Jeremiah Predicts Israel's Future
Israel, the old covenant
people of God, constituted a special and unique nation through whom God
chose to reveal His redemptive purpose to all mankind in the earth (Gen.
12:1-3; 26:4-5; Deut. chs. 7 & 8; Nehemiah ch. 9). Following their formation as a nation and their deliverance from
Egyptian , God spoke this message to them through His servant
Moses:
'Now if you obey me fully and keep my
covenant, then out of all the nations
you will be my treasured possession.
Although the whole earth is mine, you
will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation . .
.' So Moses went
back and summoned the elders of the
people and set before them all the words
the LORD had commanded him to speak.
The people all responded together,
'We will do everything the LORD has said' (Exodus 19:5-8a).
The history of the
Israelites is a sad record of constant disobedience and apostasy (Jer. 7:25-28;
Acts 7:51-53; Cf. Book of Judges). Such a wicked people, of course, had to taste of
the wrath of God. The once united nation was divided, with the Northern Kingdom (ten tribes) already taken into
Assyrian captivity when Jeremiah was
commissioned to prophesy judgment against Judah, the Southern Kingdom (two tribes plus others, 2 Chron. 15:9), and also
against the surrounding Gentile nations (Jer. 25:15-38; chs. 46-51). In
Jeremiah 29:10-11 we read these words of the Lord: "When seventy years are
completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my "gracious promise to bring you back to this
place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The Israelites
were still needed as a vehicle or agent to bring Jesus Christ and the diivine covenanted blessings to all sinful
mankind (Gal. 3:16; John 4:22; Rom.
15:27; Eph ch. 2).
With the first
advent of Christ and the establishment of the new covenant (Gal. 4:4; Heb. 8:8-13; 10:1-18), the national purpose for Israel was no
longer needed. And because of their continual sinning,
God's wrath came upon them to the uttermost (Deut. 32:5; Matt.
21:28-44; I Thess. 2:15-16). But despite the unfaithfulness of the Israelites in general there was aa believing remnant among them; thus
God's covenant was never annulled, though considerably
changed (Heb. ch. 9; Acts 3:13-26). Through the prophet Jeremiah, God tells of
this change (Jer. 31:27-40), and also predicts Israel's future.
Let us study a few enlightening passages. Our first one for
consideration is Jeremiah's presentation of
the New Covenant recorded in ch. 31:27-40. And this he does in three main divisions: The prelude, Vv.
27-30; the actual covenant statements revealing
its spiritual nature, Vv. 31-34; and then a postlude in Vv. 35-40. Note that these divisions (cf. vs. 38) begin with the expression:
"The days are coming," or "the time is coming." The time ellement in prophecy is extremely
important. When we compare Jer.
3:14f; 23:5-6; Joel 2:28-32; Amos 9:11-12, and their New Testament
applications, we should be thoroughly convinced that our text has its
fulfillment in Christ, in this
Messianic era.
Because of its tremendous doctrinal
teaching, this brief article will only allow some
highlight thoughts on the new covenant. As the Lord had been just and righteous
in judging and punishing the sinful people (2 Kings
17:7-41; 18:12; 2 Chron. 36:14-16), so in His loving
kindness God greatly desires to bless Israel both spiritually and materially. In this section the pprophet also shows us that formerly the
life of the old covenant people was based upon the family
unit, which comprised component guilt (cf. Joshua7:16-26;
Matt. 23:32-36); thus the proverb: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teethh are set on edge." There had been
little concept of individualism before. But under the new
covenant (New Testament) this has changed (vs. 30; 17:9-10).
Individualism is one of Christianity's chief cornerstones — Christ loves ME —
Christ gave Himself for ME. In the new covenant Jesus Christ is a aviour (John 1:11-12; Matt. 11:28-29).
Verses 31-34, the new covenant per se,
are quoted in Heb. 8:8-12 and 10:15-18, and the context
there applies it to Christ's finished work of redemption on the cross of Calvary, with its spiritual bblessings promised to all who believe
(John 3:16). In this connection we also call to mind the
Lord's words when He instituted the new supper — Jesus took
the cup and said: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you"t; (Luke 22:20).
The old or former
covenant involved the obeying of certain rules and regulations, whereas the new covenant presentts genuine religion as an inner life
principle. Those who come into covenant relationship with God
through Jesus Christ will have the divine law in their
minds and written upon their hearts (2 Cor. 3:1-3; Ezek. 36:27). Each will have a personal encounnter with God — an experiential
knowledge of Him (John 17:3; 2 Cor. 6:16), and will enjoy the
assurance of sins forgiven (Micah 7:18-19; Rom. 8:1-2). For
our life to be vital and spiritually fruitful, our heart must be properly related to God
(2 Pet. 3:9b; 1 Tim. 2:4; John 15:5).
In the postlude —
Vv. 35-40 — God declares His faithfulness in keeping the covenant proomises. Just as He is faithful in
maintaining His ordinances in the realm of nature, likewise He will keep His
covenant promises in the realm of the spiritual.
The new covenant
was made with the true remnant from united Judah and Israel, joined by thee believing Gentiles (Jer. 3:16-19; Hos.
1:10-11; Rom. 9:25f). And this new nation — the
people of Biblical faith (Gal. 3:6-9, 14; Phil 3:3) — is what constitutes the Christian Church (John 10:16;
11:52), the true spiritual Israel of God (Gal. 6:16).
In Vv. 38-40 the prophet uses the
rebuilding of natural Jerusalem of old and the
cleansing of its places of defilement to picture the spiritual and heavenly
Jerusalem in its complete
sanctification and holiness (Acts 10:14-15; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 21:2, 27). The description of our salvation presented by
the writer of Hebrews is appropriate here:
You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the
living God. YYou have come to thousands upon
thousands of angels in joyful
assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose
names are written in heaven.
You have comme to God, the judge of all men, to the
spirits of righteous men
made perfectt, to Jesus the mediator of a new
covenant, and to the sprinkled
blood that speaks a better word than the blood
of Abel (Heb. 12:22-24).
Another prophecy showing
that the Biblical hope of Israel is being realized in this present Messiianic age is Jeremiah 3:14-19.
Despite Israel's
rebellion against the covenant God, the Lord is still gracious and merciful,
ever pleading with His apostate people to return to Him in genuine repentance. God revealed Himself to Israel both as
a Father and as a Husband, and His invitation to them to return shows that He
desired this relationship to continue. But the Omniscient God who declares the
end from the beginning knows that only "one . . . from every town
and two from every clan" will return in obedience of faith. These He will bring to Zion, His own
dwelling place (Ps. 74:2; Isa. 8:18), and set faithful shepherds over
them to lead them in the way of righteousness (Ezek. 34:1 If).
"In those
days" (3:16, 18) refers to the days of the Messiah. In the early days of
the church age, the believing Israelites greatly increased in number (Acts
1:15; 2:41; 4:4). With Christ
and His finished work of redemption, the ark of the covenant with all thaat it symbolized was no longer needed.
Our meeting with God is now in Spirit and truth through Jesus Christ
(Matt. 27:50-51; Eph. 2:14-18).
The
returning exiles no longer possessed the ark of the covenant, which was the center of thee sanctuary around which their entire
worship was built. This prophecy not only spoke of the dissolution of the old covenant, but was also a
judgment upon them for substituting
ritual and ceremony for loyalty to God. Nothing remained for them of the former glory (Heb. 8:13; Rom. 9:4-5).
"At that
time" (vs. 17), that is, during this Messianic gospel age, Jerusalem will be called &quuot;The throne of the LORD, and all
nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD" (cf. Ex. 20:24b). The new covenant Jerusalem
is not a physical city in the land of
Palestine, but rather is spiritual — "The Jerusalem that is above" (Gal. 4:24-311; Heb. 12:22). In reality, it is the
New Testament Church, the communion of saints. And Christ sitting on the throne means that His kingdom (His
Lordship) is active in the hearts and lives of all His
true followers (Col. 2:6-7).
While the words of our
text were spoken primarily to Israel (Jer. 3:12), they were spoken in the hearing of Judah. TThe Northern ten tribes never did return
to Jerusalem as a national people, but a remnant from among them returned with
Judah. And of those from among them whose
hearts were made right before God through spiritual circumcision (Jer. 4:4; 9:25-26; Rom. 2:28-29;
Phil. 3:3), came under the rich blessings of God in Christ Jesus (Eph.
lL3f).
We want to consider one more prediction
concerning Israel's future, and that is
Jeremiah 23:1-8. There are some similarities between this text and chapter
three, yet there are differences that we want to see.
The shepherds, the
leaders of the people, were men of feeble conviction. Instead of leading the
people in paths of righteousness, they followed the paths of least resistance.
They sought to please the people instead of fulfilling their sacred duty to God. Because of this wickedness the people
were cursed of God (Deut. 28:15f). But
the Lord, the Chief Shepherd, will intervene, will dispose of the false
shepherds, and will gather the remnant of His flock. This is the
believing remnant according to the election of grace (Rom. 9:27; 11:5-6; John 1:12).
The following verses again mention the
time element which clearly speaks of this Messianic age. This is the time when
Christ shall appear (First Advent). Here He
is called "a righteous Branch" in connection with David (Jer.
33:15-16; Isa. 4:2; 53:11; 2 Sam.
7:3-5, 11-16). He shall also reign as a wise King and execute righteousness among
the people (Isa. 9:7; Acts 2:29-36; Eph. 1:20-23).
This passage
speaks of spiritual blessings, for Israel and Judah never regained their political
independence. Even though the returned exiles were under the domination of
foreign nations, the true Israel (Deut. 30:3; Rom. 2:28-29) enjoyed spiritual
peace and liberty under the rule of the Lord of Righteousness.
When the Israelites rejected their
Messiah and His spiritual kingdom, Christ rejected
them as a national people (Matt. 23:33-38; Acts 3:13-26; I Thess. 2:15-16). What is taking place in Palestine today is not a
fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, but is nothing more than a political,
Zionistic movement. The only hope that Israel ever had or ever will have
is found in the crucified and risen Lord. In closing, hear the apostle Paul's
testimony to this truth:
It is because of
my hope in what God promised our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promisee our twelve tribes are hoping to see
fulfilled as they earnestly serve
God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are
accusing me (Acts 26:6-7). NOTE: Scripture quotations are taken from the New
International Version.
Rev. Charles F.
Barrett
1477 Pine Street,
West Columbia,
S.C. 29169
Footnotes which look like printers'
fillers, on pages 25, 28, 31 and 36. important, last
minute features of this issue of The Researcher. Please read and react to them as
God may lead you.
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