to destroy them?  His punishment seems unfathomable and limitless.  What happened to the enduring claims of God’s unfailing love, grace, mercy and lovingkindness?  Contrary to the prevalent popular notions in many church circles that forcefully discourage disciples from questioning God, this pivotal chapter in Jeremiah offers the converse position.  In an important memory verse, Jeremiah 33:3, the Lord encourages the questions of His people.  He tells them to call to Him in order that He might tell them “great and unsearchable things.” 

In response to this divine directive, the people of Israel and Judah ask their provocative and straightforward questions to Jeremiah.  Their cynicism, angst and doubt afford him the opportunity to reiterate the spiritual reality that God’s promises always follow any godly sanctioned punishment.  For these captives and exiles, forgiveness and restoration shall assuredly follow the seventy years of their displacement.  As a loving Heavenly Father whose truth and faithfulness extend to all generations of believers, God combines punishment, healing and forgiveness.  He does not isolate any of these attributes of His character.  As the One who abides by the covenant He made with their forbears, He apportions mercy and grace to cover any sin and offense.  This balance of just punishment for any rebellion against His holy character and faithful forgiveness to heal the underlying causes of transgression preserves the covenantal relationship between Almighty God and His chosen people.

Jeremiah then steadfastly proclaims the Word of the Lord thereby admonishing and encouraging Israel and Judah to prepare offerings and songs of thanksgiving for healing and hope which await them upon their return to their homeland.  In this chapter, he supplies them with lyrics and a grand vision of unimaginable worship services they will have.  Although their bewilderment has peaked to the point of cynicism, they are not helpless albeit they are powerless over their captors.  Israel and Judah will find refuge in the Lord’s willingness to forgive, grant recovery and totally renew them.

If you have ever felt abandoned by God, then you can relate directly to the feelings and predicament of Israel and Judah as they languish in exile.  Perhaps, you have experienced a season of incredible spiritual drought whereby your finances, material acquisitions, ambitions and dreams turn to rotten fruit.  Conceivably, you struggle with a health crisis after fervently petitioning God for healing.  Relationally, change and decay surround you as divorce looms in your future and your family life decomposes to meaninglessness.  Vocationally, downsizing or other venues lead to job loss and exacerbate your financial challenges.  The accumulation of these dire circumstances for contemporary disciples equate with the dilemma that Israel and Judah face as they are led forcibly into a lengthy period of exile. 

The thirty-third chapter of Jeremiah offers very practical recommendations for anyone experiencing feelings of divine abandonment.  First, the opening verses remind us of the incredible power of prayer.  Second, Jeremiah reaffirms God’s commitment to redeem our pain and suffering utilizing it to transform our character and restore our lives.  Third, through worship, rejoicing and encouragement of the Spirit of God, we receive inner strength and practical fortitude to walk toward the dawn of a new day.  Lastly, we rely genuinely upon God’s enduring promises which emerge from His unquestionable faithfulness.

Exposition

Point I – Jeremiah 33:1-3 – The Incredible Power of Prayer

In the starkest irony, Jeremiah begins a lengthy and seemingly inexplicable prison sentence in obedience to adhering to God’s directives.  He obeys God by pronouncing the Lord’s punishment upon Israel and Judah.  He straightforwardly declares the coming of the Babylonian captivity and the subsequent lengthy period of exile.  The prophet’s proclamations of destruction, a natural and reasonable consequence to the nations’ longstanding sin and rebellion, immediately enflame the wrath and disdain of King Zedekiah.  He imprisons Jeremiah for a longtime.  Conceivably, the king suspects Jeremiah might reverse his declarations after lingering aimlessly within a prison cell.  Imagine Jeremiah’s crisis of faith as he bewilderingly considers the reality that his obedience places him in prison.  Understandably, he may lose heart and faint.  Possibly at a point of deep despair, Jeremiah hears the Word of the Lord again.  The Spirit of God encourages the prophet to pray.

The opening verses of this chapter remind us of the incredible power of prayer.  This foundational spiritual discipline is the primary means of improving our conscious contact with Almighty God.  In its most practical sense, prayer is a conversation with our Heavenly Father.  Communication, trust and respect are the key elements of any vibrant and meaningful relationship.  Prayer is our means of communicating with God.  Coupled with meditation, prayer enables us to share frankly and forthrightly our concerns and heart’s deepest desires with God. 

Let’s examine closely this encouragement to pray in order to learn from Jeremiah’s example and glean ways in which his predicament can encourage and empower us to resolve our daily challenges.  Notice that Jeremiah does to hear the words of a nameless and insignificant god.  Instead, He “who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it,” speaks and tells Jeremiah to pray.  “The Maker of heaven and earth” invites Jeremiah to detail his complaint and to make requests of Him.  It stands to reason that we should have a very high opinion of Almighty God if we are to pray to Him.  If we do not believe His possesses the power, presence, knowledge and grace to resolve our dilemmas, enrich our lives, heal our land and fulfill His promises, why would we bother to pray to Him? 

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  This verse, Jeremiah 33:3, is an ideal memory verse for any disciples as its simplicity in words contains profoundly significant promises.  Anyone experiencing a formidable and penetrating faith crisis can find incredible assurance in this simple verse.  Almighty God invites Jeremiah to call upon Him with Jeremiah’s myriad questions about his unjust imprisonment and Israel’s and Judah’s imminent destruction and punishment.  Reasonably, Jeremiah asks the question, “Why O God?”  How could You visit such punishment upon Your people whom You chose to carry Your Name to the Gentiles?  How could You betray us by letting the Gentiles destroy everything we have?  Can You not accomplish Your will in another way?  Where is Your grace and mercy at this time?  Further, this powerful verse proves, contrary to popular belief, that God invites our questions.  They do not anger Him.  Instead, He welcomes genuine, honest and sincere questions by disciples who struggle to understand Him.  Our questions of faith enable God to clarify His will and more clearly reveal His character.  A wife who loses her husband unexpectedly to a fatal heart attack should call upon the Lord.  Children who feel as if their mother has been snatched away unfairly by the dastardly deeds of a drunken driver should ask God to explain that irony.  A successful professional who strives for excellence with punctuality of arrival at work and productivity of assignments who is terminated for no reason needs to ask God why He allowed it to happen.  A pastor who is removed from the church where he serves faithfully due to the dislike a few disgruntled persons and the silence of countless of supporters must ask God to explain how such a misfortune could befall him.  I could recount endless examples of justifiable questions that many disciples have as they mature in faith despite life’s daily complexities and inconsistencies.  Rather than burying their questions underneath meaningless church clichés and emotionally coercive traditions, these disciples can follow Jeremiah’s examples by straightforwardly asking their questions of Almighty God through prayer.

In the second part of this memorable verse, God assures Jeremiah of an answer.  The assurance of an answer does not necessitate that it be immediate.  Oftentimes, fierce and heightened emotions must dissipate in order to understand any embedded blessings in daily burdens.  Extreme emotions such as anger, depressions, despair and even exuberance impede a person’s ability to examine any occurrence with rational balance.  Particularly, it is hard for disciples to understand the Lord’s mysterious and magnificent as they encounter adversities.  For Jeremiah, he must question the Lord’s justness in permitting Jeremiah’s lengthy imprisonment as a consequence of obedience rather than rebellion.  Yet, the Lord promises to provide an answer in due time.  This means the Lord will answer in accordance with His will as He simultaneously orchestrates the minute details of any dilemma.  Probably believing that his life is ebbing away in a prison cell, Jeremiah wonders about the purpose of his personal captivity.  In kairos time (the tense of time equating with the perfect divine present), God reveals to Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, that his imprisonment equates with the forthcoming exile of Israel and Judah.  As they will linger in a foreign land for seventy years inclusive of the birth of three generations of their children until their hearts authentically turn toward the Lord, Jeremiah will stay in jail to proclaim the Word of the Lord in action as well as in speech.  Essentially, a divine answer to our prayers always emerges as revelation to further the will of God.

The last component of this powerful verse encourages us to pray and meditate as God will reveal “great and unsearchable things” we do not know.  Interestingly, the darkness of our daily circumstances position us to more clearly see God’s light.  Perhaps, as Jeremiah remains in jail, he better comprehends the mind of Almighty God who liberally shares His unfathomable wisdom.  One author posits, “Pain is the touchstone of all spiritual progress.”  Trials and tests create settings in which we learn the character of God.  An estranged husband may find previously latent and undiscovered love for his wife near the end of a divorce proceeding and offer reconciliation.  Thereby, he better understands God’s unfailing love and incredible forgiveness.  In the midst of agony, God compassionately shares His wisdom with us to encourage and empower us as we mature spiritually by trusting in His faithfulness.  With distance from a painful bereavement, we awake with surprising feelings of thanksgiving as we rejoice that a loved one no longer suffers though we miss them.  A mother who loses a son to a drunk driver joins MADD and redeems her son’s life.  A father who loses a daughter to domestic violence starts a support group for other families of victims of violent crimes.  Parents of a premature baby who does not live find fortitude to affirm their Christian faith and comfort the worshipping community during their grief.  These are a few examples of the amazing and unfathomable consequences to extreme experiences of human pain that disciples encounter as they approach Almighty God with very difficult questions of faith.

Summarily, questioning is a significant and necessary component of maturing in faith.  God welcomes our hard questions about His character, will and wisdom.  When we ask them, we afford the Lord an opportunity to reveal previously disclosed aspects of His character to us.  AS He graciously and bountifully shares “great and unsearchable things,” we develop a greater appreciation for His unfailing love, unquestionable faithfulness and unending grace.

Point II – Jeremiah 33:4-9 – Confirmation of Restoration

In the next few verse, the Lord states His unequivocal displeasure against Israel and Judah.  Because of their wickedness, their grand and ornate houses will be torn down in the struggle with Babylon.  The remnants of such fine architecture and expensive materials will become protective devices in battle.  What a waste of these treasures!  Nonetheless, the collective evil of the people causes the Lord to turn His face against them.  Beyond its startlingly literary values, these words depict an awful image for the nation.  The grace and consideration of their Protector and Provider has been removed.  They are subject completely to the fury and will of their enemies.  They must face the consequences of their cumulative sin and rebellion.

Consistent with the multiplicity of God’s character, He simultaneously offers confirmation of restoration as He announces judgment upon Israel and Judah.  Although dead bodies will fill beautiful houses, the Lord will bring health and healing to His chosen people.  After the requisite period of captivity and exile, the people will return to enjoy peace and security.  Note the justness in the Lord’s character as He insists they must answer for their rebellion.  Yet, His unfailing love is far greater and more extensive than their sin.  He will restore them and rebuild them as they were prior to the Babylonian siege.  In fact, the Lord will cleanse their sin and forgive their rebellion.  Practically speaking, He will transform their hearts to enable them to choose righteousness instead of rebellion.  Henceforth, they will desire to live in right relationship with Almighty God by adhering to the moral and ethical dictates of the covenant He makes with them.  They will forsake all other god for Him alone.  They will submit willingly to His will.  They will obey commands as they learn that obedience yields a greater revelation of His love and provision. 

Then, the inhabitants of the rebuilt city will live to honor, worship and glorify Almighty God.  All nations of the earth will hear of the great and mighty deeds God does for His people.  Songs of praises and rejoicing will be heard throughout this restored land.  Neighboring towns will remark, “Those people really love the Lord, their God whom they adore for His faithful provision and protection.  This promise of restoration finishes with a remarkable image.  The exiles who return will be in awe when they observe the prosperity and peace with which they are blessed by the Lord Almighty.  He will exchange the horrors of their worst nightmares for the bliss of their wildest dreams of peace and provision.

Point III – Jeremiah 33:10-16 – Indeed, A New Day will Dawn

Indeed, a new day will dawn for Israel and Judah.  The period of the exile will equip them to walk toward this dawn in their hearts first and foremost.  In this section, the prophet reminds the nation of the great years that will unfold as they trust in the Lord’s faithfulness.  Despite the destruction and depression surrounding them, they can expect weddings, banquets and unimaginable worship experiences.  They will not believe what God has in store for them.  A brand new day will dawn bringing forth an era that will be unparalleled in the annals of Israel’s and Judah’s history.

Through the prophet, the Lord supplies the lyrics for the songs of joy and praise the future generation will sing as they approach the house of the Lord with thanks offerings.  The songs emphasize the necessity of thanksgiving as it relates to understanding God’s character.  People of the covenant offer gratitude for the Lord’s perpetual provision and protection.  Second, the song declares God’s goodness which is intrinsic to His character.  God is good as He faithfully adheres to the covenant notwithstanding Israel’s and Judah’s rebellion over centuries.  He upholds His end of the agreement and unwaveringly demonstrates His unfailing love and indescribable mercy.  Accordingly, He will rebuild the lost fortunes of the people as yet another measure of His goodness and kindness toward His chosen people.

Literarily, Jeremiah reiterates the couplet of destruction in the present time and reconstruction in the generations to come.  The desolation of the Babylonian captivity will surely culminate in colossal loss for Israel and Judah.  However, the Lord’s promise to rebuild their cities and land and restore their heritage and culture will extend their expectations.  Majestically, the new day which dawns for them will open a new earthly era and the windows of eternity.  Their security will be as everlasting as the God who makes a new covenant with them.  He will send “a righteous Branch” from David’s line whose reign and kingdom shall never end. He will protect them forevermore.  This Messiah, who will be known as “The Lord Our Righteous Savior,” will not allow their subjugation and humiliation to occur again.  He will not permit any other enemies of triumph over them.  He will guide them toward peace and security.  The dawn which brings His birth will also be the beginning of an eternal existence of prosperity and peace for Israel and Judah as they follow the Savior.

Point IV – Jeremiah 33:17-26 – Practical Promises of Restoration

Jeremiah concludes this chapter by enumerating several practical promises and perhaps warnings relating to restoration.  The birth of the forthcoming Messiah means that David will always have a successor on the throne who will rule with truth, justice and righteousness.  His reign will not end.  His presence offers peace and security to the nation as they rebuild their lives and inherit the innumerable and myriad blessings of the covenant.  Additionally, the priests will stand before the throne of Almighty God forever to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices on behalf of the people.  Thus, they have earthly and celestial security as their Messiah physically protects them and their Levite priesthood intercedes to acquire their perpetual blessings.

Jeremiah couples the foregoing grand promises with a very sober warning to Israel and Judah.  If the next generation follows the regrettable pattern of their forebears and break the covenant through sin and rebellion, then the Lord will withdraw the promises.  David will no longer have an heir on throne.  The work of the priests will be null and void.  It will equate with powerless piety and meaningless religiosity.  Israel and Judah must accept these consequences to their choices as they return to rebuild their lives.  Nevertheless, Jeremiah reiterates the Lord’s heartfelt desire to bless His people by making David’s descendants and the Levites as countless as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore in order to bless them bountifully.

Not surprisingly, the people of Israel and Judah understandably state their apprehension and cynicism in response to these grand promises of healing and restoration.  Announcing doom and gloom, while simultaneously promising return and restoration, likens a stream gushing salt and fresh water at the same time.   They question forthrightly; has not God rejected and abandoned us given His permission and acquiescence of our destruction?  What can anyone say that will comfort us at this critical juncture in our history?  More straightforwardly, the people reiterate their contention that the Lord has rejected them and thus others despise them if their own god will abandon them.  In adamant reply, the Lord in turn re-emphasizes His ultimate will and intention to return Israel and Judah to their homeland and rebuild their lives.  The Lord appeals to the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Had He not made the covenant, assuredly He would reject them considering their sin and rebellion.  Because He did, He willingly elects to fulfill it by choosing one of David’s sons to rule over the children of the patriarchs.

The Lesson Applied

Let’s Talk About It

·        Have you ever felt God abandoned or rejected you?

·        How would you respond to Jeremiah’s combined message of destruction and reconstruction?

·        Are the nations of Israel and Judah justified in feeling God has abandoned them?

·        Have you had to rebuild your life after a tragedy, natural disaster or major personal loss?

·        What would you recommend to a fellow brother or sister in the Lord who feels as if God has abandoned him or her?