JEREMIAH LESSON 36
We will begin this lesson in Jeremiah 33:1 "Moreover the word of
the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up
in the court of the prison, saying,"
Jeremiah is still in the court of the prison. It seems, he had
some freedom of movement, because he took the documents to be recorded
in the last lesson. This really is a continuation of chapter 32. The
word "moreover" indicates it is connected. Notice, that a prison could
not shut Jeremiah away from God.
Jeremiah 33:2 "Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD
that formed it, to establish it; the LORD [is] his name;"
Jehovah is spoken of, here, as the Maker, the One who formed it
and established it. LORD, here, is Jehovah. Jesus, in its extended
meaning, is Jehovah Saviour.
Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew
thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
God is telling Jeremiah to pray, and He will answer his prayer.
James 4:2 "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and
cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not."
God will hear Jeremiah, because he is righteous in God's sight. James
5:16 "Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much." Jeremiah certainly did not know all there was to know
of God. The closer Jeremiah {or any of us} will draw to God in prayer,
the more of Himself God will show. There is nothing impossible to God.
God reveals Himself to those who obey and follow Him.
Jeremiah 33:4 "For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel,
concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the
kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the
sword;"
Jeremiah had been concerned about all of the destruction by the
Chaldeans, or the Babylonians. They were thrown down, but God has a
plan, which He is about to reveal to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 33:5 "They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but [it is]
to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine
anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face
from this city."
They thought they were fighting the Chaldeans, but it was God who
sent the Chaldeans to bring judgement on them for their wickedness.
God had not looked at the city for a long time, because the people
were so evil. He cannot look upon sin, because He is Holy. When He
does look upon sin, He must destroy it. When He looked, His fury rose
up, and He destroyed them.
Jeremiah 33:6 "Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I
will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and
truth."
It is only God who can restore them. Man cannot save Himself, he
needs a Saviour. God will bring health and cure. Peace and Truth will
be revealed to them, but the real Peace and Truth is in the person of
Jesus Christ. Sin dominated the soul of man, until Jesus defeated sin
on the cross. Jesus said, "They that be whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick" He came to heal the sick.
Jeremiah 33:7 "And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the
captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first."
In just 70 years after the captivity, Babylon will be overrun by
Cyrus, and the captives will go back to their homeland. Not only will
Judah {which includes Benjamin} return, but the 10 tribes of Israel,
as well. This really is speaking, also, of those who come home to the
Lord in the spirit.
Jeremiah 33:8 "And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity,
whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their
iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have
transgressed against me."
The fact is that it is God who cleanses us from sin. To forgive
includes a cleansing of the heart. The major emphasis, here, is the
cleansing that occurs when a person is washed in the blood of the Lamb
{Jesus Christ}. Hebrews 8:12 "For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember
no more." Revelation 1:5 "And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful
witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the
kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood,"
Jeremiah 33:9 "And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and
an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all
the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all
the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it."
The world has always stood in awe at the undeserved blessings
God's people have. The Jews were thought of as God's people. When God
was blessing them, the other nations feared them. They were not afraid
of Israel, they were afraid of Israel's God. The Christians bear the
name of Christ. The world still does not understand the covenant
relationship. The Jews were thought of as the people with the law of
God. They were respected, because of the power of their God.
Christians are under the covenant of Grace. We are God's
representative here on the earth. The world still does not understand.
Jeremiah 33:10 "Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard
in this place, which ye say [shall 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,"
Death is silent. There was no sound, because of the massive
destruction. When they are restored back into their land, there will
be the usual noises of a city.
Jeremiah 33:11 "The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the
voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them
that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD [is] good; for
his mercy [endureth] for ever: [and] of them that shall 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, saith the LORD."
When the restoration is complete, the things listed above will be
heard in the city, and in the countryside. The joy will be because of
the blessings God has bestowed upon His people. This is describing a
time of joy in the land. They recognize the worth of being home,
because they had lost it for a time. You do not appreciate something,
or someone, until they are taken from you. The praise to the LORD is
because they are totally aware of why they are home. They are
forgiven, what better reason for praising the LORD? This would even be
a joy for Jeremiah to prophesy.
Jeremiah 33:12 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this
place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the
cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing [their]
flocks to lie down."
The mention of the pastoral scene is to show the great peace that
has come. The shepherds, and their flocks lying down, shows perfect
peace. This reminds me of the 23rd Psalm, which is speaking of the
sheep as the followers of God. The great Shepherd is the Lord Jesus.
The shepherds are like pastors of churches, and the sheep are the
congregation {flock}.
Jeremiah 33:13 "In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of
the vale, 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, shall
the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth [them],
saith the LORD."
This is speaking of the care of the shepherd over his sheep. They
pass under his hand for inspection and for counting to make sure there
are none missing. This spiritually is speaking of the spread of
Christianity to the mountains, the countryside, and to the cities.
The sheep {believers in Christ} grow rapidly in number. In one day,
thousands were saved when Peter preached. God is concerned, if even
one strays from the flock. He keeps constant watch.
Jeremiah 33:14 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I
will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of
Israel and to the house of Judah."
Whatever God promises, He does. It may not be in a day or two,
but He will do it.
Jeremiah 33:15 "In those days, and at that time, will I cause
the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall
execute judgment and righteousness in the land."
This means that God has a specified time picked out for this to
happen. No man knows the day, or the hour. God knows. The Branch of
Righteousness is Jesus Christ, our Lord. He will be descended from
David in the flesh, but is David's God in the Spirit. Jesus is that
righteous Judge of all the earth. We will each stand before Him, and
give account.
Jeremiah 33:16 "In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem
shall dwell safely: and this [is the name] wherewith she shall be
called, The LORD our righteousness."
This is speaking of Judah and Jerusalem as all Israel. This is
speaking of physical Israel and spiritual Israel. The LORD is the
righteousness of the church. We, Christians, are clothed in His
{Jesus'} righteousness. He took our sin on His body on the cross, and
gave us His righteousness. Jerusalem shall be called the city of our
great King. The church {she} takes on the name of Christ {Christian}.
II Timothy 4:8 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing."
Jeremiah 33:17 "For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want
a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;"
Jesus Christ will reign for ever and ever as King. Jesus is King
of the Jews, but He is, also, King of all the believers, as well.
David, in the verse above, is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 33:18 "Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man
before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and
to do sacrifice continually."
Jesus is the High Priest. The high priest of the covenant
represented the people to God and God to the people. Our High Priest,
Jesus Christ, tore down the wall of partition, and opened the way for
everyone who believes to have access to the Father. There would be no
further need for sacrifice after the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the
cross. To sacrifice after the crucifixion of Jesus would be saying,
that Jesus was not the perfect sacrifice. I personally believe that
God allowed the temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed to stop the
sacrifices. If Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all time for
everyone, it would be a sin to continue to sacrifice. He either did it
all, or nothing at all. There were no more burnt offerings needed.
There were no more meat offerings needed after Jesus. He did it all.
Jeremiah 33:19 "And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah,
saying," Jeremiah 33:20 "Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my
covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there
should not be day and night in their season;"
We see from the next verse just how long there will be day and
night on the earth. Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seedtime
and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and
night shall not cease." God spoke it. It will not be broken.
Jeremiah 33:21 "[Then] may also my covenant be broken with David
my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne;
and with the Levites the priests, my ministers."
Son, in the verse above, is speaking of descendent. Just as God
will not break His covenant of night and day, He will not break His
covenant with David. There will always be someone representing the
Lord upon the earth as ministers, as well.
Jeremiah 33:22 "As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither
the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my
servant, and the Levites that minister unto me."
This is speaking of that great multitude that cannot be numbered
who belong to God. Seed is singular, indicating this is the seed
spoken of in the following Scripture. Galatians 3:16 "Now to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of
many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Notice, in
the following Scripture, who become so many they cannot be numbered.
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise."
Jeremiah 33:23 "Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah,
saying," Jeremiah 33:24 "Considerest thou not what this people have
spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath
even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they
should be no more a nation before them."
The people are speaking in the verse above, so possibly, they are
speaking of the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The people
thought God had forsaken them. Notice, also, God still calls them, His
people. I really believe this is speaking of the physical and
spiritual house of Israel.
Jeremiah 33:25 "Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant [be] not with
day and night, [and if] I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven
and earth;"
In this, God is saying, Do you believe my covenant with day and
night? Do you believe God ordained all of the heavens for their
special duties?
Jeremiah 33:26 "Then will I 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."
The seed of Jacob is speaking of the physical house of Israel.
The seed of David {Jesus} is speaking of the spiritual house of
Israel {Christians}. Just as ridiculous as the sun not shining, is the
statement that God might throw away His children. He is our Father. He
would never throw away any of His children. I John 3:1 "Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not."
Jeremiah 36 Questions
1. Where was Jeremiah, when the Word of the Lord came to him?
2. Who is the LORD in verse 2?
3. Quote James chapter 4 verse 2.
4. Quote James chapter 5 verse 16.
5. Who does God reveal Himself to?
6. Who were they really fighting, instead of the Chaldeans?
7. Why had God not looked on the city for a long time?
8. Man can not save himself, he needs a ________.
9. Where does the real Peace and Truth come from?
10. Who cleanses from sin?
11. Quote Hebrews chapter 8 verse 12.
12. Who washed us from our sins in His blood?
13. Why does the earth stand in awe of God's people?
14. Why was there no sound in the city?
15. When they are restored, what sounds will there be?
16. What does the mention of the pastoral scene mean?
17. In verse 13, the shepherds are the ________ and the sheep are the
__________{flock}.
18. What is verse 13 speaking of?
19. What does verse 15 mean when it says, in that day?
20. Who is verse 16 speaking of?
21. Who is David in verse 17?
22. Who was the perfect sacrifice?
23. To sacrifice animals, after the sacrifice of Jesus, would be a
____.
24. Quote Genesis chapter 8 verse 22.
25. What are some of the things that cannot be numbered?
26. Who are the two families of verse 24?
27. Who is the seed of Jacob?
28. Who is the seed of David?
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