Saturday
While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ 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 in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with dead bodies of the men I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.’
‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, and 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. . . .’
‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 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 Righteousness.’”
(Jeremiah 33:1-9, 14-16, NIV)
Jeremiah is a priest who was commanded by God never to marry and have children, because the Lord wants to use him as a messenger of God’s judgment against the Kingdom of Judah. Despite periods of self-doubt, Jeremiah is a fearless voice who serves God in the face of much opposition. Jeremiah lives in a time of great crisis. The Kingdom of Judah’s existence is in peril as powerful empires emerge in the east and Palestine becomes a battlefield. Jeremiah witnesses the collapse of the Assyrian Empire and the rise of the Babylonian Empire. King Josiah mistakenly gets involved in the conflict, a decision that costs him his life. As the Babylonian Empire emerged under the brilliant leadership of Nebuchadnezzar, Judah’s fate is sealed.
Jeremiah is called by God to announce the destruction of Judah. Yet, even in the midst of predicting the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, God uses Jeremiah to offer a word of hope and restoration. Although faced with defeat and exile because of her sins, Jeremiah prophesies that Israel will be renewed. Chapters 30-33, the context for today’s verses, contain these words of promise.
The “peace picture” Jeremiah describes in today’s verses beautifully summarizes all of the dimensions of shalom: good health, physical security, a “right relationship” with God brought about by the forgiveness of sin, food and shelter – indeed “all the good things.” God announces his intention to bring in a new kingdom of “abundant prosperity and peace,” which he will provide. This promise will be fulfilled when the Messiah comes who “will do what is just and right in the land.” Even in one of Judah’s darkest hours, God again graciously shows his mercy to his people.
Prayer
Lord of history, the Bible records how you have repeatedly offered your mercy to your people despite their continued rebellion. We praise you as the God of grace and love, who is slow to anger and patient. Give your people hope in the midst of their struggles. Remind us that you have a great future planned for us, a future we often forget in our preoccupation with daily living. Thank you for the hope of shalom. Amen.