Jeremiah 31:1-14 – God Reconciles His People

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

God’s grace to reconcile mankind ought not to be overlooked nor should it be underappreciated. Where would we be without the grace of God?

Introduction

This week’s lesson highlights what David once sang:  While our disobedience does anger the Lord, His anger is but for a moment; joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5).

You can imagine that many of the captives living in Babylon felt that God had set Himself against them.  They certainly wouldn’t have been wrong for feeling that way because God is set against sin.  However, in Jeremiah 30:11, the Lord promised that He would not make a complete end of Judah.  I will remind you that God has made that same promise to all people, which we will see in this week’s lesson.  This week’s Sunday School commentary covers Jeremiah 31:1-14. 

What we will focus on learning in this week’s Sunday School commentary:

1. God’s grace towards mankind.
2. The joy of being reconciled to God.
3. Your redemption from sin.

Grace in the Wilderness

The opening verses of this week’s lesson are directed to all the families of Israel (Jer. 31:1).  Let us remember that at that time, the house of Israel was either living in captivity in Babylon or had been conquered by the Assyrians.  Those whom the Assyrians had conquered eventually began to breed with the peoples living in the land of the Northern Kingdom, and would eventually be known as the Samaritans.

There is a noticeable reminder of the wilderness years when the Lord said, “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness–Israel, when I went to give him rest.”

Wilderness living

The years following the exodus from Egypt were filled with tribulation, mostly due to Israel’s disobedience.  The children of Israel sinned at Mount Sinai after entering into their covenant with the Lord.  When the children of Israel first had an opportunity to enter the Promised Land, they let fear get the best of them and refused to enter.  God then made them wander in the wilderness for forty years, until the older generation had passed away.

During the wilderness years, there were times when the children cried out for food, complaining that they ate better while living in the bondage of Egypt.  During the wilderness years, there were times when they tried in battle.  

Now, as trying as the wilderness years were for the children of Israel, the wilderness did not destroy them.  Why didn’t the wilderness destroy them?  Because God was with them and brought them through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

I often liken our journey to the kingdom of heaven as a journey in the wilderness to the Promised Land.  The believer certainly has trials and tribulations that we face on this journey, along with spiritual battles as we wrestle against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness (Eph. 6:12).  

We live in a world where wickedness abounds, and false doctrines continue to spread.  In this wilderness, those who live without the Holy Spirit are finding it incredibly difficult to discern good from evil.  Many are being consumed by the sword in the wilderness today because they have not turned to the Lord.

Those who will live during the period of the Great Tribulation will also experience wilderness living.  In Matthew 24-25, Christ describes the Great Tribulation as being like none other, where being able to get food or drink from a neighbor will be considered a wonderful blessing.  The Great Tribulation will be a day when the Antichrist will lead many astray and into sin.

Saved by grace

Yet, there is hope in today’s wilderness and in the wilderness of the Great Tribulation.  There was hope for those who were living in exile in Babylon.

To share the hope that we wilderness dwellers have, God had pointed to the generation of Israel that endured the wilderness and crossed the Jordan to inherit the Promised Land.  All of those who were younger than twenty, God permitted to cross the Jordan and inherit the Promised Land (Num. 14:28-35).

Why did God permit the younger generation to inherit the Promised Land?  Why didn’t He destroy all of Israel?  Why didn’t the Lord destroy us when we were living sinfully?  Better yet, why didn’t God let His great flood destroy mankind back in the days of Noah?  Why are we still here today?

Jeremiah 31:3 points to the answer, which is the everlasting love of the Lord.  God didn’t destroy the children of Israel in the wilderness because of His everlasting love.  We are still here today because we have been saved by grace.

In that grace, those who lived in exile in Babylon would return and rebuild Jerusalem.  In that grace, those of us living in the wilderness today continue to have chance after chance to further grow unto the kingdom.  In that grace, those who live during the Great Tribulation will not be consumed, though they have missed out on believing in Christ the first time around.

Restored by grace

So, once again, I want to point out that this promise that we see in Jeremiah 31:1-6 wasn’t simply speaking to those living in exile in Babylon.  

Jeremiah 31:4 speaks of the rebuilding of Israel, which, again, partially happened when the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile.  Judea and its cities, like Jerusalem, were rebuilt.  However, if you ever look at a map of the Promised Land, you will see that the land of Judah was just a small chunk of the Promised Land.

I’m going to be downright honest with all of you with what I say next, and some may not like it.  The children of Israel have never fully possessed the Promised Land.  No matter how many bombs they drop in that land today, they cannot make it happen.  The Book of Judges makes it clear why no effort back then or today will lead to the children of Israel fully possessing the land.

The promises of Jeremiah 31:4-6 are looking ahead to the Millennial Kingdom when the remnant of Israel will come rejoicing before the Righteous Branch.  As prophesied in Zechariah and shown in the Revelation of Christ, He will come again and stand on Mount Zion.  The remnant of Israel will then go before Mount Zion to praise and worship Him.

Jeremiah 31:7-9 highlights that the restoration of the remnant of Israel comes through the grace of God.  God could have destroyed the remnant of faithful Israel a long time ago, but His love is everlasting.  In those verses, the picture of rejoicing and singing is painted for the day that the remnant of Israel will be brought from all places to the kingdom.  

The Lord said that the remnant of Israel will come with weeping, which is to say they will be weeping with joy.  The Lord said that they will come with supplications, which is to say they will be filled with so much joy that it will lead to many prayers.  The restoration of Israel and Ephraim, which is Joseph’s oldest son, will be celebrated in that day.  

Notice in Jeremiah 31:7 that God called for the nations to sing with gladness for Jacob and to proclaim and give praise for the Lord to save the remnant.  The nations being spoken of are those faithful believers, the Tribulation Saints, who will come through the Great Tribulation, as they will have part in the Millennial Kingdom.

I especially wanted to highlight the rejoicing of the restoration of the remnant of Israel because I believe that when is restored by the Lord, there should be rejoicing.  When one turns from sin to turn to God, we should certainly rejoice.

Grace to the Nations

Jeremiah 31:10 sees the Lord call for the nations to hear His word and to declare it to the lands afar off.  God called for the nations to declare His gathering of Israel, whom He had once scattered.  Then, let us notice that the Lord spoke of keeping Israel as a shepherd does his flock.  In other words, the Lord would gather Israel to love and care for, not to ever lose again.

When we see Scripture describe the Lord as a shepherd, it is certainly hard to forget Psalm 23, when David said that God was his shepherd.  With God as his shepherd, David said that he was led beside still waters.  Notice in Jeremiah 31:9 that the Lord said that He would cause the remnant of Israel to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they would not stumble.

Sure, we can once again point to the Jews’ return from their exile in Babylon, but again, I believe this scripture is looking beyond the Jews’ return from Babylon.  I make my case for this promise not focusing on the Jews’ return from exile because of the hardships they faced.  

The book of Ezra shows the challenges the Jews faced just to rebuild the temple.  The book of Nehemiah shows the hardship and mockery the Jews faced when trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  I don’t want to hold this scripture to simply being about the literal journey back to Jerusalem, as I feel this scripture points ahead to the day when there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4).

Jacob will be redeemed, says the Lord, as Jacob will be ransomed from the hand of one who is stranger than he (Jer. 31:11).  For me, it is incredibly hard not to see prophecy of Christ in this scripture.  Jesus said that He was given not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for man (Matt. 20:28).

Jesus told Nicodemus that He was given because God loved the world, and so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.  Jacob would be redeemed by the shed blood of Christ.  All nations are redeemed by the shed blood of Christ, which atones for our sins.    

When they come and sing in the height of Zion, they is a reference to the redeemed remnant.  However, I will again refer to Jesus’ teaching, and when He speaks of the day of rejoicing, it is not just the remnant of Israel who will rejoice.  In Matthew 25:31-46, when the Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats, the Tribulation Saints will be there rejoicing.  At that time, the Church will have been married to Christ, and she will also be rejoicing.

Jeremiah 31:13-14 closes out this wonderful lesson on such a joyful note.  I want to highlight the prophecy saying, “For I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow.  I will satiate (satisfy) the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness.”

There is going to be great harmony in that day!  Sorrow is brought on by sin, but sin is done away with through Christ.  Christ laid down His life, reconciling all things to Himself, and therefore, restoring harmony between God and those who believe in Christ.  Sure, we may wander in a wilderness today, but the journey through the wilderness will end with a mighty voice of rejoicing.