Lesson: Jeremiah 33:2-11
Golden Text: “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” (Jeremiah 33:11).
I. INTRODUCTION. Throughout their history, God’s people went through cycles of sin, forgiveness, and restoration. Jeremiah chapter 33 from which our lesson comes clearly illustrates this pattern. Israel’s restoration after being disciplined by the Lord is anticipated as early in the Bible as Leviticus chapter 26. This is a theme continued by the prophets, particularly those who prophesied as Judah’s exile and captivity drew near. These prophets gave the people hope by pointing to a future time of great blessing that would keep them through the dark days of the Captivity. In this week’s lesson, we learn that even though Jerusalem was damaged and desolate, the city would experience a future rebirth of goodness and prosperity that would be a testimony to nations of the world of God’s faithfulness to His people.
II. THE LORD’S PLAN FOR JERUSALEM’S PRESENT (Jeremiah 33:2-5). Jeremiah chapter 33 is a continuation of last week’s lesson from chapter 32. There, upon God’s directions, Jeremiah purchased land from his cousin to symbolize Israel’s future. After purchasing the land, Jeremiah prayed to the Lord asking why He would have him buy land when the nation would be taken captive (see Jeremiah 32:16-26). God replied to Jeremiah reaffirming that He would give the nation over to the Chaldeans (Babylonians) because of their evil (see Jeremiah 32:27-36). However, the Lord also reaffirmed to Jeremiah that He would gather the people back to their land, make an everlasting covenant with them, and fields shall once again be bought and sold in the land (see Jeremiah 32:37-44). Then in Jeremiah 33:1, we are told that the prophet was still in prison when the word of the Lord came to him a second time. This is where our lesson begins.
A. A pronouncement of extraordinary things (Jeremiah 33:2-3).
1. (vs. 2). Our first verse says “Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name.” God, through Jeremiah reminds the people who He is as Creator: “the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it.” It’s difficult to determine what the word “it” refers to in this verse. Many scholars understand it to refer to the heavens and the earth. However, since God said what would happen to Jerusalem in the previous chapter, it’s quite possible that “it” refers to Jerusalem for God formed this city and established it. Regardless of how we understand what is meant here, in a broader sense it has to mean that whatever the Lord says, He will carry out, and whatever He wants to make, He forms it (see Isaiah 37:26). God then identified Himself as “the Lord is his name.” The term “Lord” here is the Hebrew “Yahweh” and the English is “Jehovah.” It literally means “I am” indicating self-existence. This is God’s covenant name by which He wanted to be known by Israel (see Exodus 3:14-15). This name describes God as eternal, unchangeable, and faithful. He was the God that would perform everything that He commanded Jeremiah to prophesy concerning Israel.
2. (vs. 3). The Lord continued to say to Jeremiah “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” God invited Jeremiah to call upon Him and when he did God would answer by showing him “great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” The word “mighty” in Hebrew means “not accessible” and is often translated “walled” or “fenced” as in a fortified city that can’t be penetrated. In other words when Jeremiah prayed, God promised to answer by revealing what he could not possibly know. These “great and mighty things” refer to the blessings the Lord has in store for Israel’s future. God would reveal to Jeremiah things that seemed impossible in light of the present circumstances---being under siege by the Chaldeans.
B. A pronouncement of judgment (Jeremiah 33:4-5).
1. (vs. 4). In this verse Jeremiah says “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.” This verse introduces what God is about to say concerning the disciplinary judgment He was going to bring upon Jerusalem. The Lord said this message concerned the desperate measures the people were taking in order to resist the attack of the Babylonians. It involved how they were using “the houses of this city” and “the houses of the kings of Judah.” As a result of the siege by the Babylonians, the people of Judah had torn down both the royal palace and their own houses to defend the city from the approaching enemy. It appears from the wording of this verse that the houses and the palace were being “thrown down (or broken down) by the mounts (or ramps), and by the sword.” However, actually these were broken down and used to defend the city against the mounds and the swords of the siege.
2. (vs. 5). Now God goes on to describe what will take place in the city. He said “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.” The Lord was saying that the people were trying to fight the Chaldeans (or Babylonians) but their efforts would be futile because the houses they hoped could save them would be filled with “the dead bodies of men.” This is a reference to their own dead bodies not the bodies of the enemy. Although the Chaldeans would be the ones doing the killing, God claimed responsibility for it when He said “I have slain in mine anger and in my fury.” The Lord’s anger and fury was due to Judah’s wickedness (see Jeremiah 32:30-32). The nation was so wicked that God also said “for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.” This is a picture of God turning away and hiding His face from Jerusalem letting it and the people suffer from their own evil deeds. God’s people had turned their backs on Him by following other gods (see Jeremiah 32:33-35), so now He had no choice but to return the favor.
III. THE LORD’S PLAN FOR JERUSALEM’S FUTURE (Jeremiah 33:6-11)
A. Captivity ended (Jeremiah 33:6-7).
1. (vs. 6). The message from God now turns from disciplinary judgment to future blessing. The Lord said “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” Even though the nation had not fully experienced the Captivity yet, God prophesied a bright future for the nation. He said “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them.” To the Lord, Judah’s sin was like bruises and wounds (see Jeremiah 30:12) and they needed national healing. This healing would come with their future restoration to the land. God used two medical terms to describe their healing. The word “health” in Hebrew has the idea of closing a wound emphasizing the new skin that grows on the affected area. The Hebrew word for “cure” simply means “healing” referring to the nation’s sins that had seemed incurable (see Jeremiah 8:15; 14:19). Once the nation is healed and returned to their homeland, God said that He would also “reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” The term “peace” refers to the security, stability, and prosperity that Israel will once again enjoy in their own land. The word “truth” refers to God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness to keep His covenants and promises (see Psalms 85:1, 10-11). After they have been disciplined God will bless His people.
2. (vs. 7). The Lord continued to say “And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.” One of God’s blessings will be national restoration. God said “And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return.” Regardless of the location of Jews taken captive under the divided nation, God will end the captivity and return them home. He will reverse the captivity which will include both “Judah” and “Israel.” The divided kingdom will once again be a united nation. The Lord also said that He would “build them, as at the first.” This means that God will rebuild Israel to their original greatness as in the days of David and Solomon when it was one nation (see Ezekiel 37:15-22). The rivalry between the tribes that led to the division under Rehoboam (see I Kings 12:12-20) will not exist (see Isaiah 11:13).
B. Sins forgiven (Jeremiah 33:8-9).
1. (vs. 8). Not only did God promise to restore Israel to her original greatness, but the Lord said in this verse “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.” Once Israel is restored, God said He will “cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me.” This passage uses three words to describe Israel’s wickedness. The term “iniquity” means to twist or distort God’s standard. The word “sin” means “missing the mark” or “falling short of God’s standard.” The term “transgression” means “to rebel” but is also sometimes translated as crossing a set standard. Whatever evil Israel is guilty of, God will “cleanse them” from it. In the Scriptures, cleansing is often an act of ritual purification (se Leviticus 13:1-7). However, here cleansing refers to moral purity that God gives to those who repent (see Psalms 51:2, 7; Ezekiel 36:24-25). Not only will God cleanse His people from their sins, He also promised to “pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” The word “pardon” means to forgive or to release someone from punishment. Pardoning is always an act of divine forgiveness, not human forgiveness. Unlike man, God is unique in His desire and ability to pardon our iniquities (see Micah 7:18-19). When Christ sets up His millennial kingdom, God will forgive the remnant of Jews who repent and return to Him (see Jeremiah 31:34; 50:20). Their forgiveness, like ours is based on Jesus’ atoning death.
2. (vs. 9). In this verse God goes on to say “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 word “it” in this verse refers to Jerusalem. Once God has cleansed the remnant who returns to Him, the restored city of Jerusalem will be “a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth” for the Lord (see Isaiah 55:13; 62:3-4; Jeremiah 13:11). God had always intended for Israel to be a witness to the world of His glory and perfection (see Exodus 19:5-6). However up to this point Israel and Jerusalem had only been a disgrace to the Lord before their neighbors. But that will change in the future kingdom when Jerusalem will honor God and “all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them.” In other words, all the nations of the world will see all the good that God has done for Israel and Jerusalem causing those nations to honor the Lord. In addition, the nations of the world “shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.” This means that the nations will stand in awe at Jerusalem’s goodness and prosperity (see Jeremiah 3:17; 4:2). Note: The church, like Israel, was chosen by God to represent Him on earth, demonstrating His glory and redemption (see Matthew 5:13-16; Philippians 2:14-15; I Peter 2:9). However, too often we resemble the world around us so much that our testimony and profession become a mockery and Christ’s name is blasphemed. We must do better!
C. Gladness restored (Jeremiah 33:10-11).
1. (vs. 10). In this verse Jeremiah said “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.” The city of Jerusalem was under siege but God spoke of the city as if the Captivity had already taken place. The phrase “Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place” actually introduces what the city will look like when God restores it after the return from Captivity. But at the present time, the people were saying that land is “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.” The city will become “desolate” or without inhabitants because they will either be killed or taken captive. The livestock also will be missing because the enemy will have taken it all. In essence, the land will be empty of both man and animal. This situation will be so severe that it caused Jeremiah to weep over the fallen city (see Lamentations 1:1-4).
2. (vs. 11). The previous verse begins with “Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place” which should be followed by this verse where God says “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.” Even though the Captivity will cause the land to be desolate, God declared that once again there will be heard in Jerusalem, first “The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness.” The city and the countryside will once again be filled with voices of happiness (see Isaiah 51:3). Second, there will be “the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.” This indicates that weddings will once again take place in the restored land. Third, there will be the “voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” Worshippers will give praise to God using the words that began several of the psalms, “the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever” (see Psalms 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 136:1). And fourth, there will be the voice of “them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord.” This means that formal worship will also be reestablished and the voices of those who bring their offerings of praise to the house of the Lord will be heard. This is a picture of the restored people bringing their sacrifices and praising God for His goodness (see Jeremiah 17:26). For Christians, praise itself is a sacrifice (see Hebrews 13:15). The phrase “the house of the Lord” indicates that the destroyed temple will be rebuilt during the millennial kingdom. The temple was rebuilt when the exiles returned from Babylon, but it was destroyed again by the Romans in 70 A.D. However, Ezekiel prophesied that a magnificent temple will again occupy Jerusalem during the millennium (see Ezekiel chapters 40-46). Finally, in this verse God said “For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.” All this joy and excitement in the land of Israel will happen when the Lord restores them and they occupy the land as they did when God first gave it to their forefathers.
IV. Conclusion. In this week’s lesson we saw how God reassured Jeremiah concerning the future condition of Israel. In place of silence, verbal testimonies of laughter and celebration will come from marriage celebrations. Shouts of unending praise to God’s goodness and mercy will proceed from the lips of His worshippers. As we face dark days and difficulties in our lives, the Lord sustains us too with the hope of a glorious future. This will occur first in the millennial kingdom, with Israel as the head of the nations, and then in a new heaven and new earth (see Revelation 21:1).
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