Week 31, July 26–August 1: Jeremiah 30–47; Psalms 98–104

• Sun      Jul 26  Jer. 30–32       Ps. 98
• Mon     Jul 27  Jer. 33–34       Ps. 99
• Tue      Jul 28  Jer. 35–37       Ps. 100
• Wed     Jul 29  Jer. 38–39       Ps. 101
• Thu      Jul 30  Jer. 40–42       Ps. 102
• Fri        Jul 31  Jer. 43–44       Ps. 103
• Sat       Aug 1  Jer. 45–47       Ps. 104

So far the tone of Jeremiah has mostly been negative, with the emphasis of the prophet’s message focusing on God’s coming judgement for Israel and Judah’s sin. There have been hints of a better future to come, but they have not been the main point of the message. In this week’s reading, those hints of a hopeful future take a more prominent place. Here we read of the new covenant that is coming, and again of the righteous Branch, the son of David who will usher in this new covenant.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:31–34)

“I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.” (Jer. 32:39–41)

“I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me… Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’… Thus says the Lord: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” (Jer. 33:7–8, 14–16, 25–26)

Then, as the book moves towards a close, there is a series of oracles of judgement against the nations surrounding Israel and Judah. These are prophesies of doom the Lord has planned for these nations who have been enemies to his people over the course of their history. This includes nations geographically near Israel and Judah, like the Philistines and Moabites and Ammonites, and also includes nations farther away, like Egypt and Babylon. Each of the nations included in these oracles have been part in the story of God’s people and in the narrative of Scripture. They have all played the role of nemesis to Israel at different points in their past.

This kind of judgement oracles against the nations occurred in Isaiah too, and they will also be a recurring part of the rest of the prophetic literature. The consistent message is that even though Israel is experiencing deserved defeat at the hands of these wicked nations, those nations will also be judged one day.

Whether Egypt, Babylon, or any other nation, thy represent all that is at odds with the Lord and his purposes in the world. These nations, and the evil forces of sin they represent, may seem like they are prevailing upon the people of God—and at times they are; but in the end, the Lord will defeat them in judgement, just as he will strike a final blow to sin and death itself.