Introduction
Many scholars believe that this chapter was written in the 10th year of the reign of Zedekiah, which places it at about 587 B.C., just before the collapse of the city and the temple. The next four chapters speak of the many glorious prophesies for Israel.
‘The LORD spoke to Jeremiah. ‘The LORD God of Israel says, ‘Write everything that I am about to tell you in a scroll. For I, the LORD, affirm that the time will come when I will reverse the plight of my people, Israel and Judah,’ says the LORD. ‘I will bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors and they will take possession of it once again.’ Jeremiah 30:1-3
This chapter talks about the restoration and return of the remnant, as promised by God. The present situation that they find themselves in will pass. And God tells Jeremiah that these promises are to be recorded, ‘write down in a book what I have said’, God tells him.
So, why does God tell him to do this?
It wasn’t that God needed to be reminded, but the people certainly did. It relates to Judah and Israel. Later the words will be read by the people, as we saw Daniel reading the words of Jeremiah when we looked at Jeremiah 29.
The people were not to be afraid because God says that they will be saved. The yoke will be taken away. They will go from favour to favour. God says, ‘I will raise up for them David their king’.
This will not be anything to do with the people, this will be done by God. Babylon will be too strong for the people. When God says, ‘I will save you’
He is saying, ‘I will give you safety’. They will return to live in peace and nobody will make you afraid. God says in verse 11, ‘remember, I am with you.’
I have already briefly mentioned that God told Jeremiah to ‘write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.’
This clearly indicates that all the prophecies given through Jeremiah were to be carefully preserved, by writing them down. How else do we expect to have such a book, after all of these years? The very existence of the book is proof that God commanded him to do these things.
‘So here is what the LORD has to say about Israel and Judah. Yes, here is what he says: ‘You hear cries of panic and of terror; there is no peace in sight. Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully: Have you ever seen a man give birth to a baby? Why then do I see all these strong men grabbing their stomachs in pain like a woman giving birth? And why do their faces turn so deathly pale? Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is! There has never been any like it. It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob, but some of them will be rescued out of it. When the time for them to be rescued comes,’ says the LORD who rules over all, ‘I will rescue you from foreign subjugation. I will deliver you from captivity. Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them.’ But they will be subject to the LORD their God and to the Davidic ruler whom I will raise up as king over them. So, I, the LORD, tell you not to be afraid, you descendants of Jacob, my servants. Do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land where you are captives. The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure and no one will terrify them.’ Jeremiah 30:4-10
This passage looks beyond the return of the Jews to the land. It looks to a time in the latter days when the returned people would serve David as their king. Reference is thus Messianic, for Jesus would be the descendant of David who would sit upon the throne of the Lord in heaven, Daniel 7:13-14 / Acts 2:21-30.
Is David coming alive again?
Of course not. Caesar was the name of one of the Roman emperors, but this became a title for other emperors that followed him. The same thing happened with David. As you know, David was one of the kings of Israel, and, in time, it became a title for the Messiah. Matthew 1:1 refers to Jesus Christ as the ‘Son of David.’
The beginning of God’s defence for His people began when He allowed the Medo-Persians to overthrow the Babylonians, which event took place in 539 B.C. The Medo-Persians then allowed all former captives to return to their homelands, which homelands were at the time under the control of the Medo-Persian Empire.
Those nations that took Israel into captivity, the Assyrians and Babylonians, would cease to exist. However, Israel would continue because of the preserving work of God to carry out His purpose for the existence of Israel, Jeremiah 46:27-28.
‘For I, the LORD, affirm that I will be with you and will rescue you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will indeed discipline you, but only in due measure. I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished. Moreover, the LORD says to the people of Zion, ‘Your injuries are incurable; your wounds are severe. There is no one to plead your cause. There are no remedies for your wounds. There is no healing for you. All your allies have abandoned you. They no longer have any concern for you. For I have attacked you like an enemy would. I have chastened you cruelly. For your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much. Why do you complain about your injuries, that your pain is incurable? I have done all this to you because your wickedness is so great, and your sin is so much. But all who destroyed you will be destroyed. All your enemies will go into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered. I will cause those who pillaged you to be pillaged. Yes, I will restore you to health. I will heal your wounds. I, the LORD, affirm it! For you have been called an outcast, Zion, whom no one cares for.’ Jeremiah 30:11-17
Verse 11 can be broken down into a good sermon, ‘I am with you and will save you.’
1. I AM.
Exodus 3:14 / John 5:58. The creator element is there.
2. With you.
Matthew 28:20 / Galatians 2:20. The element of companionship.
3. Save you.
1 John 4:4 / Hebrews 7:35. Think of the word ‘you’. We think of ‘once being condemned’. 1 Timothy 1:15 / 1 John 2:1ff / Matthew 24:35.
We see that the return of the remnant doesn’t rule out correction. Realise your current situation. It would be easy, in the face of discipline, for correction to take the easy way out. But they are reminded, that you have no other good way to go.
1. First of all, your medicine has all gone.
God alone has the cure for sin.
2. Memory has gone.
All of her allies, some versions say, ‘lovers’, have forgotten her. They wanted nothing to do with Israel and Judah. Crying will not help anybody. Those who spoil will be spoiled.
The ‘lovers’ or ‘allies’, in verse 14 were the nations that surrounded them. God’s people had relied on them to help them against the Babylonians.
Verse 17 talks about restoring their health. God says, ‘I will heal you’.
The Hebrew word for ‘heal’ suggests one or two things:
1. It gives the idea of simply bandaging up a wound.
2. It also gives the idea of stitching the wound up, so it suggests a ‘scar’.
The Hebrew word used here is to show the skin growing over. The picture is therefore clear, there is not going to be a scar, God had beaten them, and even the nations around them wanted nothing to do with them. But God does.
‘The LORD says, ‘I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob. I will show compassion on their ruined homes. Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins. Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site. Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving and the sounds of laughter and merriment. I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away. I will bring them honour and they will no longer be despised. The descendants of Jacob will enjoy their former privileges. Their community will be re-established in my favour and I will punish all who try to oppress them. One of their own people will be their leader. Their ruler will come from their own number. I will invite him to approach me, and he will do so. For no one would dare approach me on his own. I, the LORD, affirm it! Then you will again be my people and I will be your God. Just watch! The wrath of the LORD will come like a storm. Like a raging storm it will rage down on the heads of those who are wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has fully carried out his intended purposes. In days to come you will come to understand this.’ Jeremiah 30:18-24
All types of lovely promises are given here. The final message should stimulate the soul. Restoring Jacob’s tents doesn’t mean that the people are nomads and have to live in tents. We know this from the next line that talks about ‘dwellings.’
The message here is, glory is to be restored to the remnant in material blessings.
They will be able to be joyful and give thanks. Glory is to be restored in their congregation. There is protection for God’s people. I will punish those who oppress you, and glory is going to be restored in government. We should be grateful for the glory bestowed upon us by God.
Many scholars find a clear prophecy here of the coming of the Messiah. Only Jesus Christ could draw near to God like this.
