THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Jeremiah: Prophet Of Judgment Followed By Blessing

Part LVIII: God's New Relationship With His Chosen People, Jeremiah 31:27-40

A. God's New Order For Israel And Judah

(Jeremiah 31:27-30)

I. Introduction

A. When God's people face hard times, be they trials due to punishment for sin or persecution for the sake of righteousness, the Lord knows they need to be encouraged, so He provides it.

B. After predicting the Babylonian Captivity, but before its fulfillment, God had Jeremiah predict His promises of not only restoring His people from the Babylonian Captivity, but of providing a new order for them, and that for both Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 31:27-30. We view that passage for insight and edification:

II. God's New Order For Israel And Judah, Jeremiah 31:27-30.

A. God will have a new relationship with His people Israel and Judah with three aspects to it, which aspects are each introduced by the phrase, "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord" in Jeremiah 31:27a, 31a and 38a.

B. The first aspect of that new relationship is God's new order as described in Jeremiah 31:27-30 (as follows):

1. God predicted a new repopulation for Israel and Judah, Jeremiah 31:27:

a. He promised figuratively to "sow" the house of Israel and the house of Judah, a united kingdom, with the seed of men, referring to a massive growth in the population of His united people, Jeremiah 31:27a.

b. In addition, God promised figuratively to "sow" the house of Israel and the house of Judah, a united kingdom, with the seed of animals, increasing their agricultural bounty and productivity, Jer. 31:27b.

2. God predicted a new social stability for Israel and Judah, Jeremiah 31:28:

a. The Lord had formerly watched over Israel and Judah for their destruction and captivity at the hands of Assyria and Babylon respectively due to the rebellion of His people against Him, Jeremiah 31:28a.

b. However, in contrast to this former encroaching social disorder, God would watch over His people to build and to plant, to reconstructing their destroyed cities and homes and to replanting their field crops, orchards and vineyards in agricultural bounty, Jeremiah 31:28b.

3. God predicted a new spiritual discernment for Israel and Judah, Jeremiah 31:29-30:

a. The Lord complained that a proverb was circulating in Jerusalem that said, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge," Jeremiah 31:29 ESV.

b. Ezekiel, a contemporary prophet of Jeremiah, wrote of this same proverb that was circulating not only in Jerusalem, but also among the Hebrew captives who were in Babylon with Ezekiel, Ezekiel 18:1-2.

c. That Ezekiel passage explains that the people were complaining that they were suffering God's judgment for what their forefathers had done in sinning against the Lord, cf. Ezekiel 18:3-4.

d. Then, in Ezekiel 18:5-32, God continued to explain through His prophet Ezekiel in illustration after illustration how God judges only the sinner for his own sin, not a son for the father's sin.

e. Similarly, God directed through Jeremiah that this errant proverb would no longer be used, for every man would die for his own sin, that every man who ate the sour grapes of sin would have his own teeth set on edge as the result in terms of divine discipline, Jeremiah 31:30.

f. God had been gracious over the generations, stalling on leveling severe discipline on the people of Israel and of Judah, only to see those who were actually judged blame Him for being unjust when in reality God had every right to judge them for their own sin. Their misunderstanding of God's gracious patience had led to the rise of this errant proverb, so the people of Israel and Judah would have a new spiritual discernment to understand God's righteousness, judgment and grace.

Lesson: In the future Messianic Kingdom, God promises to have a new relationship with Israel and Judah, one that involves a new order in which God will repopulate the united nation with people and animals, He will provide a new social stability with rebuilt homes, cities and houses and replanted crops, orchards and vineyards together with a new spiritual discernment of God's perfect righteousness, judgment and grace.

Application: (1) As we will be part of the Messianic Kingdom as the Bride of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, may we joyfully anticipate our part in God's future new world order. (2) May we realize that we will answer to God for our own current lives, not for the lives of others (Galatians 6:4-5), that we abound in God's work (1 Corinthians 15:58), knowing not only that our labor in Him is not in vain, but that we will also give an account to Him for it.