Jeremiah 31
McGeeCHAPTER 31THEME: The “I Will” chapterChapters 30 through 33 constitute one very bright and encouraging song. Up to this point Jeremiah’s emphasis has been upon judgment, but his message now is in sharp contrast to that. E. W. Hengstenburg calls these chapters “the triumphal hymn of Israel’s salvation.” They were written at the darkest moment in the history of Judah. As the last king of Judah, Zedekiah corresponds to Hoshea who was the final ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel. But, of course, the northern kingdom of Israel has long since departed and gone into captivity. At this moment Nebuchadnezzar’s army is outside the wall of Jerusalem, ready to destroy the city and burn the temple. The promises of the false prophets have been proven false. Seven years earlier Hananiah had said that Babylon would be broken within two years. But Nebuchadnezzar is not broken; he is alivetoo much alive for the people of Judah. Jeremiah’s message is a message of encouragement. In chapter 30 he spoke of the Day of the Lord opening with the Great Tribulation period. In verse Jer_30:7 of that chapter he called it “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” But beyond the Great Tribulation is coming the restoration of the land and the return of the people to it. I have labeled chapter 31 “the ‘I will’ chapter,” because “I will” occurs fifteen times, and the One who says it is none other than God. When God says “I will” fifteen times, He is telling us what He is going to do.
Jeremiah 31:1
This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled; that time has not come. The present return of Israel to the land cannot be interpreted as being the fulfillment of this prophecybecause they have not returned to God. I am told there is real persecution of Christians in that land today. They talk about religious freedom, but it does not really exist. The people have returned to the land, but they have not returned to the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:2
We have here the reason God is going to restore the people to the land. I believe with all my heart that God intends to restore the nation Israel to that land in His own time and in His own plan and in His own purpose. The basis for that is given right here: “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” This verse ranks high among the many favorite statements in the Word of God. There are those who will ask, “How can God love these people?” That is a good question, but let’s widen it out just a little and ask, “How can God love us today?” He has said, “…God so loved the world …” (Joh_3:16). Not only does God love Israel, He loves the worldHe loves you and me. It is easy to point a finger at the Jews and be critical of them, but God says, “I have loved thee [Israel] with an everlasting love.” There is nothing you can do with thatGod has said it. Instead of pointing the finger at others, we need to turn it around and point at ourselves. In God’s sight we are as great sinners as anyone who is still unbelieving. It took the death of Christ to provide a redemption for you and me.
Don’t limit it to a few and say, “How can God love them?” My friend, how can God love me? How can God love you? We should be amazed that He loved any of us. Frederick W. Faber has expressed this very well in a song: How Thou canst think so well of us Yet be the God Thou art, Is darkness to my intellect But sunshine to my heart. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” “Everlasting"I must confess that I know very little about the meaning of that word. I once asked a little boy, “How long is everlasting and how long is never?” He simply answered, “I reckon it’s a pretty long time.” “Love"what is love, by the way? The only explanation I have for why God loves us is that it is not because of anything He sees in us but it is because of who He is. He finds the explanation in Himself. John wrote “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us …” (1Jn_4:10). Now that is love. Cramer commented on what John said: “The love of God toward us comes from love, and has no other cause above or beside itself, but is in God, and remains in God, so that Christ Who is in God is its Centre” (in Studies in the Prophecy of Jeremiah, G. Campbell Morgan, p. 167). God loves you and me, my friend, and I really cannot tell you why. Again, let me quote Faber: Yet Thou dost think so well of us, Because of what Thou art; Thy love illumines our intellect, Yet fills with fear our heart. I am overwhelmed by the love of God. If He were to change His mind tomorrow, I would be eternally lost and so would you. But He says His love is everlasting, and that’s a pretty long time. I have a great many amillennial friends who believe that God is through with the nation Israel. May I say to you, if He’s through with Israel, then He’s through with you and He’s through with me. But He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” It doesn’t make any difference what you and I thinkGod is not through with Israel.
Jeremiah 31:8
It is going to be such a big undertaking to bring the people back to the land you might think that He would leave the blind and the lame behind and just bring the best physical specimens. God says, “Nothing of the kind. I am going to bring them all back.”
Jeremiah 31:9
“I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” God never said that He was Father to any individual Israelite. He said, “Moses, My servant” (see Jos_1:2), and “David, My servant” (see Psa_89:3). But when He speaks of the whole nation as a corporate body, God says, “I am a father to Israel” (see Exo_4:22).
Jeremiah 31:10
I am grateful that the Lord has given to me a radio ministry that reaches around the world each day. I am delighted that I can say what God also says, that I want the isles of the earth to hear the message. I want all mankind to hear that He scattered Israel. It was a judgment upon them, but He loves them with an everlasting love, and He is going to bring them back to the land. He loved Israel and He judged them. This is a bittersweet message. All through Jeremiah you have a note of joy, but you also have a note of sorrow. It is like the Chinese dishes that are called “sweet and sour.” God judged Israel, but He also said, “He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.” And a shepherd really watches over his flock. God is not through saying what He will do:
Jeremiah 31:13
I don’t know about you, but this makes me feel like saying, “Hallelujah!” and throwing my hat in the air. This is what God says He is going to do for Israel; let’s allow Him to say it, for it’s what He wants to do. Yet Israel’s immediate condition was tragic. They had rebelled against God, and they were backslidden.
Jeremiah 31:22
There are those who believe that this verse refers to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, and I see no reason to rule that out. Beginning at verse Jer_31:31 we have the new covenant that God intends to make with Israelall twelve tribes. And if you think that ten of the tribes are lost, God does not. He is going to make this covenant with all twelve tribes.
Jeremiah 31:31
This new covenant is going to be different from the one given to Moses at Mount Sinai. The grand distinction is that it will be engraved upon the hearts of the people and not upon cold tables of stone.
Jeremiah 31:34
Their sins will be forgiven. Notice how God confirms this covenant to Israel:
Jeremiah 31:35
This covenant will never be changed or abrogated. Just as we cannot change the course of the moon or pull it out of the sky, so His covenant with Israel cannot be changed. On a trip to the moon we brought back two hundred pounds of rock. If we kept doing that for a few million years, maybe we would eventually move the whole thing to earthbut I don’t think we’re going to do that! God says this is an everlasting covenant that He will make with them.