The Restoration Of Israel – Jeremiah – Part 7 – Chapters 32 And 33 – The Everlasting Covenant Means Regathering And Restoration Series

THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL – JEREMIAH – PART 7 – Chapters 32 and 33 – THE EVERLASTING COVENANT MEANS REGATHERING AND RESTORATION

Having ended the momentous Chapter 31 we move on. It amazes me that biblical teaching in so many churches has been reduced to 20 minutes of some placating message that is quite meaningless in the scheme of things. So many neglect the Old Testament entirely except for some “bible story”. The New Testament injunctions to study the scriptures meant to study the Old Testament for they were the early Church’s scriptures. It is little wonder that these great truths of Israel’s return and restoration are neglected at best and totally unknown at worst.

{{Jeremiah 32:36 “Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence.’

Jeremiah 32:37 “BEHOLD, I WILL GATHER THEM OUT OF ALL THE LANDS TO WHICH I HAVE DRIVEN THEM in My anger, in My wrath, and in great indignation, and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety,

Jeremiah 32:38 AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, Jeremiah 32:39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them.”}}

This passage is set in the context of Jerusalem’s promised destruction under Nebuchadnezzar, but then in verse 36 the timeline changes and breaks into verse 37 that is at least 2600 years into the future. The discussion of Jerusalem in verse 36 gives way to God declaring His great will for His people. The Lord’s anger and wrath and indignation dispersed the people far and wide throughout all parts of the earth as we know today. There were three great cataclysmic judgements on Israel, the Assyrian campaign against Samaria/Ephraim; the Babylonian campaign against Judah; and the total destruction under the Romans in 70 AD. That resulted in today’s situation of a dispersed people, but verse 37 is again one of the plentiful promises of God’s gathering of His people from all over the earth to bring them back to their ancestral homeland. After He does that, they will live in safely. Some short-sighted views claim this was fulfilled when the Jews returned from the 70 years captivity, but that is utter nonsense because verse 37 ends with “AND MAKE THEM DWELL IN SAFETY.” Israel's sorrowful history disproves the “safety” matter.

VERSES 38-39. These promises follow on after the ingathering and dwelling in safety. There is the intimate “family relationship” of “God and My people”, and that we have spoken about several times already. Verse 39 is God’s work of grace. It is what HE will do, and that makes it indisputable, for what God says, He will accomplish. “One heart” and “one way” will be unique for Israel because they have never agreed and always oppose God. How magnificent that will be when it comes about. They will fear the Lord and that results in good for them and their children. It is the fear of the Lord that produces wisdom. Fear is a reverential respect (awe) and the honouring of the Person and glory of God, not some dreadful apprehension or cringing in distress and terror. No, there will be fear in the rightful sense, and joy.

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{{Jeremiah 32:40 I will make an EVERLASTING COVENANT with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me,

Jeremiah 32:41 and I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land WITH ALL MY HEART AND WITH ALL MY SOUL.

Jeremiah 32:42 For thus says the LORD, “Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them.”}}

VERSES 40-42. This is just a lovely passage, precisely put and all comprehensive. We have again this everlasting covenant mentioned, which we considered so carefully in chapter 31:31. One aspect of that covenant will be that God will not turn away from the nation and they will not turn away from their God. The reason they will be faithful in the relationship is that God’s fear will rule their hearts. It is all encompassed by love and grace. That is their establishment, but then will come the blessings.

Have you ever thought about the emotions of God? It is too big to cover here, and one day I might post on that. However in verse 41 it says that God rejoices and He will do so. Rejoicing will progress into doing good for His people, and He will faithfully plant them in their own land. In other words, God will fulfill all His restoration promises. That verse contains an interesting phrase, “WITH ALL MY HEART AND WITH ALL MY SOUL.” How can we understand that? The whole desire and Being of God will be engrossed in the welfare of His earthly people when He establishes them. We must be careful here for I don’t think it is right to say God has a heart and a soul. Rather it is an anthropomorphic statement that tries to tap the intensity of the connection God has with His people. His whole being goes out to them in love and grace and tenderness. That is the way God loves us, but how are we to love Him? – {{Deuteronomy 6:5 “and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”}}