Jeremiah 29

Jeremiah 29:1

The LORD Judges the Nations

These verses contain a dialogue between the redeemed remnant of Israel, delivered from their great tribulation, and the LORD. It is the time of Christ’s personal intervention to defeat the nations who have gathered under the antichrist in Israel. That is why this section rightly follows the Divine promises of the previous chapter.

The Jewish people, freed from their enemies, ask with amazement at His power and glory, the question Who the great Deliverer is (Isaiah 63:1). He is the Conqueror, Who comes at the head of His armies (Revelation 19:13-14). But why does He come from Edom and Bozrah? We find the answer to this question by comparing Psalms 29:1-8 with Daniel 11:45 (Psalms 29:1-8; Daniel 11:45). Daniel 11:45 refers to the military base of the king of the North, after he returned from conquering Egypt. He was stationed there to defeat the gathered armies of the restored Roman Empire, that is Western Europe. The nations are then gathered to wage war in the valley of Har-Magedon (Revelation 16:16).

Psalms 29 describes prophetically the defeat of all those nations by the power of the voice of the LORD. The defeat begins in Lebanon (Psalms 29:5-6) and continues to Kadesh, the center of which is Bozrah in Edom. The extermination is quick and complete. The distance from Sirjon in Lebanon to Bozrah in Edom, Isaiah 200 miles. This is exactly the distance mentioned in Revelation 14 in a section corresponding to what we read here in Isaiah (Revelation 14:20). In both parts it is about the wine press of the total, unsparing anger of God. The harmony of the various parts of Scripture is clearly illustrated by this.

In answer to the question of the people, the LORD says: “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” “Who speaks” corresponds to “the voice of the LORD” in Psalms 29 (Psalms 29:3-8; cf. Psalms 2:5) and “the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” in Revelation 19 (Revelation 19:21). His righteousness will then be revealed in the deliverance of His earthly people.

In Isaiah 63:2 they ask a new question. The answer of the LORD in Isaiah 63:3-4 makes the time of the event clear, namely that it is about the definitive destruction of the heathen powers just before the realm of peace. This vivid picture of the treading of the wine press is also described in other parts (Joel 3:9-16; Revelation 14:17-20; Revelation 19:15).

It is the picture of the oriental wine press. The collected grapes are pressed barefoot, so that the red juice flows out. The garments of the wine presser are therefore smeared with the red juice. It is a picture of God Himself carrying out the judgment. There is also a play on words, because ‘Edom’ means ‘red’. Bozrah, the capital of Edom, is a word related to batsar which means ‘gathering of grapes’.

Here year and day are set opposite to each other again (cf. Isaiah 61:2). The time of the vengeance of the LORD is short (Romans 9:28). At the same time, this vengeance is the beginning of an era in which the enemy of Israel has been defeated forever: “My year of redemption has come.”

His answer continues in Isaiah 63:5-6. It appears that He is alone in His great love for His people. No one shares in this with Him (cf. Isaiah 59:16). Wherever He looks, there is no one to help His people. To His astonishment, He must conclude that there is no one who helps His people. That is why He alone will look after the cause of His people and speak up for them. As a lonely but all-powerful Warrior, against Whom all resistance is utterly useless, He pours out His wrath on His enemies and those of His people. He gives His enemies the wine of His wrath, by which they get drunk and fall down.

Jeremiah 29:2

The LORD Judges the Nations

These verses contain a dialogue between the redeemed remnant of Israel, delivered from their great tribulation, and the LORD. It is the time of Christ’s personal intervention to defeat the nations who have gathered under the antichrist in Israel. That is why this section rightly follows the Divine promises of the previous chapter.

The Jewish people, freed from their enemies, ask with amazement at His power and glory, the question Who the great Deliverer is (Isaiah 63:1). He is the Conqueror, Who comes at the head of His armies (Revelation 19:13-14). But why does He come from Edom and Bozrah? We find the answer to this question by comparing Psalms 29:1-8 with Daniel 11:45 (Psalms 29:1-8; Daniel 11:45). Daniel 11:45 refers to the military base of the king of the North, after he returned from conquering Egypt. He was stationed there to defeat the gathered armies of the restored Roman Empire, that is Western Europe. The nations are then gathered to wage war in the valley of Har-Magedon (Revelation 16:16).

Psalms 29 describes prophetically the defeat of all those nations by the power of the voice of the LORD. The defeat begins in Lebanon (Psalms 29:5-6) and continues to Kadesh, the center of which is Bozrah in Edom. The extermination is quick and complete. The distance from Sirjon in Lebanon to Bozrah in Edom, Isaiah 200 miles. This is exactly the distance mentioned in Revelation 14 in a section corresponding to what we read here in Isaiah (Revelation 14:20). In both parts it is about the wine press of the total, unsparing anger of God. The harmony of the various parts of Scripture is clearly illustrated by this.

In answer to the question of the people, the LORD says: “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” “Who speaks” corresponds to “the voice of the LORD” in Psalms 29 (Psalms 29:3-8; cf. Psalms 2:5) and “the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” in Revelation 19 (Revelation 19:21). His righteousness will then be revealed in the deliverance of His earthly people.

In Isaiah 63:2 they ask a new question. The answer of the LORD in Isaiah 63:3-4 makes the time of the event clear, namely that it is about the definitive destruction of the heathen powers just before the realm of peace. This vivid picture of the treading of the wine press is also described in other parts (Joel 3:9-16; Revelation 14:17-20; Revelation 19:15).

It is the picture of the oriental wine press. The collected grapes are pressed barefoot, so that the red juice flows out. The garments of the wine presser are therefore smeared with the red juice. It is a picture of God Himself carrying out the judgment. There is also a play on words, because ‘Edom’ means ‘red’. Bozrah, the capital of Edom, is a word related to batsar which means ‘gathering of grapes’.

Here year and day are set opposite to each other again (cf. Isaiah 61:2). The time of the vengeance of the LORD is short (Romans 9:28). At the same time, this vengeance is the beginning of an era in which the enemy of Israel has been defeated forever: “My year of redemption has come.”

His answer continues in Isaiah 63:5-6. It appears that He is alone in His great love for His people. No one shares in this with Him (cf. Isaiah 59:16). Wherever He looks, there is no one to help His people. To His astonishment, He must conclude that there is no one who helps His people. That is why He alone will look after the cause of His people and speak up for them. As a lonely but all-powerful Warrior, against Whom all resistance is utterly useless, He pours out His wrath on His enemies and those of His people. He gives His enemies the wine of His wrath, by which they get drunk and fall down.

Jeremiah 29:3

The LORD Judges the Nations

These verses contain a dialogue between the redeemed remnant of Israel, delivered from their great tribulation, and the LORD. It is the time of Christ’s personal intervention to defeat the nations who have gathered under the antichrist in Israel. That is why this section rightly follows the Divine promises of the previous chapter.

The Jewish people, freed from their enemies, ask with amazement at His power and glory, the question Who the great Deliverer is (Isaiah 63:1). He is the Conqueror, Who comes at the head of His armies (Revelation 19:13-14). But why does He come from Edom and Bozrah? We find the answer to this question by comparing Psalms 29:1-8 with Daniel 11:45 (Psalms 29:1-8; Daniel 11:45). Daniel 11:45 refers to the military base of the king of the North, after he returned from conquering Egypt. He was stationed there to defeat the gathered armies of the restored Roman Empire, that is Western Europe. The nations are then gathered to wage war in the valley of Har-Magedon (Revelation 16:16).

Psalms 29 describes prophetically the defeat of all those nations by the power of the voice of the LORD. The defeat begins in Lebanon (Psalms 29:5-6) and continues to Kadesh, the center of which is Bozrah in Edom. The extermination is quick and complete. The distance from Sirjon in Lebanon to Bozrah in Edom, Isaiah 200 miles. This is exactly the distance mentioned in Revelation 14 in a section corresponding to what we read here in Isaiah (Revelation 14:20). In both parts it is about the wine press of the total, unsparing anger of God. The harmony of the various parts of Scripture is clearly illustrated by this.

In answer to the question of the people, the LORD says: “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” “Who speaks” corresponds to “the voice of the LORD” in Psalms 29 (Psalms 29:3-8; cf. Psalms 2:5) and “the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” in Revelation 19 (Revelation 19:21). His righteousness will then be revealed in the deliverance of His earthly people.

In Isaiah 63:2 they ask a new question. The answer of the LORD in Isaiah 63:3-4 makes the time of the event clear, namely that it is about the definitive destruction of the heathen powers just before the realm of peace. This vivid picture of the treading of the wine press is also described in other parts (Joel 3:9-16; Revelation 14:17-20; Revelation 19:15).

It is the picture of the oriental wine press. The collected grapes are pressed barefoot, so that the red juice flows out. The garments of the wine presser are therefore smeared with the red juice. It is a picture of God Himself carrying out the judgment. There is also a play on words, because ‘Edom’ means ‘red’. Bozrah, the capital of Edom, is a word related to batsar which means ‘gathering of grapes’.

Here year and day are set opposite to each other again (cf. Isaiah 61:2). The time of the vengeance of the LORD is short (Romans 9:28). At the same time, this vengeance is the beginning of an era in which the enemy of Israel has been defeated forever: “My year of redemption has come.”

His answer continues in Isaiah 63:5-6. It appears that He is alone in His great love for His people. No one shares in this with Him (cf. Isaiah 59:16). Wherever He looks, there is no one to help His people. To His astonishment, He must conclude that there is no one who helps His people. That is why He alone will look after the cause of His people and speak up for them. As a lonely but all-powerful Warrior, against Whom all resistance is utterly useless, He pours out His wrath on His enemies and those of His people. He gives His enemies the wine of His wrath, by which they get drunk and fall down.

Jeremiah 29:4

The LORD Judges the Nations

These verses contain a dialogue between the redeemed remnant of Israel, delivered from their great tribulation, and the LORD. It is the time of Christ’s personal intervention to defeat the nations who have gathered under the antichrist in Israel. That is why this section rightly follows the Divine promises of the previous chapter.

The Jewish people, freed from their enemies, ask with amazement at His power and glory, the question Who the great Deliverer is (Isaiah 63:1). He is the Conqueror, Who comes at the head of His armies (Revelation 19:13-14). But why does He come from Edom and Bozrah? We find the answer to this question by comparing Psalms 29:1-8 with Daniel 11:45 (Psalms 29:1-8; Daniel 11:45). Daniel 11:45 refers to the military base of the king of the North, after he returned from conquering Egypt. He was stationed there to defeat the gathered armies of the restored Roman Empire, that is Western Europe. The nations are then gathered to wage war in the valley of Har-Magedon (Revelation 16:16).

Psalms 29 describes prophetically the defeat of all those nations by the power of the voice of the LORD. The defeat begins in Lebanon (Psalms 29:5-6) and continues to Kadesh, the center of which is Bozrah in Edom. The extermination is quick and complete. The distance from Sirjon in Lebanon to Bozrah in Edom, Isaiah 200 miles. This is exactly the distance mentioned in Revelation 14 in a section corresponding to what we read here in Isaiah (Revelation 14:20). In both parts it is about the wine press of the total, unsparing anger of God. The harmony of the various parts of Scripture is clearly illustrated by this.

In answer to the question of the people, the LORD says: “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” “Who speaks” corresponds to “the voice of the LORD” in Psalms 29 (Psalms 29:3-8; cf. Psalms 2:5) and “the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse” in Revelation 19 (Revelation 19:21). His righteousness will then be revealed in the deliverance of His earthly people.

In Isaiah 63:2 they ask a new question. The answer of the LORD in Isaiah 63:3-4 makes the time of the event clear, namely that it is about the definitive destruction of the heathen powers just before the realm of peace. This vivid picture of the treading of the wine press is also described in other parts (Joel 3:9-16; Revelation 14:17-20; Revelation 19:15).

It is the picture of the oriental wine press. The collected grapes are pressed barefoot, so that the red juice flows out. The garments of the wine presser are therefore smeared with the red juice. It is a picture of God Himself carrying out the judgment. There is also a play on words, because ‘Edom’ means ‘red’. Bozrah, the capital of Edom, is a word related to batsar which means ‘gathering of grapes’.

Here year and day are set opposite to each other again (cf. Isaiah 61:2). The time of the vengeance of the LORD is short (Romans 9:28). At the same time, this vengeance is the beginning of an era in which the enemy of Israel has been defeated forever: “My year of redemption has come.”

His answer continues in Isaiah 63:5-6. It appears that He is alone in His great love for His people. No one shares in this with Him (cf. Isaiah 59:16). Wherever He looks, there is no one to help His people. To His astonishment, He must conclude that there is no one who helps His people. That is why He alone will look after the cause of His people and speak up for them. As a lonely but all-powerful Warrior, against Whom all resistance is utterly useless, He pours out His wrath on His enemies and those of His people. He gives His enemies the wine of His wrath, by which they get drunk and fall down.

Jeremiah 29:5

The Faithfulness of the LORD Praised

From Isaiah 63:7 we read, in a section that goes through to the end of Isaiah 64, what the Spirit of prophecy puts the remnant in the mouth. These words are spoken by the representative of His people at the time of the redemption described in the preceding six verses. In Isaiah 65-66 we find the answer of the LORD.

It is striking to see how the Spirit expresses all the feelings of a faithful Israelite heart, of a frightened yet trusting heart. This heart remembers the lovingkindness of the past. However, it is depressed by the present misery and recognizes the rebellion of which they are guilty. But in spite of all this, it appeals to the unchanging faithfulness of God’s love. It is a prayer in connection with the lovingkindness of the LORD which He has shown in salvation. That is why it begins with praise. This language also suits us because of the heavenly and spiritual deliverances and blessings that have been granted to us, in addition to all the earthly mercies that are our part.

This verse begins and ends with the lovingkindness of the LORD, that is, His faithfulness to the covenant based on the work of the Mediator. This word ‘lovingkindness’, chesed, is the faithfulness, the faithful mercies (Isaiah 55:3) which God in His covenant proves to His people. Contemplating the lovingkindness of the LORD touches the heart of the remnant and leads them to repentance (Romans 2:4).

In Isaiah 63:8 the remnant takes the words of the LORD in their mouth in which He expresses His appreciation for His redeemed people. This people is the righteous remnant who waited for His salvation in the time of the great tribulation. It says that the faithful remnant are “sons who will not deal falsely”. Dealing falsely here means being unfaithful to the covenant with the LORD. They have been faithful in contrast to the many who in apostasy attached themselves to the antichrist. Because of their faithfulness He has become their Savior.

The prophet says in Isaiah 63:9 how the LORD effected that salvation. In a distant past, when Israel returned to Him with repentance for their sins as a result of the chastening of the LORD, “He could bear the misery of Israel no longer” (Judges 10:16). Thus, in the coming time of Jacob’s distress, His actions will aim both to defeat their enemies and to remove His chastening hand at the appointed time.

This declaration reveals the tender feelings of the LORD. His disciplinary dealings are always done in love (Hebrews 12:5-11). “For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men” (Lamentations 3:33). It grieves Him when they deviate from Him. It grieves Him also when He is forced to chasten them.

Then comes the way in which He acted with His delivering power: “The angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them.” Here we do not only think about the future salvation, but also about His actions in the past. The presence of God with His people was in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and in the tabernacle, and the Angel was none other than Christ Himself (Genesis 48:16; Exodus 23:20; 23; Exodus 32:34; Exodus 33:2). His presence was more than the mere being present of God in their midst. It meant the revelation of Himself in and through the Angel Who accompanied them.

The picture of lifting and carrying all the days of old calls to mind a section of the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:10-12). There he recounts God’s goodness during their journey through the wilderness.

Jeremiah 29:6

The Faithfulness of the LORD Praised

From Isaiah 63:7 we read, in a section that goes through to the end of Isaiah 64, what the Spirit of prophecy puts the remnant in the mouth. These words are spoken by the representative of His people at the time of the redemption described in the preceding six verses. In Isaiah 65-66 we find the answer of the LORD.

It is striking to see how the Spirit expresses all the feelings of a faithful Israelite heart, of a frightened yet trusting heart. This heart remembers the lovingkindness of the past. However, it is depressed by the present misery and recognizes the rebellion of which they are guilty. But in spite of all this, it appeals to the unchanging faithfulness of God’s love. It is a prayer in connection with the lovingkindness of the LORD which He has shown in salvation. That is why it begins with praise. This language also suits us because of the heavenly and spiritual deliverances and blessings that have been granted to us, in addition to all the earthly mercies that are our part.

This verse begins and ends with the lovingkindness of the LORD, that is, His faithfulness to the covenant based on the work of the Mediator. This word ‘lovingkindness’, chesed, is the faithfulness, the faithful mercies (Isaiah 55:3) which God in His covenant proves to His people. Contemplating the lovingkindness of the LORD touches the heart of the remnant and leads them to repentance (Romans 2:4).

In Isaiah 63:8 the remnant takes the words of the LORD in their mouth in which He expresses His appreciation for His redeemed people. This people is the righteous remnant who waited for His salvation in the time of the great tribulation. It says that the faithful remnant are “sons who will not deal falsely”. Dealing falsely here means being unfaithful to the covenant with the LORD. They have been faithful in contrast to the many who in apostasy attached themselves to the antichrist. Because of their faithfulness He has become their Savior.

The prophet says in Isaiah 63:9 how the LORD effected that salvation. In a distant past, when Israel returned to Him with repentance for their sins as a result of the chastening of the LORD, “He could bear the misery of Israel no longer” (Judges 10:16). Thus, in the coming time of Jacob’s distress, His actions will aim both to defeat their enemies and to remove His chastening hand at the appointed time.

This declaration reveals the tender feelings of the LORD. His disciplinary dealings are always done in love (Hebrews 12:5-11). “For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men” (Lamentations 3:33). It grieves Him when they deviate from Him. It grieves Him also when He is forced to chasten them.

Then comes the way in which He acted with His delivering power: “The angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them.” Here we do not only think about the future salvation, but also about His actions in the past. The presence of God with His people was in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and in the tabernacle, and the Angel was none other than Christ Himself (Genesis 48:16; Exodus 23:20; 23; Exodus 32:34; Exodus 33:2). His presence was more than the mere being present of God in their midst. It meant the revelation of Himself in and through the Angel Who accompanied them.

The picture of lifting and carrying all the days of old calls to mind a section of the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:10-12). There he recounts God’s goodness during their journey through the wilderness.

Jeremiah 29:7

The Faithfulness of the LORD Praised

From Isaiah 63:7 we read, in a section that goes through to the end of Isaiah 64, what the Spirit of prophecy puts the remnant in the mouth. These words are spoken by the representative of His people at the time of the redemption described in the preceding six verses. In Isaiah 65-66 we find the answer of the LORD.

It is striking to see how the Spirit expresses all the feelings of a faithful Israelite heart, of a frightened yet trusting heart. This heart remembers the lovingkindness of the past. However, it is depressed by the present misery and recognizes the rebellion of which they are guilty. But in spite of all this, it appeals to the unchanging faithfulness of God’s love. It is a prayer in connection with the lovingkindness of the LORD which He has shown in salvation. That is why it begins with praise. This language also suits us because of the heavenly and spiritual deliverances and blessings that have been granted to us, in addition to all the earthly mercies that are our part.

This verse begins and ends with the lovingkindness of the LORD, that is, His faithfulness to the covenant based on the work of the Mediator. This word ‘lovingkindness’, chesed, is the faithfulness, the faithful mercies (Isaiah 55:3) which God in His covenant proves to His people. Contemplating the lovingkindness of the LORD touches the heart of the remnant and leads them to repentance (Romans 2:4).

In Isaiah 63:8 the remnant takes the words of the LORD in their mouth in which He expresses His appreciation for His redeemed people. This people is the righteous remnant who waited for His salvation in the time of the great tribulation. It says that the faithful remnant are “sons who will not deal falsely”. Dealing falsely here means being unfaithful to the covenant with the LORD. They have been faithful in contrast to the many who in apostasy attached themselves to the antichrist. Because of their faithfulness He has become their Savior.

The prophet says in Isaiah 63:9 how the LORD effected that salvation. In a distant past, when Israel returned to Him with repentance for their sins as a result of the chastening of the LORD, “He could bear the misery of Israel no longer” (Judges 10:16). Thus, in the coming time of Jacob’s distress, His actions will aim both to defeat their enemies and to remove His chastening hand at the appointed time.

This declaration reveals the tender feelings of the LORD. His disciplinary dealings are always done in love (Hebrews 12:5-11). “For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men” (Lamentations 3:33). It grieves Him when they deviate from Him. It grieves Him also when He is forced to chasten them.

Then comes the way in which He acted with His delivering power: “The angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them.” Here we do not only think about the future salvation, but also about His actions in the past. The presence of God with His people was in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and in the tabernacle, and the Angel was none other than Christ Himself (Genesis 48:16; Exodus 23:20; 23; Exodus 32:34; Exodus 33:2). His presence was more than the mere being present of God in their midst. It meant the revelation of Himself in and through the Angel Who accompanied them.

The picture of lifting and carrying all the days of old calls to mind a section of the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:10-12). There he recounts God’s goodness during their journey through the wilderness.

Jeremiah 29:8

Leadership of the LORD

The grieving of the Holy Spirit is a sin of which we too are warned (Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30). It is one of the proofs that the Holy Spirit is not just a power, for you cannot grieve a power, but He is a Person, for only a Person can be grieved.

The name “Holy Spirit” appears only three times in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament it is common. That is why it is remarkable that in these few verses this Name appears twice. [The third time is in Psalms 51 (Psalms 51:11)]. Because of this also the Old Testament believer knows about the existence and work of the Holy Spirit and we can learn a lot from it.

Every sin grieves the Holy Spirit. The people would not deal falsely (Isaiah 63:8), they would not be unfaithful. Unfortunately, Isaiah 63:10 shows that the opposite happens and that the people persevere therein. The LORD cannot let that continue. His attitude toward them must therefore change from a loving caretaker who stands up for them, into an enemy who fights against them.

Yet He has always worked with His Holy Spirit in their midst for their benefit. Isaiah reminds the people of this (Isaiah 63:11-14). These verses present the other side of God’s actions, namely His mercy for them at the time of redemption from Egypt and giving them rest so that His Name becomes “glorious”. Isaiah reminds the LORD of that glorious Name at the end of Isa 63:14, which is the introduction to the prayer that follows.

Isaiah asks where the LORD is, Who led His shepherds, Moses and Aaron, at the head of the people through the Red Sea (Isaiah 63:11b). It is reminiscent of the Lord Jesus Who, as the One Who was brought back from the dead, is called “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20). This is what is presented in the picture in the Red Sea and where Moses is a type of the Lord Jesus as the Shepherd of His people.

The following is a reference to the Holy Spirit, which also reminds of the New Testament, because after redemption from the power of sin and the acceptance of the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the New Testament believer (Ephesians 1:13). In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer, but He works in him. Only after the death, resurrection and glorification of the Lord Jesus did the Holy Spirit come to dwell on earth, in the church and in the believer as a member of the church.

Jeremiah 29:9

Leadership of the LORD

The grieving of the Holy Spirit is a sin of which we too are warned (Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30). It is one of the proofs that the Holy Spirit is not just a power, for you cannot grieve a power, but He is a Person, for only a Person can be grieved.

The name “Holy Spirit” appears only three times in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament it is common. That is why it is remarkable that in these few verses this Name appears twice. [The third time is in Psalms 51 (Psalms 51:11)]. Because of this also the Old Testament believer knows about the existence and work of the Holy Spirit and we can learn a lot from it.

Every sin grieves the Holy Spirit. The people would not deal falsely (Isaiah 63:8), they would not be unfaithful. Unfortunately, Isaiah 63:10 shows that the opposite happens and that the people persevere therein. The LORD cannot let that continue. His attitude toward them must therefore change from a loving caretaker who stands up for them, into an enemy who fights against them.

Yet He has always worked with His Holy Spirit in their midst for their benefit. Isaiah reminds the people of this (Isaiah 63:11-14). These verses present the other side of God’s actions, namely His mercy for them at the time of redemption from Egypt and giving them rest so that His Name becomes “glorious”. Isaiah reminds the LORD of that glorious Name at the end of Isa 63:14, which is the introduction to the prayer that follows.

Isaiah asks where the LORD is, Who led His shepherds, Moses and Aaron, at the head of the people through the Red Sea (Isaiah 63:11b). It is reminiscent of the Lord Jesus Who, as the One Who was brought back from the dead, is called “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20). This is what is presented in the picture in the Red Sea and where Moses is a type of the Lord Jesus as the Shepherd of His people.

The following is a reference to the Holy Spirit, which also reminds of the New Testament, because after redemption from the power of sin and the acceptance of the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the New Testament believer (Ephesians 1:13). In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer, but He works in him. Only after the death, resurrection and glorification of the Lord Jesus did the Holy Spirit come to dwell on earth, in the church and in the believer as a member of the church.

Jeremiah 29:10

Leadership of the LORD

The grieving of the Holy Spirit is a sin of which we too are warned (Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30). It is one of the proofs that the Holy Spirit is not just a power, for you cannot grieve a power, but He is a Person, for only a Person can be grieved.

The name “Holy Spirit” appears only three times in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament it is common. That is why it is remarkable that in these few verses this Name appears twice. [The third time is in Psalms 51 (Psalms 51:11)]. Because of this also the Old Testament believer knows about the existence and work of the Holy Spirit and we can learn a lot from it.

Every sin grieves the Holy Spirit. The people would not deal falsely (Isaiah 63:8), they would not be unfaithful. Unfortunately, Isaiah 63:10 shows that the opposite happens and that the people persevere therein. The LORD cannot let that continue. His attitude toward them must therefore change from a loving caretaker who stands up for them, into an enemy who fights against them.

Yet He has always worked with His Holy Spirit in their midst for their benefit. Isaiah reminds the people of this (Isaiah 63:11-14). These verses present the other side of God’s actions, namely His mercy for them at the time of redemption from Egypt and giving them rest so that His Name becomes “glorious”. Isaiah reminds the LORD of that glorious Name at the end of Isa 63:14, which is the introduction to the prayer that follows.

Isaiah asks where the LORD is, Who led His shepherds, Moses and Aaron, at the head of the people through the Red Sea (Isaiah 63:11b). It is reminiscent of the Lord Jesus Who, as the One Who was brought back from the dead, is called “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20). This is what is presented in the picture in the Red Sea and where Moses is a type of the Lord Jesus as the Shepherd of His people.

The following is a reference to the Holy Spirit, which also reminds of the New Testament, because after redemption from the power of sin and the acceptance of the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the New Testament believer (Ephesians 1:13). In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer, but He works in him. Only after the death, resurrection and glorification of the Lord Jesus did the Holy Spirit come to dwell on earth, in the church and in the believer as a member of the church.

Jeremiah 29:11

Leadership of the LORD

The grieving of the Holy Spirit is a sin of which we too are warned (Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30). It is one of the proofs that the Holy Spirit is not just a power, for you cannot grieve a power, but He is a Person, for only a Person can be grieved.

The name “Holy Spirit” appears only three times in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament it is common. That is why it is remarkable that in these few verses this Name appears twice. [The third time is in Psalms 51 (Psalms 51:11)]. Because of this also the Old Testament believer knows about the existence and work of the Holy Spirit and we can learn a lot from it.

Every sin grieves the Holy Spirit. The people would not deal falsely (Isaiah 63:8), they would not be unfaithful. Unfortunately, Isaiah 63:10 shows that the opposite happens and that the people persevere therein. The LORD cannot let that continue. His attitude toward them must therefore change from a loving caretaker who stands up for them, into an enemy who fights against them.

Yet He has always worked with His Holy Spirit in their midst for their benefit. Isaiah reminds the people of this (Isaiah 63:11-14). These verses present the other side of God’s actions, namely His mercy for them at the time of redemption from Egypt and giving them rest so that His Name becomes “glorious”. Isaiah reminds the LORD of that glorious Name at the end of Isa 63:14, which is the introduction to the prayer that follows.

Isaiah asks where the LORD is, Who led His shepherds, Moses and Aaron, at the head of the people through the Red Sea (Isaiah 63:11b). It is reminiscent of the Lord Jesus Who, as the One Who was brought back from the dead, is called “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20). This is what is presented in the picture in the Red Sea and where Moses is a type of the Lord Jesus as the Shepherd of His people.

The following is a reference to the Holy Spirit, which also reminds of the New Testament, because after redemption from the power of sin and the acceptance of the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the New Testament believer (Ephesians 1:13). In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer, but He works in him. Only after the death, resurrection and glorification of the Lord Jesus did the Holy Spirit come to dwell on earth, in the church and in the believer as a member of the church.

Jeremiah 29:12

Leadership of the LORD

The grieving of the Holy Spirit is a sin of which we too are warned (Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30). It is one of the proofs that the Holy Spirit is not just a power, for you cannot grieve a power, but He is a Person, for only a Person can be grieved.

The name “Holy Spirit” appears only three times in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament it is common. That is why it is remarkable that in these few verses this Name appears twice. [The third time is in Psalms 51 (Psalms 51:11)]. Because of this also the Old Testament believer knows about the existence and work of the Holy Spirit and we can learn a lot from it.

Every sin grieves the Holy Spirit. The people would not deal falsely (Isaiah 63:8), they would not be unfaithful. Unfortunately, Isaiah 63:10 shows that the opposite happens and that the people persevere therein. The LORD cannot let that continue. His attitude toward them must therefore change from a loving caretaker who stands up for them, into an enemy who fights against them.

Yet He has always worked with His Holy Spirit in their midst for their benefit. Isaiah reminds the people of this (Isaiah 63:11-14). These verses present the other side of God’s actions, namely His mercy for them at the time of redemption from Egypt and giving them rest so that His Name becomes “glorious”. Isaiah reminds the LORD of that glorious Name at the end of Isa 63:14, which is the introduction to the prayer that follows.

Isaiah asks where the LORD is, Who led His shepherds, Moses and Aaron, at the head of the people through the Red Sea (Isaiah 63:11b). It is reminiscent of the Lord Jesus Who, as the One Who was brought back from the dead, is called “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20). This is what is presented in the picture in the Red Sea and where Moses is a type of the Lord Jesus as the Shepherd of His people.

The following is a reference to the Holy Spirit, which also reminds of the New Testament, because after redemption from the power of sin and the acceptance of the gospel, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the New Testament believer (Ephesians 1:13). In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the believer, but He works in him. Only after the death, resurrection and glorification of the Lord Jesus did the Holy Spirit come to dwell on earth, in the church and in the believer as a member of the church.

Jeremiah 29:13

Distress as a Pleading Ground

Until Isaiah 63:14, the people looked back on the faithfulness of God and their own unfaithfulness. From Isaiah 63:15 onward this faithful remnant speaks about their need in the present. The prayer for salvation and deliverance (Isaiah 63:15) begins with the question whether the LORD wants to look down from “heaven” and see from His “holy and glorious habitation” (cf. 1 Kings 8:44-53).

The question indicates that He Who has been with His people and revealed His presence and power, has withdrawn and can now be approached only in His heavenly abode. His holiness and His glory are especially mentioned because of the contrast with the wickedness and shame of the people. We notice this attitude of distance in what Isaiah says, identifying himself with the people: “The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.”

When God’s people are in distress because of their aberration, God’s actions in discipline are not at the expense of His compassion. The LORD chastises whom He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6). He desires to take away the oppression of His people, but sometimes He has to withhold His mercies. It is remarkable that Isaiah speaks of himself as an object of these acts and in this way identifies himself with the condition of the people. We also see this with Moses (Exodus 32:31-32) and with Paul (Romans 9:2-3). Thus it is with every true intercession in times when the people of God are in a spirit of deviation from Him.

The prophet appeals on the same basis in Isaiah 63:16 to the connection of God with His people. He does not appeal on the basis of the covenant of the law of Moses (Isaiah 63:11). He appeals on the basis of God’s unconditional promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:17-18). The LORD has obtained His earthly people through His creative power and loving counsel. He is their Father.

This is not ‘Father’ in the New Testament sense of the word. In the New Testament the Father is first and foremost the eternal Father of the eternal Son. Then He is also the Father of the believers who have received the Son as their life. They are sealed by faith in the Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit and address God through the Spirit as “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6). In that relationship the believer could only come after the Lord Jesus had finished the work on the cross (John 20:17).

Isaiah speaks of the LORD as the Father of His people in the sense of their origin (cf. Isaiah 64:8; Deuteronomy 32:6; Jeremiah 4:3; 19; Jeremiah 31:9; Malachi 2:10; cf. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosea 11:1). Abraham and Israel, that is Jacob, are their ancestors, but they have not known of the existence of the people as their descendants. They did not know them, they could not look after them and have mercy on them. Deceased saints cannot be intercessors for anyone.

With the LORD, however, this is quite different. The relationship between Him and His people cannot be dissolved. That is why Isaiah says: “You, O LORD, are our Father.” He knows about His people and knows them. He is their Redeemer in the counsels of old and in His gracious acts in the past.

The prayer in Isaiah 63:17 contains a moving supplication. Isaiah does not put the responsibility with God for the sin of His people. God allows only those who have persistently refused to keep His commandments to go astray. He surrenders them to the consequences of their own chosen path, on which it is impossible to believe and walk in His fear. We have a clear example in Pharaoh (Exodus 7:13; Exodus 8:19; 32; Exodus 9:7; 12). Only when Pharaoh himself has hardened his heart several times does God harden his heart.

Most of the people have a hardened heart. However, there are some who remain faithful. In view of them, the prophet makes a double appeal. He asks for them as “Your servants” and as “the tribes of Your heritage”. The people have only “possessed” the promised land for “a little while” (Isaiah 63:18). The people have been in exile longer than they have lived in the promised land. Opponents such as the Babylonians and the Romans have trodden down the sanctuary of the LORD.

“Adversaries” here means the king of the North, the Assyrians, who at the end of the great tribulation will destroy the land and the sanctuary. Isaiah also recognizes that this has made the people equal to the nations (Isaiah 63:19) and that therefore the LORD had to treat them as the nations.

Believers must take care that they do not forsake the will of the Lord and become conformed to the world. Persistent lukewarmness as in the church in Laodicea will cause them to resemble the unconverted. Then the Lord must retreat and stand outside the door (Revelation 3:15a; 20a).

Jeremiah 29:14

Distress as a Pleading Ground

Until Isaiah 63:14, the people looked back on the faithfulness of God and their own unfaithfulness. From Isaiah 63:15 onward this faithful remnant speaks about their need in the present. The prayer for salvation and deliverance (Isaiah 63:15) begins with the question whether the LORD wants to look down from “heaven” and see from His “holy and glorious habitation” (cf. 1 Kings 8:44-53).

The question indicates that He Who has been with His people and revealed His presence and power, has withdrawn and can now be approached only in His heavenly abode. His holiness and His glory are especially mentioned because of the contrast with the wickedness and shame of the people. We notice this attitude of distance in what Isaiah says, identifying himself with the people: “The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.”

When God’s people are in distress because of their aberration, God’s actions in discipline are not at the expense of His compassion. The LORD chastises whom He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6). He desires to take away the oppression of His people, but sometimes He has to withhold His mercies. It is remarkable that Isaiah speaks of himself as an object of these acts and in this way identifies himself with the condition of the people. We also see this with Moses (Exodus 32:31-32) and with Paul (Romans 9:2-3). Thus it is with every true intercession in times when the people of God are in a spirit of deviation from Him.

The prophet appeals on the same basis in Isaiah 63:16 to the connection of God with His people. He does not appeal on the basis of the covenant of the law of Moses (Isaiah 63:11). He appeals on the basis of God’s unconditional promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:17-18). The LORD has obtained His earthly people through His creative power and loving counsel. He is their Father.

This is not ‘Father’ in the New Testament sense of the word. In the New Testament the Father is first and foremost the eternal Father of the eternal Son. Then He is also the Father of the believers who have received the Son as their life. They are sealed by faith in the Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit and address God through the Spirit as “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6). In that relationship the believer could only come after the Lord Jesus had finished the work on the cross (John 20:17).

Isaiah speaks of the LORD as the Father of His people in the sense of their origin (cf. Isaiah 64:8; Deuteronomy 32:6; Jeremiah 4:3; 19; Jeremiah 31:9; Malachi 2:10; cf. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosea 11:1). Abraham and Israel, that is Jacob, are their ancestors, but they have not known of the existence of the people as their descendants. They did not know them, they could not look after them and have mercy on them. Deceased saints cannot be intercessors for anyone.

With the LORD, however, this is quite different. The relationship between Him and His people cannot be dissolved. That is why Isaiah says: “You, O LORD, are our Father.” He knows about His people and knows them. He is their Redeemer in the counsels of old and in His gracious acts in the past.

The prayer in Isaiah 63:17 contains a moving supplication. Isaiah does not put the responsibility with God for the sin of His people. God allows only those who have persistently refused to keep His commandments to go astray. He surrenders them to the consequences of their own chosen path, on which it is impossible to believe and walk in His fear. We have a clear example in Pharaoh (Exodus 7:13; Exodus 8:19; 32; Exodus 9:7; 12). Only when Pharaoh himself has hardened his heart several times does God harden his heart.

Most of the people have a hardened heart. However, there are some who remain faithful. In view of them, the prophet makes a double appeal. He asks for them as “Your servants” and as “the tribes of Your heritage”. The people have only “possessed” the promised land for “a little while” (Isaiah 63:18). The people have been in exile longer than they have lived in the promised land. Opponents such as the Babylonians and the Romans have trodden down the sanctuary of the LORD.

“Adversaries” here means the king of the North, the Assyrians, who at the end of the great tribulation will destroy the land and the sanctuary. Isaiah also recognizes that this has made the people equal to the nations (Isaiah 63:19) and that therefore the LORD had to treat them as the nations.

Believers must take care that they do not forsake the will of the Lord and become conformed to the world. Persistent lukewarmness as in the church in Laodicea will cause them to resemble the unconverted. Then the Lord must retreat and stand outside the door (Revelation 3:15a; 20a).

Jeremiah 29:15

Distress as a Pleading Ground

Until Isaiah 63:14, the people looked back on the faithfulness of God and their own unfaithfulness. From Isaiah 63:15 onward this faithful remnant speaks about their need in the present. The prayer for salvation and deliverance (Isaiah 63:15) begins with the question whether the LORD wants to look down from “heaven” and see from His “holy and glorious habitation” (cf. 1 Kings 8:44-53).

The question indicates that He Who has been with His people and revealed His presence and power, has withdrawn and can now be approached only in His heavenly abode. His holiness and His glory are especially mentioned because of the contrast with the wickedness and shame of the people. We notice this attitude of distance in what Isaiah says, identifying himself with the people: “The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.”

When God’s people are in distress because of their aberration, God’s actions in discipline are not at the expense of His compassion. The LORD chastises whom He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6). He desires to take away the oppression of His people, but sometimes He has to withhold His mercies. It is remarkable that Isaiah speaks of himself as an object of these acts and in this way identifies himself with the condition of the people. We also see this with Moses (Exodus 32:31-32) and with Paul (Romans 9:2-3). Thus it is with every true intercession in times when the people of God are in a spirit of deviation from Him.

The prophet appeals on the same basis in Isaiah 63:16 to the connection of God with His people. He does not appeal on the basis of the covenant of the law of Moses (Isaiah 63:11). He appeals on the basis of God’s unconditional promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:17-18). The LORD has obtained His earthly people through His creative power and loving counsel. He is their Father.

This is not ‘Father’ in the New Testament sense of the word. In the New Testament the Father is first and foremost the eternal Father of the eternal Son. Then He is also the Father of the believers who have received the Son as their life. They are sealed by faith in the Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit and address God through the Spirit as “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6). In that relationship the believer could only come after the Lord Jesus had finished the work on the cross (John 20:17).

Isaiah speaks of the LORD as the Father of His people in the sense of their origin (cf. Isaiah 64:8; Deuteronomy 32:6; Jeremiah 4:3; 19; Jeremiah 31:9; Malachi 2:10; cf. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosea 11:1). Abraham and Israel, that is Jacob, are their ancestors, but they have not known of the existence of the people as their descendants. They did not know them, they could not look after them and have mercy on them. Deceased saints cannot be intercessors for anyone.

With the LORD, however, this is quite different. The relationship between Him and His people cannot be dissolved. That is why Isaiah says: “You, O LORD, are our Father.” He knows about His people and knows them. He is their Redeemer in the counsels of old and in His gracious acts in the past.

The prayer in Isaiah 63:17 contains a moving supplication. Isaiah does not put the responsibility with God for the sin of His people. God allows only those who have persistently refused to keep His commandments to go astray. He surrenders them to the consequences of their own chosen path, on which it is impossible to believe and walk in His fear. We have a clear example in Pharaoh (Exodus 7:13; Exodus 8:19; 32; Exodus 9:7; 12). Only when Pharaoh himself has hardened his heart several times does God harden his heart.

Most of the people have a hardened heart. However, there are some who remain faithful. In view of them, the prophet makes a double appeal. He asks for them as “Your servants” and as “the tribes of Your heritage”. The people have only “possessed” the promised land for “a little while” (Isaiah 63:18). The people have been in exile longer than they have lived in the promised land. Opponents such as the Babylonians and the Romans have trodden down the sanctuary of the LORD.

“Adversaries” here means the king of the North, the Assyrians, who at the end of the great tribulation will destroy the land and the sanctuary. Isaiah also recognizes that this has made the people equal to the nations (Isaiah 63:19) and that therefore the LORD had to treat them as the nations.

Believers must take care that they do not forsake the will of the Lord and become conformed to the world. Persistent lukewarmness as in the church in Laodicea will cause them to resemble the unconverted. Then the Lord must retreat and stand outside the door (Revelation 3:15a; 20a).

Jeremiah 29:16

Distress as a Pleading Ground

Until Isaiah 63:14, the people looked back on the faithfulness of God and their own unfaithfulness. From Isaiah 63:15 onward this faithful remnant speaks about their need in the present. The prayer for salvation and deliverance (Isaiah 63:15) begins with the question whether the LORD wants to look down from “heaven” and see from His “holy and glorious habitation” (cf. 1 Kings 8:44-53).

The question indicates that He Who has been with His people and revealed His presence and power, has withdrawn and can now be approached only in His heavenly abode. His holiness and His glory are especially mentioned because of the contrast with the wickedness and shame of the people. We notice this attitude of distance in what Isaiah says, identifying himself with the people: “The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.”

When God’s people are in distress because of their aberration, God’s actions in discipline are not at the expense of His compassion. The LORD chastises whom He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6). He desires to take away the oppression of His people, but sometimes He has to withhold His mercies. It is remarkable that Isaiah speaks of himself as an object of these acts and in this way identifies himself with the condition of the people. We also see this with Moses (Exodus 32:31-32) and with Paul (Romans 9:2-3). Thus it is with every true intercession in times when the people of God are in a spirit of deviation from Him.

The prophet appeals on the same basis in Isaiah 63:16 to the connection of God with His people. He does not appeal on the basis of the covenant of the law of Moses (Isaiah 63:11). He appeals on the basis of God’s unconditional promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:17-18). The LORD has obtained His earthly people through His creative power and loving counsel. He is their Father.

This is not ‘Father’ in the New Testament sense of the word. In the New Testament the Father is first and foremost the eternal Father of the eternal Son. Then He is also the Father of the believers who have received the Son as their life. They are sealed by faith in the Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit and address God through the Spirit as “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6). In that relationship the believer could only come after the Lord Jesus had finished the work on the cross (John 20:17).

Isaiah speaks of the LORD as the Father of His people in the sense of their origin (cf. Isaiah 64:8; Deuteronomy 32:6; Jeremiah 4:3; 19; Jeremiah 31:9; Malachi 2:10; cf. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosea 11:1). Abraham and Israel, that is Jacob, are their ancestors, but they have not known of the existence of the people as their descendants. They did not know them, they could not look after them and have mercy on them. Deceased saints cannot be intercessors for anyone.

With the LORD, however, this is quite different. The relationship between Him and His people cannot be dissolved. That is why Isaiah says: “You, O LORD, are our Father.” He knows about His people and knows them. He is their Redeemer in the counsels of old and in His gracious acts in the past.

The prayer in Isaiah 63:17 contains a moving supplication. Isaiah does not put the responsibility with God for the sin of His people. God allows only those who have persistently refused to keep His commandments to go astray. He surrenders them to the consequences of their own chosen path, on which it is impossible to believe and walk in His fear. We have a clear example in Pharaoh (Exodus 7:13; Exodus 8:19; 32; Exodus 9:7; 12). Only when Pharaoh himself has hardened his heart several times does God harden his heart.

Most of the people have a hardened heart. However, there are some who remain faithful. In view of them, the prophet makes a double appeal. He asks for them as “Your servants” and as “the tribes of Your heritage”. The people have only “possessed” the promised land for “a little while” (Isaiah 63:18). The people have been in exile longer than they have lived in the promised land. Opponents such as the Babylonians and the Romans have trodden down the sanctuary of the LORD.

“Adversaries” here means the king of the North, the Assyrians, who at the end of the great tribulation will destroy the land and the sanctuary. Isaiah also recognizes that this has made the people equal to the nations (Isaiah 63:19) and that therefore the LORD had to treat them as the nations.

Believers must take care that they do not forsake the will of the Lord and become conformed to the world. Persistent lukewarmness as in the church in Laodicea will cause them to resemble the unconverted. Then the Lord must retreat and stand outside the door (Revelation 3:15a; 20a).

Jeremiah 29:17

Distress as a Pleading Ground

Until Isaiah 63:14, the people looked back on the faithfulness of God and their own unfaithfulness. From Isaiah 63:15 onward this faithful remnant speaks about their need in the present. The prayer for salvation and deliverance (Isaiah 63:15) begins with the question whether the LORD wants to look down from “heaven” and see from His “holy and glorious habitation” (cf. 1 Kings 8:44-53).

The question indicates that He Who has been with His people and revealed His presence and power, has withdrawn and can now be approached only in His heavenly abode. His holiness and His glory are especially mentioned because of the contrast with the wickedness and shame of the people. We notice this attitude of distance in what Isaiah says, identifying himself with the people: “The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.”

When God’s people are in distress because of their aberration, God’s actions in discipline are not at the expense of His compassion. The LORD chastises whom He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6). He desires to take away the oppression of His people, but sometimes He has to withhold His mercies. It is remarkable that Isaiah speaks of himself as an object of these acts and in this way identifies himself with the condition of the people. We also see this with Moses (Exodus 32:31-32) and with Paul (Romans 9:2-3). Thus it is with every true intercession in times when the people of God are in a spirit of deviation from Him.

The prophet appeals on the same basis in Isaiah 63:16 to the connection of God with His people. He does not appeal on the basis of the covenant of the law of Moses (Isaiah 63:11). He appeals on the basis of God’s unconditional promises to Abraham (Genesis 15:17-18). The LORD has obtained His earthly people through His creative power and loving counsel. He is their Father.

This is not ‘Father’ in the New Testament sense of the word. In the New Testament the Father is first and foremost the eternal Father of the eternal Son. Then He is also the Father of the believers who have received the Son as their life. They are sealed by faith in the Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit and address God through the Spirit as “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6). In that relationship the believer could only come after the Lord Jesus had finished the work on the cross (John 20:17).

Isaiah speaks of the LORD as the Father of His people in the sense of their origin (cf. Isaiah 64:8; Deuteronomy 32:6; Jeremiah 4:3; 19; Jeremiah 31:9; Malachi 2:10; cf. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosea 11:1). Abraham and Israel, that is Jacob, are their ancestors, but they have not known of the existence of the people as their descendants. They did not know them, they could not look after them and have mercy on them. Deceased saints cannot be intercessors for anyone.

With the LORD, however, this is quite different. The relationship between Him and His people cannot be dissolved. That is why Isaiah says: “You, O LORD, are our Father.” He knows about His people and knows them. He is their Redeemer in the counsels of old and in His gracious acts in the past.

The prayer in Isaiah 63:17 contains a moving supplication. Isaiah does not put the responsibility with God for the sin of His people. God allows only those who have persistently refused to keep His commandments to go astray. He surrenders them to the consequences of their own chosen path, on which it is impossible to believe and walk in His fear. We have a clear example in Pharaoh (Exodus 7:13; Exodus 8:19; 32; Exodus 9:7; 12). Only when Pharaoh himself has hardened his heart several times does God harden his heart.

Most of the people have a hardened heart. However, there are some who remain faithful. In view of them, the prophet makes a double appeal. He asks for them as “Your servants” and as “the tribes of Your heritage”. The people have only “possessed” the promised land for “a little while” (Isaiah 63:18). The people have been in exile longer than they have lived in the promised land. Opponents such as the Babylonians and the Romans have trodden down the sanctuary of the LORD.

“Adversaries” here means the king of the North, the Assyrians, who at the end of the great tribulation will destroy the land and the sanctuary. Isaiah also recognizes that this has made the people equal to the nations (Isaiah 63:19) and that therefore the LORD had to treat them as the nations.

Believers must take care that they do not forsake the will of the Lord and become conformed to the world. Persistent lukewarmness as in the church in Laodicea will cause them to resemble the unconverted. Then the Lord must retreat and stand outside the door (Revelation 3:15a; 20a).

Jeremiah 29:19

Cry for God’s Action

This chapter continues the prayer of the prophet. He calls to God to manifest His power against His enemies, so that the nations – the king of the North and his allies – will tremble at His presence (Isaiah 64:1-3). The language recalls the way in which the LORD manifested His presence and power at Sinai. Then the mountain trembled at His presence, He descended upon the mountain in fire; smoke rose as if from a furnace (Exodus 19:16-19). By then revealing His Name in this way to His people, He made them tremble. Would He not now reveal His power and judgment to His enemies? He will do so in the end time when the Lord Jesus comes back for His people.

The ‘mountains’ points to the nations as established powers, while the ‘water’, like the ‘sea’, points to the same nations, but in their turmoil and rebellion against the government of God (Revelation 17:15). The ‘fire’ speaks of judgment. This fire will melt the mountains and make the water rise up. The believing remnant here asks in pictorial language if God wants to judge the enemy.

This prayer is based on the fact of the absoluteness and uniqueness of God and His attributes and of the ways of grace toward those who walk in fear of Him, who keep Him in remembrance and wish to please Him (Isaiah 64:4-5). That He meets them means that He comes forward to show them His favor (cf. Genesis 32:1). Isaiah 64:4 is quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 (1 Corinthians 2:9), but he can add: “For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). We may already see in faith the future things He has prepared for those who love Him. The same is true for the believing remnant later on.

What God has prepared for His own, we could never have heard – “perceived by ear” – from previous generations. Tradition could not tell us that. Nor had we ever discovered it through our own observation – “nor has the eye seen” it. It has only become known to us through the revelation of God through His Spirit, through which we now know.

For an unbeliever who does not possess the Spirit of God and can only rely on his thinking, it is unthinkable that the LORD would act for the benefit of His people Israel. Israel has chosen the antichrist as his king, the temple has been desecrated by the abomination of destruction, the people have been massacred and the land has been destroyed by the attack of the king of the North. But the faithful remnant counts on the faithfulness of God to His promises. God’s action in favor of the believing remnant is beyond our logical thinking. These counsels of God are purposed only for those who through faith trust Him, who love Him.

The three-part combination of “rejoices”, “righteousness” and “remembers You” (Isaiah 64:5a) has a special meaning. It is possible to walk in righteousness by adhering strictly to religion without rejoicing in the Lord. It is possible to do righteousness, to do what is morally right, without really remembering God Himself.

The Lord rejoices in those who know from experience what fellowship with Him is. His eye is on those who fear Him. Enoch walked with God and thus received the testimony that he pleased God (Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5). He rejoiced in Him. As a result, his life of testimony in a wicked world ended in his passing into the direct presence of God.

The trust of the faithful remnant is based on the acknowledgment that the people have failed and sinned, first by rejecting Christ and then by receiving the antichrist. Thus, the remnant acknowledges that God is righteous to judge them. At the same time, through faith, they expect salvation from the same God, Who is faithful to His promises. This is expressed in the following verses.

In Isaiah 64:5b Isaiah acknowledges the guilt of his people both in the past and in the future. When he recalls the centuries-long condition of their apostasy, he expresses it questioningly: “And shall we be saved?” The sentence can best be understood as a question. It is not about ‘ways’, but about a sinful state in which the people have been for “a long time”. In this rhetorical question lies the acknowledgment that they have no right to deliverance.

Jeremiah 29:20

Cry for God’s Action

This chapter continues the prayer of the prophet. He calls to God to manifest His power against His enemies, so that the nations – the king of the North and his allies – will tremble at His presence (Isaiah 64:1-3). The language recalls the way in which the LORD manifested His presence and power at Sinai. Then the mountain trembled at His presence, He descended upon the mountain in fire; smoke rose as if from a furnace (Exodus 19:16-19). By then revealing His Name in this way to His people, He made them tremble. Would He not now reveal His power and judgment to His enemies? He will do so in the end time when the Lord Jesus comes back for His people.

The ‘mountains’ points to the nations as established powers, while the ‘water’, like the ‘sea’, points to the same nations, but in their turmoil and rebellion against the government of God (Revelation 17:15). The ‘fire’ speaks of judgment. This fire will melt the mountains and make the water rise up. The believing remnant here asks in pictorial language if God wants to judge the enemy.

This prayer is based on the fact of the absoluteness and uniqueness of God and His attributes and of the ways of grace toward those who walk in fear of Him, who keep Him in remembrance and wish to please Him (Isaiah 64:4-5). That He meets them means that He comes forward to show them His favor (cf. Genesis 32:1). Isaiah 64:4 is quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 (1 Corinthians 2:9), but he can add: “For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). We may already see in faith the future things He has prepared for those who love Him. The same is true for the believing remnant later on.

What God has prepared for His own, we could never have heard – “perceived by ear” – from previous generations. Tradition could not tell us that. Nor had we ever discovered it through our own observation – “nor has the eye seen” it. It has only become known to us through the revelation of God through His Spirit, through which we now know.

For an unbeliever who does not possess the Spirit of God and can only rely on his thinking, it is unthinkable that the LORD would act for the benefit of His people Israel. Israel has chosen the antichrist as his king, the temple has been desecrated by the abomination of destruction, the people have been massacred and the land has been destroyed by the attack of the king of the North. But the faithful remnant counts on the faithfulness of God to His promises. God’s action in favor of the believing remnant is beyond our logical thinking. These counsels of God are purposed only for those who through faith trust Him, who love Him.

The three-part combination of “rejoices”, “righteousness” and “remembers You” (Isaiah 64:5a) has a special meaning. It is possible to walk in righteousness by adhering strictly to religion without rejoicing in the Lord. It is possible to do righteousness, to do what is morally right, without really remembering God Himself.

The Lord rejoices in those who know from experience what fellowship with Him is. His eye is on those who fear Him. Enoch walked with God and thus received the testimony that he pleased God (Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5). He rejoiced in Him. As a result, his life of testimony in a wicked world ended in his passing into the direct presence of God.

The trust of the faithful remnant is based on the acknowledgment that the people have failed and sinned, first by rejecting Christ and then by receiving the antichrist. Thus, the remnant acknowledges that God is righteous to judge them. At the same time, through faith, they expect salvation from the same God, Who is faithful to His promises. This is expressed in the following verses.

In Isaiah 64:5b Isaiah acknowledges the guilt of his people both in the past and in the future. When he recalls the centuries-long condition of their apostasy, he expresses it questioningly: “And shall we be saved?” The sentence can best be understood as a question. It is not about ‘ways’, but about a sinful state in which the people have been for “a long time”. In this rhetorical question lies the acknowledgment that they have no right to deliverance.

Jeremiah 29:21

Cry for God’s Action

This chapter continues the prayer of the prophet. He calls to God to manifest His power against His enemies, so that the nations – the king of the North and his allies – will tremble at His presence (Isaiah 64:1-3). The language recalls the way in which the LORD manifested His presence and power at Sinai. Then the mountain trembled at His presence, He descended upon the mountain in fire; smoke rose as if from a furnace (Exodus 19:16-19). By then revealing His Name in this way to His people, He made them tremble. Would He not now reveal His power and judgment to His enemies? He will do so in the end time when the Lord Jesus comes back for His people.

The ‘mountains’ points to the nations as established powers, while the ‘water’, like the ‘sea’, points to the same nations, but in their turmoil and rebellion against the government of God (Revelation 17:15). The ‘fire’ speaks of judgment. This fire will melt the mountains and make the water rise up. The believing remnant here asks in pictorial language if God wants to judge the enemy.

This prayer is based on the fact of the absoluteness and uniqueness of God and His attributes and of the ways of grace toward those who walk in fear of Him, who keep Him in remembrance and wish to please Him (Isaiah 64:4-5). That He meets them means that He comes forward to show them His favor (cf. Genesis 32:1). Isaiah 64:4 is quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 (1 Corinthians 2:9), but he can add: “For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). We may already see in faith the future things He has prepared for those who love Him. The same is true for the believing remnant later on.

What God has prepared for His own, we could never have heard – “perceived by ear” – from previous generations. Tradition could not tell us that. Nor had we ever discovered it through our own observation – “nor has the eye seen” it. It has only become known to us through the revelation of God through His Spirit, through which we now know.

For an unbeliever who does not possess the Spirit of God and can only rely on his thinking, it is unthinkable that the LORD would act for the benefit of His people Israel. Israel has chosen the antichrist as his king, the temple has been desecrated by the abomination of destruction, the people have been massacred and the land has been destroyed by the attack of the king of the North. But the faithful remnant counts on the faithfulness of God to His promises. God’s action in favor of the believing remnant is beyond our logical thinking. These counsels of God are purposed only for those who through faith trust Him, who love Him.

The three-part combination of “rejoices”, “righteousness” and “remembers You” (Isaiah 64:5a) has a special meaning. It is possible to walk in righteousness by adhering strictly to religion without rejoicing in the Lord. It is possible to do righteousness, to do what is morally right, without really remembering God Himself.

The Lord rejoices in those who know from experience what fellowship with Him is. His eye is on those who fear Him. Enoch walked with God and thus received the testimony that he pleased God (Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5). He rejoiced in Him. As a result, his life of testimony in a wicked world ended in his passing into the direct presence of God.

The trust of the faithful remnant is based on the acknowledgment that the people have failed and sinned, first by rejecting Christ and then by receiving the antichrist. Thus, the remnant acknowledges that God is righteous to judge them. At the same time, through faith, they expect salvation from the same God, Who is faithful to His promises. This is expressed in the following verses.

In Isaiah 64:5b Isaiah acknowledges the guilt of his people both in the past and in the future. When he recalls the centuries-long condition of their apostasy, he expresses it questioningly: “And shall we be saved?” The sentence can best be understood as a question. It is not about ‘ways’, but about a sinful state in which the people have been for “a long time”. In this rhetorical question lies the acknowledgment that they have no right to deliverance.

Jeremiah 29:22

Cry for God’s Action

This chapter continues the prayer of the prophet. He calls to God to manifest His power against His enemies, so that the nations – the king of the North and his allies – will tremble at His presence (Isaiah 64:1-3). The language recalls the way in which the LORD manifested His presence and power at Sinai. Then the mountain trembled at His presence, He descended upon the mountain in fire; smoke rose as if from a furnace (Exodus 19:16-19). By then revealing His Name in this way to His people, He made them tremble. Would He not now reveal His power and judgment to His enemies? He will do so in the end time when the Lord Jesus comes back for His people.

The ‘mountains’ points to the nations as established powers, while the ‘water’, like the ‘sea’, points to the same nations, but in their turmoil and rebellion against the government of God (Revelation 17:15). The ‘fire’ speaks of judgment. This fire will melt the mountains and make the water rise up. The believing remnant here asks in pictorial language if God wants to judge the enemy.

This prayer is based on the fact of the absoluteness and uniqueness of God and His attributes and of the ways of grace toward those who walk in fear of Him, who keep Him in remembrance and wish to please Him (Isaiah 64:4-5). That He meets them means that He comes forward to show them His favor (cf. Genesis 32:1). Isaiah 64:4 is quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 (1 Corinthians 2:9), but he can add: “For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). We may already see in faith the future things He has prepared for those who love Him. The same is true for the believing remnant later on.

What God has prepared for His own, we could never have heard – “perceived by ear” – from previous generations. Tradition could not tell us that. Nor had we ever discovered it through our own observation – “nor has the eye seen” it. It has only become known to us through the revelation of God through His Spirit, through which we now know.

For an unbeliever who does not possess the Spirit of God and can only rely on his thinking, it is unthinkable that the LORD would act for the benefit of His people Israel. Israel has chosen the antichrist as his king, the temple has been desecrated by the abomination of destruction, the people have been massacred and the land has been destroyed by the attack of the king of the North. But the faithful remnant counts on the faithfulness of God to His promises. God’s action in favor of the believing remnant is beyond our logical thinking. These counsels of God are purposed only for those who through faith trust Him, who love Him.

The three-part combination of “rejoices”, “righteousness” and “remembers You” (Isaiah 64:5a) has a special meaning. It is possible to walk in righteousness by adhering strictly to religion without rejoicing in the Lord. It is possible to do righteousness, to do what is morally right, without really remembering God Himself.

The Lord rejoices in those who know from experience what fellowship with Him is. His eye is on those who fear Him. Enoch walked with God and thus received the testimony that he pleased God (Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5). He rejoiced in Him. As a result, his life of testimony in a wicked world ended in his passing into the direct presence of God.

The trust of the faithful remnant is based on the acknowledgment that the people have failed and sinned, first by rejecting Christ and then by receiving the antichrist. Thus, the remnant acknowledges that God is righteous to judge them. At the same time, through faith, they expect salvation from the same God, Who is faithful to His promises. This is expressed in the following verses.

In Isaiah 64:5b Isaiah acknowledges the guilt of his people both in the past and in the future. When he recalls the centuries-long condition of their apostasy, he expresses it questioningly: “And shall we be saved?” The sentence can best be understood as a question. It is not about ‘ways’, but about a sinful state in which the people have been for “a long time”. In this rhetorical question lies the acknowledgment that they have no right to deliverance.

Jeremiah 29:23

Cry for God’s Action

This chapter continues the prayer of the prophet. He calls to God to manifest His power against His enemies, so that the nations – the king of the North and his allies – will tremble at His presence (Isaiah 64:1-3). The language recalls the way in which the LORD manifested His presence and power at Sinai. Then the mountain trembled at His presence, He descended upon the mountain in fire; smoke rose as if from a furnace (Exodus 19:16-19). By then revealing His Name in this way to His people, He made them tremble. Would He not now reveal His power and judgment to His enemies? He will do so in the end time when the Lord Jesus comes back for His people.

The ‘mountains’ points to the nations as established powers, while the ‘water’, like the ‘sea’, points to the same nations, but in their turmoil and rebellion against the government of God (Revelation 17:15). The ‘fire’ speaks of judgment. This fire will melt the mountains and make the water rise up. The believing remnant here asks in pictorial language if God wants to judge the enemy.

This prayer is based on the fact of the absoluteness and uniqueness of God and His attributes and of the ways of grace toward those who walk in fear of Him, who keep Him in remembrance and wish to please Him (Isaiah 64:4-5). That He meets them means that He comes forward to show them His favor (cf. Genesis 32:1). Isaiah 64:4 is quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 (1 Corinthians 2:9), but he can add: “For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). We may already see in faith the future things He has prepared for those who love Him. The same is true for the believing remnant later on.

What God has prepared for His own, we could never have heard – “perceived by ear” – from previous generations. Tradition could not tell us that. Nor had we ever discovered it through our own observation – “nor has the eye seen” it. It has only become known to us through the revelation of God through His Spirit, through which we now know.

For an unbeliever who does not possess the Spirit of God and can only rely on his thinking, it is unthinkable that the LORD would act for the benefit of His people Israel. Israel has chosen the antichrist as his king, the temple has been desecrated by the abomination of destruction, the people have been massacred and the land has been destroyed by the attack of the king of the North. But the faithful remnant counts on the faithfulness of God to His promises. God’s action in favor of the believing remnant is beyond our logical thinking. These counsels of God are purposed only for those who through faith trust Him, who love Him.

The three-part combination of “rejoices”, “righteousness” and “remembers You” (Isaiah 64:5a) has a special meaning. It is possible to walk in righteousness by adhering strictly to religion without rejoicing in the Lord. It is possible to do righteousness, to do what is morally right, without really remembering God Himself.

The Lord rejoices in those who know from experience what fellowship with Him is. His eye is on those who fear Him. Enoch walked with God and thus received the testimony that he pleased God (Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5). He rejoiced in Him. As a result, his life of testimony in a wicked world ended in his passing into the direct presence of God.

The trust of the faithful remnant is based on the acknowledgment that the people have failed and sinned, first by rejecting Christ and then by receiving the antichrist. Thus, the remnant acknowledges that God is righteous to judge them. At the same time, through faith, they expect salvation from the same God, Who is faithful to His promises. This is expressed in the following verses.

In Isaiah 64:5b Isaiah acknowledges the guilt of his people both in the past and in the future. When he recalls the centuries-long condition of their apostasy, he expresses it questioningly: “And shall we be saved?” The sentence can best be understood as a question. It is not about ‘ways’, but about a sinful state in which the people have been for “a long time”. In this rhetorical question lies the acknowledgment that they have no right to deliverance.

Jeremiah 29:24

Acknowledgment of Iniquities

They have all become unclean (Isaiah 64:6). What they first considered to be righteous deeds for themselves, their orthodoxy, they now acknowledge that for the LORD it is only a filthy garment. Only when they acknowledge this they can put on the “robe of righteousness” which the LORD gives them (Isaiah 61:10). They have come to the conclusion that they have all fallen off as foliage and that their iniquities have carried them away from the LORD like the wind.

All this provides a warning regarding the consequences of a persistent deviation from the ways of God. Conscious apostasy leads to a forgetting of God. This is how it is in Israel. There is no one who invokes His Name, no one who arouses himself to take hold of God (Isaiah 64:7). Insensitivity to sin causes insensitivity to God’s rights and His mercies. The consequence of their apostasy is that God has withdrawn His mercies from them, hidden His face from them, and consumed them in their iniquities.

Jeremiah 29:25

Acknowledgment of Iniquities

They have all become unclean (Isaiah 64:6). What they first considered to be righteous deeds for themselves, their orthodoxy, they now acknowledge that for the LORD it is only a filthy garment. Only when they acknowledge this they can put on the “robe of righteousness” which the LORD gives them (Isaiah 61:10). They have come to the conclusion that they have all fallen off as foliage and that their iniquities have carried them away from the LORD like the wind.

All this provides a warning regarding the consequences of a persistent deviation from the ways of God. Conscious apostasy leads to a forgetting of God. This is how it is in Israel. There is no one who invokes His Name, no one who arouses himself to take hold of God (Isaiah 64:7). Insensitivity to sin causes insensitivity to God’s rights and His mercies. The consequence of their apostasy is that God has withdrawn His mercies from them, hidden His face from them, and consumed them in their iniquities.

Jeremiah 29:26

The LORD and His People

In the reality and the power of confession in the previous verses, the prophet recalls the inalienable connection which the LORD established between Himself and His people. He also recalls the way in which He formed them as their “potter” (cf. Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:19-21) according to His own counsel (Isaiah 64:8). This is true humility and brokenness (Isaiah 57:15). This confession implies the possibility of a re-creation of the depraved national vessel. This will certainly be the case when the Redeemer comes to Zion.

It’s not that far yet. The people sigh under the chastening hand of the LORD to Whom they desperately cry for a reduction of anger (Isaiah 64:9). The remnant reminds the LORD in a pathetic way that they are after all His people. After all it is about His people, His land, His Name. The enemy is admitted under the repaying hand of God to make the cities of the land a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation (Isaiah 64:10). The abode of God in Zion, where the songs of praise to the honor of the LORD used to sound, has gone up in flames (Isaiah 64:11). In Isaiah 64:12 we hear the prophet’s closing plea for deliverance and restoration. The answer comes in the next and last two chapters of this book.

In the short term, the destruction by Babylon is a pre-fulfillment of these prophecies. However, its full fulfillment will take place in the future when Israel is destroyed by the coming king of the North.

Jeremiah 29:27

The LORD and His People

In the reality and the power of confession in the previous verses, the prophet recalls the inalienable connection which the LORD established between Himself and His people. He also recalls the way in which He formed them as their “potter” (cf. Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:19-21) according to His own counsel (Isaiah 64:8). This is true humility and brokenness (Isaiah 57:15). This confession implies the possibility of a re-creation of the depraved national vessel. This will certainly be the case when the Redeemer comes to Zion.

It’s not that far yet. The people sigh under the chastening hand of the LORD to Whom they desperately cry for a reduction of anger (Isaiah 64:9). The remnant reminds the LORD in a pathetic way that they are after all His people. After all it is about His people, His land, His Name. The enemy is admitted under the repaying hand of God to make the cities of the land a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation (Isaiah 64:10). The abode of God in Zion, where the songs of praise to the honor of the LORD used to sound, has gone up in flames (Isaiah 64:11). In Isaiah 64:12 we hear the prophet’s closing plea for deliverance and restoration. The answer comes in the next and last two chapters of this book.

In the short term, the destruction by Babylon is a pre-fulfillment of these prophecies. However, its full fulfillment will take place in the future when Israel is destroyed by the coming king of the North.

Jeremiah 29:28

The LORD and His People

In the reality and the power of confession in the previous verses, the prophet recalls the inalienable connection which the LORD established between Himself and His people. He also recalls the way in which He formed them as their “potter” (cf. Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:19-21) according to His own counsel (Isaiah 64:8). This is true humility and brokenness (Isaiah 57:15). This confession implies the possibility of a re-creation of the depraved national vessel. This will certainly be the case when the Redeemer comes to Zion.

It’s not that far yet. The people sigh under the chastening hand of the LORD to Whom they desperately cry for a reduction of anger (Isaiah 64:9). The remnant reminds the LORD in a pathetic way that they are after all His people. After all it is about His people, His land, His Name. The enemy is admitted under the repaying hand of God to make the cities of the land a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation (Isaiah 64:10). The abode of God in Zion, where the songs of praise to the honor of the LORD used to sound, has gone up in flames (Isaiah 64:11). In Isaiah 64:12 we hear the prophet’s closing plea for deliverance and restoration. The answer comes in the next and last two chapters of this book.

In the short term, the destruction by Babylon is a pre-fulfillment of these prophecies. However, its full fulfillment will take place in the future when Israel is destroyed by the coming king of the North.

Jeremiah 29:29

The LORD and His People

In the reality and the power of confession in the previous verses, the prophet recalls the inalienable connection which the LORD established between Himself and His people. He also recalls the way in which He formed them as their “potter” (cf. Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:19-21) according to His own counsel (Isaiah 64:8). This is true humility and brokenness (Isaiah 57:15). This confession implies the possibility of a re-creation of the depraved national vessel. This will certainly be the case when the Redeemer comes to Zion.

It’s not that far yet. The people sigh under the chastening hand of the LORD to Whom they desperately cry for a reduction of anger (Isaiah 64:9). The remnant reminds the LORD in a pathetic way that they are after all His people. After all it is about His people, His land, His Name. The enemy is admitted under the repaying hand of God to make the cities of the land a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation (Isaiah 64:10). The abode of God in Zion, where the songs of praise to the honor of the LORD used to sound, has gone up in flames (Isaiah 64:11). In Isaiah 64:12 we hear the prophet’s closing plea for deliverance and restoration. The answer comes in the next and last two chapters of this book.

In the short term, the destruction by Babylon is a pre-fulfillment of these prophecies. However, its full fulfillment will take place in the future when Israel is destroyed by the coming king of the North.

Jeremiah 29:30

The LORD and His People

In the reality and the power of confession in the previous verses, the prophet recalls the inalienable connection which the LORD established between Himself and His people. He also recalls the way in which He formed them as their “potter” (cf. Jeremiah 18:1-6; Romans 9:19-21) according to His own counsel (Isaiah 64:8). This is true humility and brokenness (Isaiah 57:15). This confession implies the possibility of a re-creation of the depraved national vessel. This will certainly be the case when the Redeemer comes to Zion.

It’s not that far yet. The people sigh under the chastening hand of the LORD to Whom they desperately cry for a reduction of anger (Isaiah 64:9). The remnant reminds the LORD in a pathetic way that they are after all His people. After all it is about His people, His land, His Name. The enemy is admitted under the repaying hand of God to make the cities of the land a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation (Isaiah 64:10). The abode of God in Zion, where the songs of praise to the honor of the LORD used to sound, has gone up in flames (Isaiah 64:11). In Isaiah 64:12 we hear the prophet’s closing plea for deliverance and restoration. The answer comes in the next and last two chapters of this book.

In the short term, the destruction by Babylon is a pre-fulfillment of these prophecies. However, its full fulfillment will take place in the future when Israel is destroyed by the coming king of the North.

Jeremiah 29:32

Invitation of the LORD

The answer of the LORD to the questions of the faithful remnant in the previous chapter we find in this chapter and especially in Isaiah 65:8-9. The condition of the people was so bad, that an explanation of the judgment that struck them is needed first. So stubbornly and ceaselessly they resisted the grace of God.

Paul quotes Isaiah 65:1-2 in Romans 10 from the Septuagint. There we see that he uses Isaiah 65:1 to apply this verse to the nations (Romans 10:20). Under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, the great apostle of the nations used this verse for them, while quoting Isaiah 65:2 to illustrate the apostate state of Israel (Romans 10:21). By quoting both verses, Paul links the acceptance of the nations to the disobedience of Israel (cf. Acts 13:46).

The acceptance of the nations takes place in our time, the time of grace. It will also take place in the future. Then the gospel of the kingdom will be preached and a multitude who no one can count will accept that gospel.

In the section that follows, Isaiah 65:3-4 present a terrible revelation of the idolatrous practices of God’s people, by which they offend the LORD. As a result, Israel falls short of receiving the blessings that the nations have received.

To “sit among graves” probably has to do with a form of spiritism that tries to get in touch with the dead. They go to the cemeteries at night to consult evil spirits instead of asking the LORD. In doing so they defile themselves in a gruesome way.

Those who commit these atrocities boast, as usual, of their special holiness and keep the uninitiated at a distance by posing themselves as inaccessible to others (Isaiah 65:5). They claim a false holiness. Their whole behavior is a stench to the LORD. It fills the measure of their sins and calls for the most serious just repayment (Isaiah 65:6-7).

Here we see Phariseeism at full length reaching its lowest point in the crucifixion of Christ. Today this doctrine of holiness is also present in professing Christianity. We see it there, where separation is demanded out of a claim of superior holiness, an ‘I am holier than you’ attitude.

All their evil deeds are recorded in a book of remembrance before Him (cf. Revelation 20:12). He forgets nothing of it and will punish every atrocity with an absolute just judgment. The same goes for the faithful who may also know that there is a book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16). In it all faithfulness is mentioned, which will also be rewarded absolutely justly.