THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Jeremiah: Prophet Of Judgment Followed By Blessing

Part LV: God's Restoration Of The Social Order

(Jeremiah 30:18-31:1)

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 restoring not only Judah's society, but eventually the whole world's social order in Jeremiah 30:18-31:1.

C. We view this passage for insight and edification in our lives (as follows):

II. God's Restoration Of The Social Order, Jeremiah 30:18-31:1.

A. [Note: As we before observed, Old Testament Jeremiah's prophetic timeline included the Babylonian Captivity followed by Israel's restoration to the Land, the Great Tribulation and the Messianic Kingdom. He was not aware of Church era between Israel's restoration to the Land and the Great Tribulation! (Ephesians 3:1-6)]

B. Accordingly, God promised to restore Judah's society following the Babylonian Captivity, Jeremiah 30:18-22:

1. The Lord promised to reverse the captivity of His people, restoring them from the Babylonian Captivity to their homeland in Judah, rebuilding the city of Jerusalem on its hill and causing the king's palace to stand again where it once stood, Jer. 30:18.

2. In place of the silencing of social celebrations such as weddings that had been created by the Babylonian invasion (Jeremiah 7:34) there would be songs, but this time the songs would be of thanksgiving to the Lord for His salvation with the voices of those who celebrated, Jeremiah 30:19a.

3. In the place of the slain bodies left by the Babylonian invaders (Jeremiah 18:21), God would multiply the people of Judah into a great host (Jeremiah 30:19b).

4. In place of the nation's dishonor resulting from defeat in war would be great national honor, Jer. 30:19c.

5. In place of the loss of family life to the sword and captivity, there would be many children and a great congregation of people in Judah all established by the Lord, Jeremiah 30:20a,b.

6. Instead of being brutalized by invaders, God would punish all who oppressed His people, Jer. 30:20c.

7. In place of being ruled by a foreign despot (Jer. 30:8-9), Judah's prince and ruler would be one of the people from her own midst (Jer. 30:21a), a ruler God would bring close to Himself in service in intimate spiritual fellowship unlike the godless kings of Judah who had led her into apostasy, Jeremiah 30:21b.

8. Consequently, the people of Judah would truly be God's people and the Lord their God, Jeremiah 30:22.

C. However, this restoration of the society would necessarily occur after God judged the wicked, Jer. 30:23-24:

1. The theme of Jeremiah's prophecy shifts suddenly from the ideal future social restoration of Judah to the necessary judgment of God that must precede its institution, Jer. 30:23a. God's prophet announced the sudden storm of God's wrath, a whirling tempest that would burst upon the wicked, Jeremiah 30:23b.

2. The Lord's fierce anger would not turn back until He had executed judgment and accomplished the intentions of His mind to punish the wicked, Jeremiah 30:24a.

3. Though the people of Judah would not then understand how necessary it was for God to express His great wrath against sinners as the precedent to His merciful restoration of human society, in the latter days of the Great Tribulation when not only Hebrews but Gentile sinners would face their need fully and realistically to repent before Him would they all understand this, Jeremiah 30:24b; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1169.

D. Thus, the division between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah would be terminated and God would be the Lord of all mankind's clans. They all, Israel, Judah and the Gentile nations of the world who believed in Judah's God, would finally be God's people, Jeremiah 31:1; Ibid.

Lesson: Beginning with God's promise to restore His captive people in Judah, He pledged that following His intense expression of wrath in judging sinners worldwide in the Great Tribulation, be they Hebrews or Gentiles, God would restore both the fortunes of Judah and Israel along with the whole world social order in great blessing.

Application: (1) May we realize that God views Judah and Israel as VEHICLES through whom He plans to bring the WORLD to Himself, and that God must punish man's SIN BEFORE instituting His restoration of a blissful world social order. (2) Accordingly, may we heed God's Word in repenting of our own sins as necessary and give ourselves to discipling other people for Christ, cf. Matthew 28:18-20.