Jeremiah 30

Hey, hey, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we're going to be at Jeremiah chapter 30. We're going to talk about what is God doing to Israel? Why is God doing it as he's going to speak to the people in exile in Babylon? What's he got to say to them? Is it encouragement? Is it chastisement?
We'll find out. Let's have some coffee. We'll pray. We'll get into God's word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your word. We need you, Lord, to be our instructor. We need your spirit to open our eyes and soften our hearts. Help us, Lord, to walk in your ways. Teach us who you are and who we are supposed to be. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Here we go. Jeremiah chapter 30.
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will bring back from captivity my people Israel and Judah, says the Lord. And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. Now these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah.
For thus says Jehovah, We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. And ask now to see whether a man is ever in labor with child. So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it. And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. I love that just kind of funny thing he asked there, right? And by the way, when it says here, whether a man is ever in labor with a child, right? That's literally talking about like me, right? Like a dude, right? Can a guy, can a man have labor? Then why is he holding his guts? Why is he holding his loins? Oh, groaning in pain. right? Hold on. He shall be saved out of this trouble. It's hard right now. You're going to be okay, is what the Lord is saying. Verse 8 and 9.
For it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from your neck, and you will burst your bonds. Foreigners shall no more enslave them, but they shall serve Jehovah their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
Interestingly, there's going to come a descendant from David. The yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, going to be broken. Their bonds, their chains of slavery and exile, broken. They're going to go back and serve Jehovah, their Lord, and they're going to serve some son of David.
I wonder who that is. Therefore, do not fear, O my servant Jacob, says Jehovah. nor be dismayed oh israel for behold i will save you from afar and your seed shall and your seed from the land of their captivity jacob shall return have rest and be quiet and no one shall make him afraid for i am with you says the lord to save you though i make a full end of all nations where i have scattered you yet I will not make a complete end of you, but I will correct you in justice and will not let you go altogether unpunished." What's he saying there? He's saying he's the one who's going to save them out of captivity, but they're there because of their punishment. So don't fear.
For thus says the Lord, verse 12, your affliction is incurable. Your wound is severe. There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up. You have no healing medicines. All your lovers have forgotten you. They do not seek you. For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased. Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you." He's saying, why are you complaining? You did this to yourself. You went after your adulterous relationships, your adulterous idols, and God's the one who's done this to them. They did it to themselves and this is their punishment. Therefore, all those who devour you shall be devoured. And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity. Those who plunder you shall become plunder. And all who prey upon you, I will make a prey.
For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord. Because they called you an outcast, saying, This is Zion, no one seeks her. So God says, right, but I'm going to turn those who hated you back on their heads. Right. The Lord has allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to do this. The Lord allowed the king of Assyria to do this. Right. The Lord allowed Egypt to do it. The Lord allowed these things, these plunderers to come. But he says it's it's not because he endorsed their cruel intentions and ends. Right. He wasn't saying, OK, your blood thirst is fine. No, he let them go with their sin to punish his people for their sins, but he says he will punish them for their sins also.
So verse 18, thus says Jehovah, behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob's tents and have mercy on his dwelling places. The city shall be built upon its own mound and the palace shall remain according to its own plan. then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry i will multiply them and they shall not diminish i will also glorify them and they shall not be small their children also shall be as before and their congregation shall be established before me and i will punish all who oppress them their noble shall be from among them and their governor shall come from their midst Then I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach me. For who is this who pledged his heart to approach me, says the Lord? You shall be my people, and I will be your God." He says they're going to be his children, right? He's going to establish them. They're going to serve their own governors, their own kings, and he will be their God and their Lord, right?
He's saying he's gonna bring them back to himself. Behold, the whirlwind of Jehovah goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind. It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until he has done it and until he has performed the intents of his heart. In the latter days, you will consider it." Well, this is what the Lord is doing. The Lord is going to be furious with those who are sinful and he's going to accomplish his purposes.
So A, B, C, what is this about? B, what's the best version? C, what are we called to do? So what is this about? Well, this is about Judah is going to return. The Lord is prophesying. He's giving Jeremiah a prophecy that there is going to come a return. He's going to make all things right. He is going to repay those who did evil and he's going to bring his people back. So that's what this is about.
What's the best verse to summarize this? Well, I really like verses 8 and 9. I also have verses 21 and 22 underlined, but feel free to write down in the comments what you would underline as what you think is the best verse to summarize this. So see, calling, what are we called to do? Just want to say real quick, with God's providence, he always has a plan.
I've been having a lot of fun putting together a history class for our kids for a homeschool group they're in and going through the early church and as I was thinking through just the persecution, right, I was thinking about Ignatius with his martyrdom and Polycarp with his martyrdom, thinking about Athanasius with his exiles and thinking about all these different people who were murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ and a number of them longing for God.
Why is this happening? I don't understand these things and yet the Lord had an amazing plan. and all these things that the Lord, Jeremiah was really wrestling with. How can this possibly be good? You read through Lamentations, which we'll do some other time. And I mean, it's an ugly destruction of the city. And yet the Lord is saying he's going to make it good. There's a purpose and a reason for it. I'm sure that people thought the same thing at the cross. How could anything good come out of this Roman crucifixion? And yet in that state execution, the Lord's divine justice was satisfied. What a beautiful promise we have from a sovereign Lord who knows what He's doing at all times and in all places.
He's not constrained to any one nation for He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. And so we are able to trust in Him. By the way, when it was no Secret right I said oh, I wonder who that is right, but they shall serve Jehovah their God and David their King whom I will raise up for them right we serve the Son of David Jesus Christ just read Matthew chapter 15 with My children we were doing it in our Greek class together and my kids were reading and they were talking about this Canaanite woman and she calls Jesus good EA We will Davi right Lord, Son of David, and she's crying out for mercy. This is why we call Jesus our Lord. He's the Son of David, He's the King, He's the Messiah, so we serve Him. So may you serve Him.
May you have confidence that even the hard things in your life have a purpose for God's glory. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for the joy of your salvation, for the hope you have given us in your Son. And God, we pray that we would walk before you and we would love you always. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. May God bless you. May you follow the Lord with all your heart. May you walk in His ways. May you find mercy at His feet. I'll see you next time. Bye.