JEREMIAH 312009 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Jeremiah 31

you're listening to FerventWord an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God the following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2009 alright Jeremiah chapter 31 let's look at verses 1 and 2 at the same time says the Lord I will be the God of all the families of Israel and they shall be my people thus says the Lord the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness

Israel, when I went to give him rest. As we start out in chapter 31, we're picking up actually from Jeremiah chapter 30, which we covered two weeks ago. And in Jeremiah chapter 30, we were talking about the nation of Israel as well as the nation of Judah. The nation of Israel was at one time one nation,

But it became divided after Solomon's son, or during the reign of Solomon's son, the northern part of the nation separated from the southern part of the nation. They disagreed on who should be king and how that king should tax the people and relate to the people. And so there was like

a civil break and they split. And so the northern kingdom kept the name Israel and the southern kingdom took the name Judah. And so now you had two nations which was all of the Hebrews though, it was all God's people

But the northern kingdom separated and because they separated from the southern kingdom where Jerusalem was and where the temple was, they immediately turned away from God. They set up idols that they would go and worship instead of going to the temple to worship God. And so immediately they began down the road of idolatry, even more so than they had before, and they turned away from God.

And so the nation of Judah also began to pursue idols, but they were on a little bit slower track than the northern kingdom was, the nation of Israel. Both kingdoms eventually become conquered as a result of God's discipline.

The nation of Israel gets conquered by the kingdom of Assyria because of their rebellion against God. And they do it about 150 years earlier than the nation of Judah. Judah lasts a little bit longer. They have some good kings, some bad kings as the people continue to rebel against God. Finally, Babylon is used by God to come and conquer the nation of Judah.

Well, as we looked at chapter 30, these two nations, which once were split, God is saying in the last days, he's going to bring them back and they're going to be united. And there's not going to be a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom. There's not going to be an Israel and a Judah, but they're going to be united together as one nation. And he was looking towards those last days, the tribulation period. We looked at the time of Jacob's trouble.

and then on into the millennium when God does the complete restoration of the nation of Israel, His people.

And so there's these two nations and God continues to deal with these two nations and what it's going to be like for them as he goes on in chapter 31. And so verse 1 he says, at the same time, it's connecting it to what he's just been talking about in chapter 30. During that time as God brings his discipline upon them in the tribulation period, but then brings them out and restores them, God says, I will be the God of all the families of Israel and they shall be my people.

And so there's a new work that's going to take place where God is going to unite the people and he is going to be their God. Right now we see the nation of Israel partially fulfilling this in that they're back in the land. They're not all back in the land, which is something that is still going to happen. God's still going to bring the people back into the land that he gave to them.

But at this time, the nation is not devoted to God. He is not their God. There is a few who hold fast to God. There is a few who really have received Jesus Christ as the Messiah. There is a few who have Him as their Lord. But the nation itself...

...does not belong to God. They've not given themselves to God. They are an atheistic nation. Now there is also a few who are holding fast to Judaism. Many more of those who hold fast to Judaism than those who have turned to Jesus. But

But still, he is not their God because, of course, you can only know God. The only way is through Jesus Christ, as Jesus himself proclaimed. And so what God is talking about is something that is not fulfilled right now, but it's something that will be fulfilled where God says, I will be the God of all the families of Israel. It's going to be a nationwide repentance.

They're going to turn to Jesus completely. The whole nation, all the families are going to turn to God and He is going to be their God and they will be His people. It's interesting to me the way that God says this. He says, I will be the God of all the families. Now, if you look at this, we do know and understand that God is God of all the families, whether or not they accept it or receive it.

But what God is saying is at that time, they are going to put me as their God. They are going to worship me as their God. I am going to be their God. God is God, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, whether that's what we desire or not. God is God. There's nothing we can do about that. But it's a good question for us to ask ourselves.

Is He your God? God is God, but is He your God? God is God of the nation. He is God of all the families even now. But there's going to be a new work where they turn to Him and they worship Him as God. And they submit their lives to Him because He is God. Where they surrender to Him because He is God. God is God, but we must make it personal.

And we see this point a couple of times here in this chapter. And so it's something we'll revisit as we go on in the following verses. Is He your God? Have you made that personal choice? Not just, I believe in God. There's a lot of people who believe in God, but there's a big difference between believing in God and Him being your God. And we'll see that as we continue on. But let's look at verse 3 through 6. It says...

The Lord has appeared of old to me saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel. You shall again be adorned with your tambourines and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.

You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria. The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food. For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, Arise, let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God.

Here in this first part of the chapter, God is primarily focusing on the northern kingdom, the nation of Israel that had been conquered by Assyria. And God is saying, I'm going to bring them back. He said in verse 2, the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness and

They survived the sword. They went through the discipline of God. God used for the nation of Israel, the nation of Assyria, to discipline them, to conquer them, to lead them away captive. He is using in the future the tribulation period, the battles and the wars that go on there, He's using those as a matter of discipline for His people. And so those who survived the sword, God says, they find grace in the wilderness.

God's discipline is not to destroy us, but it's to show us grace. It's to bring us to a place that we can receive the goodness that God has planned for us. In Hebrews chapter 12, verses 5 and following, you can read about the chastening of the Lord and not to despise the chastening of God. Because God chastens the ones that He loves.

Sometimes when we go through difficult times, when God is disciplining us, not every difficulty that we face is God's discipline, but every difficulty that we face, God wants to use for good. And sometimes when we face difficulties, whether it's for discipline or not, we come to the conclusion that God is disciplining

fed up with us, that He's upset with us, that He's done with us, that He's finished with us, as you could imagine the nation of Israel could relate to. They would be saying, man, God wiped us out with Assyria in the tribulation period. Man, look at what's going on in the world. God is finished with us. He's through with us. But God is saying, no, those who survive the sword, they find grace in the wilderness. And He says, I went to give Him rest. I'm going to give Him rest. I'm bringing them peace.

Grace and rest is in store. And God disciplines. He uses chastening in our lives to bring us to the place that He can do the work that He wants to do. There in verses 3-6, He says, Look, I've loved you with an everlasting love. I've never stopped loving you. Sometimes we kind of feel like God has a love-hate relationship with us.

Sometimes He loves us, sometimes He hates us. And we base that on how the day's going, how the week's going, how the year's going. God really is upset with me this year. Oh, He really loves me this year. But God's explaining, no, I've loved you with an everlasting love. I've never stopped loving you. As Paul said in Romans 8, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

He's never stopped loving us. He's loved us with an everlasting love. And he says, therefore, with loving kindness, and he goes on to share some things that he's doing in their life. He says, with loving kindness, I have drawn you. God says, look, I love you. And so I'm drawing you unto myself. I'm pulling you towards me.

You think I'm upset with you. You think I'm fed up and that's it. It's over. I'm not going to work with you. But I'm drawing you towards me, God's saying, with loving kindness because I love you. Again, He disciplines, He chastens the ones that He loves. And so when we need the chastening, when we need the discipline, God brings it in our life because He loves us. Because He wants what's best for us. And so with loving kindness, He draws us to...

himself. Not only does he draw us because of his great love, but he says he builds us. He says, "And you shall be rebuilt, O Virgin of Israel." They're going to be rebuilt. They've been spread out, pushed out of the land. There when Assyria conquered them, they were pushed out of the land. When the Antichrist comes in the midst of the tribulation, they're going to flee out of the land and be hidden away in the wilderness because of the great persecution and battles that are taking place.

But they're going to be brought back. They're going to be rebuilt. They're going to be reestablished in the land. And notice that he says, O virgin of Israel. This is really interesting. Because God, when Israel was conquered by Assyria, God made it clear. He called them adulterers. They committed spiritual adultery because they

Well, they were like those who say, I believe in God. They believed in God, but they did not worship Him as God. He was not their God. And so they had committed spiritual adultery by worshiping other gods, by having their heart divided between many gods. And God was not the God of their life and the God of their hearts. So he said that they had committed spiritual adultery. But here he calls them

O Virgin of Israel. You see the restoration of God. He brings them back. He says, I've loved you. I've drawn you. I'm going to rebuild you. And He calls them a virgin. No longer are they going to be practicing adultery. But they've been given a new start. They've been restored and renewed. He says, You shall again be adorned with your tambourines and go forth with the dances of those who rejoice. So they're drawn. They're rebuilt. They're adorned or decorated again.

And they're going to have great joy. They're going to be singing and dancing with those who rejoice. Now for the nation of Israel, especially as Jeremiah is writing these things, having already been conquered by Assyria, I'm sure that you can imagine they're in the midst of it, thinking how could we ever sing and dance and have joy and be rebuilt, and how could all of these things take place? But God says, I've loved you with an everlasting kindness. Everlasting loving kindness, rather. And I'm drawing you, and I'm going to rebuild you.

And I'm going to decorate you. You're going to be beautiful. You are going to be established. You're going to have great joy. Not only that, he says, you're going to be fruitful. You're going to plant vines on the mountains of Samaria. Again, that's an indication he's dealing primarily with the northern part of Israel. He says, the planter shall plant and eat them as ordinary food. You know what he's saying there? It's not going to be strange or out of the ordinary for you to enjoy the fruit of the land.

It's not just going to happen once. It's not just going to happen twice. It's going to happen regularly. You're going to be there established in the land and you're going to be fruitful. And you're going to enjoy the fruit of the land and it's going to be regular, seasonal, because they're going to be established there for a long time. He says, for there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim. Again, a reference to the northern part of the nation of Israel. He says, arise, let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God.

And here we see again that God is their God. Instead of worshipping false gods, instead of worshipping idols, they are going to Zion, going to Jerusalem, to the temple to worship God. Their hearts are devoted to God. Verse 7, For thus says the Lord, Sing with gladness for Jacob and shout among the chief of the nations. Proclaim, give praise and say, O Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.

Verse 1.

Now as we go on, God is saying, look, sing. I know it doesn't look good. Listen to what I'm telling you, God's saying. Believe the promises that I'm giving and sing with gladness. Shout because of this work that I'm going to do. Call out to God to save his people, the remnant of Israel. God says, I'm going to save you. So sing and praise and call out to me to save you.

God says, be a part of it. Rejoice now. Believe the promise that I'm giving. He says, I'm going to bring them from the north country and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them, He says, are going to be the blind and the lame. That's an indication. It's not going to be, you know, like a big battle for them to come back. But those who are weak, those who are infirmed, they're going to be able to be returned. They're going to be able to have peace in the land, God is saying. The one who labors with child...

They're going to be restored and brought back into the land. He says, they shall come with weeping and supplications. I will lead them mourning over their sin. They're going to come with repentance. But he says, I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way in which they will not stumble for I'm their father. God says, I'm going to bring them. They're not going to stumble. They're going to have water. They're going to come on the straight path, much like the prayer of the shepherd in Psalm 23.

leading by the still waters, the green pastures, the straight path, that God says, I'm going to carry you. I'm going to take you. You're going to be established. I'm going to help you along the way. Even those who are sick, even those who are weak, even those who are with child will be able to return to the land. God is going to do an incredible work. And so he says, sing with gladness for Jacob and shout among the chief of the nations. Proclaim and give praise. God wants us.

To believe Him at His word. For the nation of Israel, this is something that's going to take place and God calls them, even now, to rejoice and be glad and sing and give praise. For you and I, we have a similar situation in that we have difficulties and hard times. We have to live in this life and there's these spiritual battles as Larry was talking about. But right now, we can sing with gladness.

Verse 10. Verse 10.

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the Lord. For wheat and new wine and oil, for the young of the flock and the herd, their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all.

God says, hear the word of the Lord. Listen up, guys. Pay attention. He says, declare it to the islands and to all those that are far off.

He wants everyone, the whole world to listen. He says, the one who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him like a shepherd does his flock. God says, look, I've been disciplining my children. They've been scattered throughout the world. But listen up, everybody. I'm going to gather them back. I'm going to shepherd them. He says, because the Lord has redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than

than he. Now that's not stronger than God that he's referring to, but stronger than Jacob, whom he has redeemed. Israel has been redeemed by God. They were not able to redeem themselves. They were not able to free themselves. God says, I redeemed them when they could not redeem themselves. In the same way that you and I, we were in bondage to sin. We could not free ourselves. We're in this world caught up in the deceitfulness of sin.

Dead in our trespasses and sin, as Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2. Completely unable to revive ourselves, to give us spiritual life. But God redeemed us from one who is stronger than us. He set us free from the bondage of the enemy, the clutches of the enemy. He set us free from the sin which once bound us. The sin which we were not strong enough to escape from. God redeemed us. He set us free.

And so he says, verse 12, Therefore they shall come together and sing. Because I set them free, because of the work that I did, they're going to come together and it's going to be great. There's going to be the wheat and the new wine and the oil, the young of the flock and the herd, they're going to be like a well-watered garden and they'll sorrow no more at all. God has great things in store for the nation of Israel as He restores them into the land. They're going to come back with great rejoicing. There's going to be singing and dancing in the streets.

The young women, the virgins, he says, the young men, the old together, I'm turning their mourning into joy. I'm going to comfort them. They're going to rejoice. This would be very difficult to picture, to imagine for the nation of Israel as Jeremiah is writing these things. But God's saying, I'm going to do it. And I could imagine them saying, how on earth can this happen? How could this be? How could this take place? It seems impossible. And yet God says, this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to do this work.

The chastening of God is for their good. God's chastening in our life is for our good. He's doing a similar work. In the same way as He's dealing with the nation of Israel, He deals with us. And when we rebel against Him, He chastens us. He disciplines us.

He uses the furnace of affliction in our life and He works in us. But it's not because He's mad at us or because He hates us or because He's done with us. It's because He loves us and He wants to bring us back and do this great work in us. To shepherd us and rebuild us and lead us and adorn us and give us joy and make us fruitful. To turn our mourning into joy. To comfort us and give us peace. He says, I will saturate the soul of the priest with abundance.

And my people will be satisfied with my goodness, says the Lord. That's what God wants to do. He wants you just to be overwhelmed with His goodness. Completely satisfied with the Lord. That's the work that God is doing in us. That's what He's bringing us to. That's what we need. Verse 15. Thus says the Lord. A voice was heard in Ramah.

Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children. Refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more. Thus says the Lord, refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border.

As we go on, God is saying, look, the women are crying, the ladies are crying because of the death of their children. They're refusing to be comforted. And God says, listen, stop weeping. You don't got to be so tore up about this, God says. Look, your work shall be rewarded. They're going to come back from the land of the enemy. Those that have been taken captive are going to be brought back, God is saying. He says in verse 17, there is hope in your future.

There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border. Now we also know that this verse, verse 15, actually was quoted by Matthew in Matthew chapter 2 in regards to the women who are weeping because their firstborn sons, their newborn sons, have been put to death by Herod. You remember when Jesus was born and the magi, the wise men from the east come

They talk to Herod and say, Hey, where's the one who's born king of the Jews? And Herod's like, What? What are you talking about? And then the Magi find out, Well, he's to be born in Bethlehem. So they go and Herod gave them instructions to come back and tell them where Jesus was, that he'd be able to put him to death. But God warned the Magi, so they went back a different way. They didn't tell Herod. And so Herod, fearful of someone else having a right to the throne, being king of the Jews, says,

He gives in order to have all of the newborn sons of a certain age and under, according to the time that the Magi instructed him, just to be put to death, to be slaughtered. And this verse here is quoted, the voice heard in Ramah, lamentation and weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more. And so we see a partial fulfillment there in,

in the time of Christ as the children are put to death. And yet we still see the hope, the future that God is saying. The children shall come back to their own border where God is saying, look, they're going to be restored. They're going to be brought back. They still have life. Interesting. Verse 18. He says, I've surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself. You have chastened me and I was chastised.

Verse 2.

Verse 21, set up signposts, make landmarks, set your heart toward the highway, the way in which you went. Turn back, O virgin of Israel, turn back to these your cities. How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter, for the Lord has created a new thing in the earth. A woman shall encompass a man.

Here as we look in verse 18 and 19, we have God foretelling the heart and the attitude of Ephraim or the nation of Israel. He says, I've heard...

Ephraim bemoaning himself. He's moaning to himself. He's crying out. He says, you have chastised me. This is the nation of Israel who have been disciplined by God. They say, look God, you've disciplined us and we were disciplined. He says like an untrained bull. God had to discipline them as a wild bull who had to be trained or disciplined.

But he says, I've been disciplined. I've been chastised. He says, restore me and I will return. Notice what he says at the end of verse 18. For you are the Lord my God. Here is the repentance of Israel. The repentance of Ephraim. Where he says, God, you've disciplined me. You've dealt with me. I'm going to return to you. Restore me. And he says, I'll return to you. For you are the Lord my God. You're my God.

It's at this point that Israel repents, turns from idolatry, turns from unbelief, and believes in God and makes Him their God. He says, "I've repented. After my turning, I repented. After I was instructed, you've taught me. I struck myself on the thigh." He's expressing the remorse as he recognizes, as the nation recognizes their sin and what they've done.

He says, I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated because I bore the reproach of my youth. There's godly sorrow here as they recognize and realize what they have done. And they repent and they make him their God. There's a scripture, I believe it's in Zechariah, where it talks about in the middle of the tribulation period that they will look upon the one whom they have pierced. In the middle of the tribulation period when the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel,

and sets up the God inside, the idol inside the temple. That the nation realizes, the nation as a whole recognizes that He is not the Messiah. They realize at that moment that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and they look upon the one that they've pierced. They weep. They kind of what is described here. They're ashamed. They lament. They realize, wow,

When Jesus came, our Messiah came, we rejected Him. And it's at that time that the nation will turn back to God. And that's why He says there at the end of verse 18, For you are my Lord, are the Lord my God. This is the time of true repentance that is yet to come for the nation of Israel where they recognize, You are the Lord my God. They're not just saying, I believe in God. They're saying, You are my God.

You are the one I worship. You are the one I adore. You are the one I submit to. You are the one I surrender to. You are the most important in my life. You are my passion. You are the one I'm devoted to. You are the Lord my God. The nation of Israel will come to this point in the middle of the tribulation period as God is disciplining them. What I would ask you this evening is what's it going to take for you

to come to this point. What's it going to take for you to make Him your God? What is God going to need to do in your life to bring you to the place where you say, I am wholly devoted to you? Not just I believe in God. Not just I believe in you, God. Not just I believe that the Bible is true. Not just I go to church. But you are the Lord my God. Lord, you are my passion. You are my devotion.

You're the one I live for. You're the one that I make these decisions for. You know, when we go through life, we have all kinds of things that we consider, don't we? Do you ever make decisions based upon your favorite TV show schedule? Well, I can't get involved in this because then I'm going to miss Survivor Samoa. And that's, it's unmissable.

If I record it and then watch it later at the DVR, it's just not the same. I've got to watch it live. I mean, I don't want to hear about it from someone else and then watch it later. Do you ever make decisions based upon perhaps a certain sports season? Do you organize your life and make decisions based upon perhaps your job? Let me ask you. How many decisions do you make based upon Jesus Christ being your God?

How much do you organize your life based upon Jesus being your Lord? You see, the nation of Israel had all kinds of gods. They believed in God, but they worshipped all these other gods. God was a part of their life. And I fear for us that we fall into the same trap, that God's a part of our life. He's part of what we do. We're religious. We come to the church. We read our Bibles just as the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah did.

But God did some very severe work in their life because He was not their God. They were not wholly devoted to Him. They weren't completely sold out for Him. They were devoted to many gods. And so they had these decisions that they would make. And the life that they choose was based upon not just what God says and what God thinks, but they were divided between the many things that they worshiped.

As we've been going through the book of Jeremiah, I often share that the book of Jeremiah for us is really a call to holiness. But you know, a call to holiness is really a call to wholehearted devotion to God. A call to holiness is really a call to lay down our idols, to lay aside idolatry, and to hold fast to God, to give ourselves completely to Him.

The nation of Israel is going to come to this point there in the middle of the tribulation period. What's it going to take for you and me? It takes them that long because of their rebellion against God. It takes them that long because they refuse to hear. God sends them messengers. He sends them prophets. He warned them. He called them. He was drawing them. They were fighting it every bit of the way. Is that a good picture of your life? Is it a picture of my life?

God wants to do such an incredible work, establishing and building and giving us joy. He has this great future in store for us, and we're just fighting Him, saying, no, these other things, they're important, and I need to be devoted to these things. And our heart is divided. It doesn't mean that every second of the day we have to be either reading our Bible or praying, otherwise we're in sin. That's not the point. But the point is, is your life lived?

Because of who God is to you. And the way that you act today, the way that you drive today, the way that you treat people today, is it because of who God is to you? And the things that you watch today, is it because of who God is to you? Because He is your God. And the choices that you make today, is it because of who God is to you?

And is it because this is what God has instructed you to do? And is it because this is what God has said in His Word? Is your life lived in devotion to God, in honor of God? Is He your God? Not just do you believe in God. Not just do you believe that the Bible is true. James warned us of that, you remember, in James chapter 1, I think it's 22.

Don't just be hearers of the word and deceive yourselves. That's what Israel was. They were hearers of the word. They heard the word. They went to temple. They went to church. But they deceived themselves. They thought, well, that's enough. We're good, you know. We got the Bible. We got the temple. We're good. We're set. But God was not their God. Their life was not lived because of who God was to them. God was just one part of their life. He was not the purpose and reason and passion of their life. But God says, look...

Ephraim is my dear son. God says, look, I've loved him dearly. He puts it in the form of a question. It's a rhetorical question. Is Ephraim my dear son? Yes. Is he a pleasant child? Yes, he is pleasant to me. I love him. He says, though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still. I'm not casting him off. God is explaining, look, this is discipline. This is chastening. I'm not done with him. I'm just working in him.

He says, my heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord. Sometimes in the midst of difficulty and hardship, we think God's forgotten us. We think he's done with us. But God says, my heart is yearning for you. I'm calling out to you. I'm drawing you. God wants us to give him his rightful place in our life.

Here he promises them in verse 21. He says, set up signposts, make landmarks, set your heart towards the highway. He says, look, remember how to get back to where you've come from because I'm going to bring you back. You see God's reluctance here. He wants them to be established in the land, but they refuse to give Him the rightful place and to worship Him as God and to set aside their idols. And so God is forced to discipline them to do this work in their life.

But he says, set up signposts. Don't forget how to get... I'm bringing you back there. I'm not done with you. You're going to be established here. Don't forget how to get back there. But in the meantime, I'm taking you out because I've got to discipline you. He says, how long will you gad about, oh you backsliding daughter? It's time to stop backsliding. It's time to stop being wishy-washy, being lukewarm. How long are you going to just go about in ignorance? He says, God has created a new thing. A woman shall encompass a man.

God's going to do a new work. He's about to explain that new work and the new covenant that he's going to do. Here when he talks about a woman encompassing a man, there's a lot of discussion on what exactly that means. But the consensus is, among Bible scholars, is that he's talking about this word encompass. It's a word that's used in courtship.

And in those days, it was very rare for a woman to court a man. That wouldn't happen. The man would court the woman. He would, you know...

be pursuing her. He would be making arrangements to marry her. The woman didn't make arrangements to marry the man. It was the other way around. God's saying, I'm going to do a new thing. A woman shall encompass or shall court a man. And what he's saying is, God has been seeking after Israel. He's been courting Israel and pursuing Israel. And in those days, as they turned to God, where He is now their God,

they are going to pursue Him. It's going to be different. They're going to turn and they're going to be seeking after Him and courting Him, seeking His favor and seeking to please Him. And that's really what God wants to do in us. Look at verse 23. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and its cities when I bring back their captivity. The Lord bless you, O home of justice and mountain of holiness.

And there shall dwell in Judah itself and in all its cities together farmers and those going out with flocks. For I have satiated the weary soul and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. After this I awoke and looked around and my sleep was sweet to me. Here's what God says. One day they're going to again say, The Lord bless you, O home of justice and mountain of holiness.

They're going to be brought back into the land and one day they're going to say, Oh, God bless Mount Zion. God bless the land of Israel. God bless this mountain where He has chosen to put His name. They're going to be removed from it. But God says, you're going to be brought back. And here in Judah, God says, there's going to dwell farmers. They're going to lead their flocks. It's going to be in peace. Not in battle any longer.

Not in fear, but they're going to be able to come and go. He says, for I have satiated the weary soul and replenished every sorrowful soul. Those who are weary, those who are sorrowful, they're going to be restored and renewed. God is going to do this new work. And I like verse 26. It seems like at this point, God has been speaking to Jeremiah in a dream. And Jeremiah wakes up. He says, I awoke and looked around. God was speaking to me in a dream. He says, oh man, my sleep was sweet to me.

Jeremiah was living in the days when Babylon was coming against Judah. He was living in the days where they were facing battle and war, where Babylon was laying siege. And so Jeremiah, as he sees these visions of the future, he says, Oh, that's a sweet dream. It's going to be awesome, the work that God is going to do. God has an incredible work in store for us. I think of the Apostle Paul who said that our light and momentary troubles are working for us a far more exceeding weight of eternal glory.

Sometimes you need to wake up. Oh, that's a sweet dream. We have these light and momentary trials. They're difficult. They're tough. Sometimes we go through the times of chastening because God is not our God. But we have this promise of what God has in store for us. It's going to be awesome. He goes on now and talks about the days that are coming. This is the new work that God is going to do in them.

Verse 27,

He says, behold, the days are coming. He's talking about this work that he's going to do, this new work that he's going to accomplish. Where he says, I'm going to sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and of beast. He's saying, I'm going to repopulate the land where I've taken them out. I'm bringing them out because they're in rebellion, but I'm going to bring them back

He says, as I've watched over them to break down, to throw down, to destroy and to afflict, God says, look, this has all been my work. I've been doing this work in them. This is the chastening, the discipline of the Lord because they refuse to make me their God. Just as I did that work in them, God says, I'm going to rebuild and I'm going to plant. I'm going to establish them in the land. The rebuilding, the replanting is as much a work of God as

has the breaking down, throwing down, destroying and afflicting. God's in control in the nation of Israel and in our lives. And He's a part of it. And He's using it for His glory. He's using it for good. He's accomplishing His work. He says in those days, the father, they're not going to say this saying, there was a saying that they would say, oh man, my life is miserable because of what my parents did. The father ate sour grapes and so the children's teeth are set on edge.

He said, "You're not going to say that anymore." You know, the nation of Israel is blaming their trouble on their ancestors, on their parents. Something we're pretty familiar with. But God says, "That's not going to happen anymore. Everyone's going to die for it. They're going to pay for their own iniquity. If they eat sour grapes, you know, hey, you rebelled against God, you're going to deal with that." They're going to recognize it's, you know, not the blame game, but they're going to recognize God's dealing with me according to what I've done and how I've lived.

And whether or not I've made him my God. Verse 31. Behold, the days are coming. So again, he says, behold, the days are coming. Again, looking to what God is going to do. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.

But this was the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me. From the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin. I will remember no more. God is going to do a new work

A new covenant that he's going to make with the house of Israel. The new covenant. We're familiar with the new covenant because we live in the new covenant. But they didn't know about the new covenant. God says, I'm going to do a new work and make a new covenant. The old covenant was based upon people fulfilling the law, performing the sacrifices, going through the things that God had laid out in order for them to approach him. He says, I'm going to do a new work.

That covenant they broke. I was a husband to them, but as we talked about earlier, they were spiritual adulterers. They rebelled against God. They turned from God. They played the harlot, both spiritually and physically. They worshipped false gods. That covenant has been broken, not by God, but by man. Israel was not able to keep that covenant. But God says, here's this new covenant that I'm going to make. I'm going to put my law in their minds.

Instead of an outward force, an outward list, okay, I've got to keep all of this list, I've got to keep all of these laws. If that's the kind of life that you have as a Christian, understand that's part of the old covenant, where it's an outward force. But God says, I'm going to do a new work so that the laws are within them, so that they know what I desire of them, that it'll be on their heart to walk with me and be obedient to me.

He says, I'm going to put it on their minds, I'm going to write it on their hearts. And notice what he says there at the end of verse 33, I will be their God and they shall be my people. He will be their God. Again, this new covenant is, well, it's where the people don't just believe in God. The people don't just follow some rules and some religion and some rituals, but that the people have a desire to walk with God, to know Him.

to be obedient to Him, to do what's pleasing to Him, because He's their God. He's their passion. They're devoted to Him. They want to live their life to honor Him. That's the new covenant, where God does the work within us, so that we desire to be pleasing to Him. He says in verse 34, Notice,

Why? He says, for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more. We could spend the rest of our life talking about this verse, reflecting on this verse. Look at what God is saying. From the least person to the greatest person, however you want to set those parameters, everyone has the opportunity to know the Lord because God has forgiven our iniquity. Sometimes we think you have better access to God than me. You can know God better than me.

God says, look, I've dealt with sin. Jesus on the cross, the beginning of the new covenant, he dealt with sin so that we all can know God. From the least of us to the greatest of us. From the Marios to the Larrys. You decide which one's least and which one's great. We can all know God because God's forgiven our iniquity. We all have full access to God because God's forgiven our iniquity.

He's dealt with our sin and so we have access to God so we can know Him. And as we know Him, you know what happens? His law is written on our hearts and in our minds. He's our passion. He's our pursuit. He's our God. You're not limited. God has dealt with sin. This is the new covenant. This is incredible. Because even though you're a royal scumbag, you have an opportunity to know God.

You have an opportunity to draw near to Him and for His law to be in your heart and He can be your God. And it's not based upon what you've done or where you've been. He can be your God. Now this is why I point this out and this is what the Lord has on my heart this evening is that, listen, Israel refused. They went through chasing and discipline because they refused. They rebelled against God. But Israel,

It doesn't have to be that way. They could have turned when God called out to them. And you and I have the same opportunity. Is He your God? Do you know Him? Is He your passion? Are you wholly devoted to Him? Is His law written in your mind and on your hearts? Do you live to please Him? Is that what you desire? Is that what influences the choices that you make and the actions that you take? Is He your God?

That's the new covenant. Sometimes we like the idea of salvation because none of us want to go to hell. But we fail to make the connection that salvation is more than just saying a prayer because you said these magic words, because you went to church, because you read the Bible. Now you don't have to go to hell. It's more than that. It's as we often say, and just because we say it often, don't discount it or gloss over it or think lightly of it.

It's really about relationship. It's about knowing God. Do you know Him? Is He your God? Is He why you did today what you did today? Is He why you are today in the place that you are? Is He why you act the way that you do? Is He why you treat the people the way you do? Is He the reason for the life that you live? For the way that you organize that life? Is He in His rightful place? Does He have a prominent place in your daily life?

When you wake up, you think about Him. You plan your day because of who He is. You consider what's pleasing to Him and what He would want. When you have those decisions to make, is He your God? The new covenant is that our sin is taken care of. So any one of us, every single one of us, we can know Him. We have equal opportunity to get to know God. I don't have better access to God than someone else.

Nor do I have worse access to God than someone else. From the least to the greatest, we have opportunity to know Him. We have opportunity to make Him our God. Let's finish the chapter. It says in verse 35, Thus says the Lord who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinance of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea and its waves roar, the Lord of hosts is His name.

If those ordinances depart from before me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me forever. Thus says the Lord, if heaven above can be measured, if the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord. God gives some incredible assurance here. He says, look guys, the sun is for light by day, the moon for light by night.

If those things cease, God says, then I'll cast off Israel. Let's keep it personal for now. Hopefully you understand. I pray that you know God has a plan for Israel. He's not done with them. No matter what it looks like now or in the future, He's going to bring them back. He's going to fulfill all these things. But for you and I as well, every time you walk out and you see the sun or you see the moon and the stars, you can know that God has said, look,

When those cease, then I'll stop loving you. And so if you can see the sun or the moon or stars, then you can know that God loves you. And He's drawing you unto Himself. And He's not done with you yet. And He has great plans for you. He says there's hope in your future. He says He disturbs the sea and its waves roar. So when the waves stop roaring, then you can conclude that God has stopped loving you. But as long as there's waves, you can know

that God is not finished with you. He's not finished with the nation of Israel either. He still has a plan and purpose for that. But He's not finished with you. He says, look, the heaven above can be measured. So, if they improve the Hubble telescope and they finally find the end of the universe, the end of God's creation, well, then you can know that God stopped loving you. But until then, you can know God's not done. He still loves you. He's not given up on you.

He's drawing you back. He wants you to know Him. Not just believe in Him. He wants you to know Him. He wants to have that rightful place in your life. And He's working in your life to bring you to the place that you will give Him the priority and the passion, the place of importance that He belongs. When the foundations of the earth are searched out beneath, when they finally dig that hole to China, then you can know God stopped loving you. But until then,

Until then, you can know God's not done with you yet. Verse 38, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord from the tower of Hananel to the corner gate. The surveyor's line shall again extend straight forward over the hill, Gerab. Then it shall turn toward Goeth, and the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron to the corner of the horse gate toward the east shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down any more

Forever. Here God is describing the physical characteristics of the land. He says, I'm going to reestablish you in the land. This is going to be yours. It's going to be built up. It's not going to be thrown down anymore. Forever. God still has a plan for the nation of Israel. He's going to accomplish it. And in much the same way, He still has a plan for you. God says, I know the plans that I have for you. They're not for evil, but they're to give you a future and a hope. There's hope in your future. He is God. He is God.

He is going to do His work. The question is, is He your God? And will you allow Him to do the work that He wants to do in your life? You have the opportunity to know Him. I challenge you this evening to not just say, okay, good job, nice message, pretty good for a kid with a concussion, but to consider, what are you really, my God? Are you the reason for why I live and the way I live and how I live?

Are you the reason? Are you my passion? Are you my God? Do I organize my life because of who you are? Do I make decisions and choices because of what's pleasing to you? Because I love you so much. Every one of us has the opportunity to have this relationship with God because of this new covenant. He's dealt with our iniquity. Don't let that be an excuse. The enemy likes to use that to keep us from God. I think we can't come, right? I can't.

God's upset with me. He's mad at me. All you got to do is walk outside. Go to the beach. Be reminded. God's not done with you. He loves you. He's given you access to himself through his son Jesus Christ. You have the opportunity to know him. So know him. Make him your God. Pursue him with all your heart. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you would help us to hear these things and take heed to these things. Not just to be hearers of the word.

Lord, help us to put it into practice. Lord, as we can see, you have this great plan for your people, for the nation of Israel. And Lord, we can trust and know it is going to be accomplished. Lord, we also can take comfort and know that you are working in a similar way in our lives. God, if we've been experiencing your chastening, help us, Lord, to not be confused or distracted by the enemy who would want us to believe that you're done with us.

God, help us to believe you at your word. Even if we face difficulty, even if there's hardship, God, you're not done with us, but you're doing a great work in us. And you've loved us with an everlasting loving kindness. And so you're drawing us to yourself and building us up and giving us joy. Lord, you have great plans for us. And so, Lord, I pray that you would help us not to have hearts that are divided, but Lord, that we would be single-minded with singleness of heart

devoted to you, passionate about you, would help us to make you our priority, to seek after you and pursue you with our whole heart. Lord, may you be the reason for why we do what we do as we seek to honor and please you. Thank you for the opportunity to know you. Thank you for setting us free from the one that was stronger than us, dealing with our iniquity, that we could approach you and walk

in real, intimate, and personal relationship with you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.