Jeremiah 32

 

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. 2 Then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison that was in the king of Judah's house. 3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Why do you prophesy, and say, This is what the Lord says, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; 4 And Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but will certainly be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him mouth to mouth, and eyes to eyes; 5 And he will lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him, says the LORD: though you fight with the Chaldeans, you will not prosper.

 

  • All that God does is for the benefit of His people.
  • We cannot prevail against our heavenly Father who is working all things together for our good.
  • Deuteronomy 30:1 And when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse that I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations, where the LORD your God has driven you, 2 And return to the LORD your God, and obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; 3 Then the LORD your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the nations, where the LORD your God has scattered you.

 

6 And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 7 Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, Buy my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is yours to buy it. 8 So Hanameel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said to me, Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. 9 And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I signed the deed, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed the money to him in the balances. 11 So I took the evidence of the purchase, both what was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: 12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel my uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that signed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison. 13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel says this; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both what is sealed, and this evidence that is open; and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may be preserved many days. 15 For the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel says this; Houses and fields and vineyards will be possessed again in this land. 16 Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying, 17 Ah Lord GOD! Behold, you have made the heaven and the earth by your great power and stretched out arm, and nothing is too hard for you.

 

  • God is Maker of heaven and earth.
  • What are the credentials of those you listen to most?
  • Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 9 he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

 

18 You show your love to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,

 

  • God reminds them that though this terrible army is going to conquer them, He is the Commander in Chief of all the armies of heaven that protects them in this conquest.
  • Repaying iniquity on the children is a blessing because these children have been trained by their parents in wrongdoing and this gives them a chance to break out of it.

 

The Lord is great in counsel and mighty in work

 

19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for your eyes are open on all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: 20 Who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and have made yourself a name, as at this day; 21 And have brought out your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; 22 And have given them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; 23 And they came in, and possessed it; but they did not obey your voice, or walk in your law; they have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do: therefore you have caused all this evil to come on them: 24 Look, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what you have spoken has come to pass; and, behold, you see it. 25 And you have said to me, O Lord GOD, Buy the field for money, and take witnesses; though the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

 

  • God gave His people Israel the best land on earth and just like Adam and Eve, they turned aside to do evil.
  • But God is life. If we turn from Him we turn to death.
  • Deuteronomy 8:7-8 For the LORD your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8. A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; of oil olive, and honey;

 

Nothing is too hard for God

 

26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is any thing too hard for me? 28 Therefore the Lord says this; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it: 29 And the Chaldeans that fight against this city, will come and set this city on fire and burn it with the houses, on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says the LORD. 31 For this city has been to me a provocation of my anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even until this day; that I should remove it from before my face,

 

  • God is furious about the horror that idolatry causes.
  • This world would have been a paradise free of pain and suffering from the beginning if man had obeyed.
  • God provided all that was needed to restore everything.
  • Our pride and our choices have prevented all the good things that God wants to do.
  • Earth is still a battleground of evil and wickedness, violence and depravity because that’s what man chooses by turning away from his Maker.

 

32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned to me the neck, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. 34 But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech; which I did not command them, neither did it come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36 And now the LORD, the God of Israel says concerning this city, of which you say, It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; 37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, where I have driven them in my anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 38 And they will be my people, and I will be their God.

 

He will give them a heart to revere Him and rejoice over them

 

39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me always, for their and the good of their children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they will not depart from me. 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in truth with my whole heart and with my whole soul. 42 For the LORD says this; as I have brought all this great evil on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them. 43 And fields will be bought in this land, of which you say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 44 Men will buy fields for money, and sign deeds, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, says the LORD.

 

  • Job chapter 1 demonstrates God letting evil take captive.
  • God also brings the captivity to an end and replaces His protection around His people.

 

                                          Jeremiah 33

 

The Lord wants us to call on Him; He will show us great and mighty things

 

1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 2 This is what the LORD the maker of it (Jerusalem) says, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; 3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty/hidden things, which you do not know. 4 For the LORD, the God of Israel says, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are torn down (to defend against) the siege ramps, and against the sword; 5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in my anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.

 

  • God only brings on us what we have done to others.
  • Jeremiah 2:19 Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will reprove you: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and that my fear is not in you, says the Lord GOD of hosts.

 

6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. 7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them as at the first. 8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, by which they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, by which they have sinned, and by which they have transgressed against me.

 

  • I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

God is going to rejoice in them and make them a joy to all the earth

 

9 And it will be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, that hear all the good that I do to them: and they will fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I make for it. 10 The Lord says this; Again there will be heard in this place, which you say will be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, 11 the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of those that say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endures for ever: and of them that will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, says the LORD. 12 This is what the LORD of hosts says; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all its cities, will be a dwelling of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

 

  • God promised to do so much good for His people that it would cause fear and trembling.
  • Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing.

 

13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of him that counts them, says the LORD. 14 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

 

  • God has given us 7,000 promises in His word to claim—good things He has promised. We claim them by believing them.

 

God is going to raise a perfect leader—the Lord our righteousness

 

15 In those days, and at that time, I will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he will execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days will Judah be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely: and this is the name that will be called on her (Israel), The LORD is our righteousness. 17 For the LORD says this; David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 Neither will the priests the Levites lack a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.

 

  • Our righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight so the Lord gave us His righteousness.
  • Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
  • Zechariah 3:3-4 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spoke to those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of garments.

 

God’s promises are unstoppable and unshakable

 

19 And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 The Lord says this; If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there not be day and night in their season; 21 Then my covenant also may be broken with David my servant, that he not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so I will multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister to me. 23 And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 Do not consider what this people has spoken, saying, The two families that the LORD has chosen, has he even cast them off? In this way they despised my people, that they no more be a nation before them. 25 The Lord says this; If my covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then I will cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

 

  • If day and night stop being, if the stars can be stopped in their orbit’s says to us that God’ good promises to us cannot be broken.
  • 2Peter 1:4 By which are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
  • Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations.

 

 

 

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SUMMARY: Jeremiah 32-33

 

  • The Lord is great in counsel and mighty in work
  • Nothing is too hard for God
  • He will give them a heart to revere Him and rejoice over them
  • The Lord wants us to call on Him; He will show us great and mighty things
  • God is going to rejoice in them and make them a joy to all the earth
  • God is going to raise a perfect leader—the Lord our righteousness
  • God’s promises are unstoppable and unshakable