August 7, 2025
Future Restoration Will Come After Judgment
Jeremiah 31-33
Mikayla Horner
Big Book Idea
Being a messenger of truth in a dark place can be challenging, but it is worth it.
Key Verse | Jeremiah 33:15
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.
Jeremiah 31-33
Chapter 31
The LORD Will Turn Mourning to Joy
1 “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
2
Thus says the LORD:
“The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest,
3
the LORD appeared to him
1
31:3
Septuagint; Hebrew me
from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
4
Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
5
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant
and shall enjoy the fruit.
6
For there shall be a day when watchmen will call
in the hill country of Ephraim:
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
to the LORD our God.’”
7
For thus says the LORD:
“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘O LORD, save your people,
the remnant of Israel.’
8
Behold, I will bring them from the north country
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
9
With weeping they shall come,
and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
I will make them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,
for I am a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.
10
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
11
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
12
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
and they shall languish no more.
13
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy;
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14
I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the LORD.”
15
Thus says the LORD:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
she refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are no more.”
16
Thus says the LORD:
“Keep your voice from weeping,
and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,
declares the LORD,
and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17
There is hope for your future,
declares the LORD,
and your children shall come back to their own country.
18
I have heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,
like an untrained calf;
bring me back that I may be restored,
for you are the LORD my God.
19
For after I had turned away, I relented,
and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh;
I was ashamed, and I was confounded,
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
20
Is Ephraim my dear son?
Is he my darling child?
For as often as I speak against him,
I do remember him still.
Therefore my heart
2
31:20
Hebrew bowels
yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him,
declares the LORD.
21
Set up road markers for yourself;
make yourself guideposts;
consider well the highway,
the road by which you went.
Return, O virgin Israel,
return to these your cities.
22
How long will you waver,
O faithless daughter?
For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth:
a woman encircles a man.”
23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes:
‘The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness,
O holy hill!’
24 And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. 25 For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”
26 At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.
27 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD. 29 In those days they shall no longer say:
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge.’
30 But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 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, 32 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. 33 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. 34 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.”
35
Thus says the LORD,
who gives the sun for light by day
and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the LORD of hosts is his name:
36
“If this fixed order departs
from before me, declares the LORD,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
from being a nation before me forever.”
37
Thus says the LORD:
“If the heavens above can be measured,
and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,
then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel
for all that they have done,
declares the LORD.”
38 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”
Chapter 32
Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. 3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; 4 Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. 5 And he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the LORD. Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed’?”
6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ 8 Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. 11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. 12 And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13 I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, 14 ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’
Jeremiah Prays for Understanding
16 After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: 17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. 20 You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. 21 You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. 22 And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. 24 Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. 25 Yet you, O Lord God, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”
26 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? 28 Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD. 31 This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight 32 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. 34 They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. 35 They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
They Shall Be My People; I Will Be Their God
36 Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 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. 40 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. 41 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.
42 For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. 43 Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ 44 Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”
Chapter 33
The LORD Promises Peace
1 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: 2 “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, 3 33:2 Septuagint; Hebrew it the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: 3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 4 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: 5 They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them 4 33:5 That is, the torn-down houses with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. 6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. 8 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. 9 And this city 5 33:9 Hebrew And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.
10 Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again 11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD:
‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
for the LORD is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!’
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.
12 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. 13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.
The LORD's Eternal Covenant with David
14 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. 15 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. 16 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.’
17 For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”
19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20 “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, 21 then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”
23 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. 25 Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, 26 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.”
Table of Contents
Introduction to Jeremiah
Timeline
Author and Date
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet c. 627 B.C., when he was young (1:6). He served for more than 40 years (1:2–3). Jeremiah had a difficult life. His messages of repentance delivered at the temple were not well received (7:1–8:3; 26:1–11). His hometown plotted against him (11:18–23), and he endured much persecution (20:1–6; 37:11–38:13; 43:1–7). At God’s command, he never married (16:1–4). Although he preached God’s word faithfully, he apparently had only two converts: Baruch, his scribe (32:12; 36:1–4; 45:1–5); and Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch who served the king (38:7–13; 39:15–18). Though the book does not reveal the time or place of Jeremiah’s death, he probably died in Egypt, where he had been taken by his countrymen against his will after the fall of Jerusalem (43:1–7). He most likely did not live to see the devastation he mentions in chs. 46–51.
Purpose
Jeremiah and Baruch left a record of the difficult times in which they lived, God’s message for those times, and God’s message for the future of Israel and the nations.
Key Themes
- God and humanity. God alone is a living God. God alone made the world. All other so-called gods are mere idols (10:1–16). This Creator God called Israel to a special relationship (chs. 2–6), gave her his holy word, and promised to bless her temple with his name and presence (7:1–8:3). God rules both the present and the future (1:4–16; 29:1–10), protects his chosen ones (1:17–19; 29:11–14; 39:15–18; 45:1–5), and saves those who turn to him (12:14–17). Because God is absolutely trustworthy and always keeps his promises, his grace triumphs over sin and judgment when people repent and turn to him.
The human heart is sick, and no one except God can cure it (17:9–10). The nations worship idols instead of their Creator (10:1–16). Israel, God’s covenant people, went after other gods (chs. 2–6), defiled the temple by their unwillingness to repent (7:1–8:3; 26:1–11), and oppressed one another (34:8–16). Since Israel and the nations have sinned against God (25:1–26), God the Creator is also the Judge of every nation on the earth he created (chs. 46–51).
- Old covenant, Messiah, and new covenant. God made a covenant with Israel, based on his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12–50). As time passed, God’s covenant with Israel included his promise to David of an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17). God used Jeremiah to deliver the good news that, sometime in the future, God would “make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jer. 31:31). This covenant would be different in one major way. The new covenant partners will not break the covenant, as most of the old partners did even though God was completely faithful (31:32). Instead, the new covenant partners will have the word of God so ingrained in their hearts through God’s power that they will know and follow God all their lives (31:33–34).
Thus, all the new covenant partners will be believers who are forgiven and empowered by God; he will “remember their sin no more” (31:34). Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jer. 31:31–34 as evidence that the new covenant has come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus the Messiah fulfills God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets.
Outline
- Introduction (1:1–19)
- Israel’s Covenantal Adultery (2:1–6:30)
- False Religion and an Idolatrous People (7:1–10:25)
- Jeremiah’s Struggles with God and Judah (11:1–20:18)
- Jeremiah’s Confrontations (21:1–29:32)
- Restoration for Judah and Israel (30:1–33:26)
- God Judges Judah (34:1–45:5)
- God’s Judgment on the Nations (46:1–51:64)
- Conclusion: The Fall of Jerusalem (52:1–34)
Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah
c. 597 B.C.
The book of Jeremiah is set during the politically tumultuous times following the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Babylonians. During Jeremiah’s life, several groups of Judeans were deported to Babylon and the temple was destroyed. Though the precise boundaries of Judea and the surrounding regions during this period are difficult to determine, they likely resembled those that previously existed under Assyrian rule, with the exception that Edom (Idumea) was now the area formerly belonging to southern Judah.
Fact: from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate
Jeremiah said that Jerusalem would someday be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate (31:38). This is probably where the Babylonian army broke through the walls of Jerusalem. It was on the north side of the city, where the land was flat. There were steep valleys around the rest of the city, which would have made it harder to invade.
Fact: Sealing documents in earthenware vessels
Sealing documents in earthenware vessels (32:14) was a common way to preserve them for future generations. The Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the most important biblical archaeological discoveries, were found in vessels similar to the one Jeremiah used.
Fact: A new covenant
A new covenant. God wrote the first covenant, the law, on stone tablets (Ex. 24:12). The new covenant is “written” on hearts (2 Cor. 3:2–3; see Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 11:19). In other words, the Spirit changes believers’ hearts to enable them to obey God.
Israel and Judah at the Time of Jeremiah
c. 597 B.C.
The book of Jeremiah is set during the politically tumultuous times following the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Babylonians. During Jeremiah’s life, several groups of Judeans were deported to Babylon and the temple was destroyed. Though the precise boundaries of Judea and the surrounding regions during this period are difficult to determine, they likely resembled those that previously existed under Assyrian rule, with the exception that Edom (Idumea) was now the area formerly belonging to southern Judah.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah was born in Anathoth, a small town outside of Jerusalem. Called by God as a young man, he served as a prophet for more than 40 years. Jeremiah had a difficult life. By God’s command, he never married, and he apparently had only two converts during his entire ministry. The nation of Judah did not respond favorably to his messages of repentance. He was scorned in his own hometown and even falsely imprisoned on charges that he was collaborating with the Babylonian invaders. Like many of the Lord’s prophets, Jeremiah suffered public mockery and physical abuse. Yet God used his faithful servant to deliver the good news that in future days God would make a new, unbreakable covenant with his people (31:31). Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jeremiah 31:31–34 as evidence that this new covenant has come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Jeremiah 31:31–34)
Jer. 31:9 God will provide for all their needs as the exiles return. father to Israel. See Ex. 4:22–23; Hos. 11:1–9.
Jer. 31:10 God, Israel’s great shepherd (Isa. 40:11), will gather and keep (guard) his sheep.
Jer. 31:13 When God restores Israel’s lives he will also restore their joy. God will comfort them. See Isa. 40:1.
Jer. 31:15 Ramah. Five miles (8 km) north of Jerusalem and on the route to exile (40:1). Rachel. Jacob’s second and favorite wife (Gen. 29:30). Joseph was her son and the father of Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 30:22–24; 41:50–52). Rachel was buried near Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19–20). Jeremiah focuses on the grief of the exile, as if it touched Rachel herself. See Matt. 2:18.
Jer. 31:16–17 God promises that Rachel’s children will return from exile.
Jer. 31:18 Ephraim recognizes God’s discipline (see Lev. 26:14–26; Deut. 30:1–10) and pleads for restoration (Lam. 5:21–22).
Jer. 31:21 Israel should mark the way they went out (to exile), for they will return on the same road.
Jer. 31:22 How long will you waver, that is, how long will you wait to fulfill the prophecy of v. 6? faithless daughter. What Ephraim has been in the past. a new thing. A new beginning (Isa. 43:19; 48:7).
Jer. 31:23–25 Jeremiah addresses Judah, who will soon join Israel in exile. God will restore Judah and its rejoicing, just as he will Israel’s (vv. 2–7).
Jer. 31:28 At that time God will be as determined to plant and build as he was to tear down and destroy (see 1:10).
Jer. 31:29–30 sour grapes . . . teeth are set on edge. This proverb was apparently common (see Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 18:2). The negation of the proverb (they shall no longer say) means that no one will suffer for the sins of others, because national rebellion against God will cease. The remnant will become the majority.
Jer. 31:31 The new covenant will provide a fresh start for Israel and Judah, the first recipients of both the old and now the new covenant (see note on vv. 31–34). This is the only OT passage to use the specific term “new covenant”; for NT uses of the phrase, see Luke 22:20; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:8–12.
Jer. 31:32 This new covenant will be different in that it will not be broken, as Israel and Judah broke the first one despite God’s faithfulness as a good husband.
Jer. 31:33 Rather than writing the law on tablets and scrolls (see Ex. 34:1; Deut. 31:9–13) and asking the people to internalize it (Deut. 6:4–9), God will write it on their hearts from the start. He will be the God of this new covenant, just as he was for the old covenant partners who loved him.
Jer. 31:31–34 God’s people have a long-standing problem. Most are circumcised in body but so few are circumcised in heart (that is, truly know the LORD). God will remedy this problem. The benefits that God will provide—knowledge of the Lord and forgiveness—were all offered in the OT but all-too-rarely accepted.
Fact: A new covenant
A new covenant. God wrote the first covenant, the law, on stone tablets (Ex. 24:12). The new covenant is “written” on hearts (2 Cor. 3:2–3; see Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 11:19). In other words, the Spirit changes believers’ hearts to enable them to obey God.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah was born in Anathoth, a small town outside of Jerusalem. Called by God as a young man, he served as a prophet for more than 40 years. Jeremiah had a difficult life. By God’s command, he never married, and he apparently had only two converts during his entire ministry. The nation of Judah did not respond favorably to his messages of repentance. He was scorned in his own hometown and even falsely imprisoned on charges that he was collaborating with the Babylonian invaders. Like many of the Lord’s prophets, Jeremiah suffered public mockery and physical abuse. Yet God used his faithful servant to deliver the good news that in future days God would make a new, unbreakable covenant with his people (31:31). Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jeremiah 31:31–34 as evidence that this new covenant has come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Jeremiah 31:31–34)
Jer. 31:35–36 God gives a fixed order to the natural creation. It is just as impossible for the new covenant (vv. 31–34) to cease as it is for the natural order to cease.
Fact: from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate
Jeremiah said that Jerusalem would someday be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate (31:38). This is probably where the Babylonian army broke through the walls of Jerusalem. It was on the north side of the city, where the land was flat. There were steep valleys around the rest of the city, which would have made it harder to invade.
Jer. 31:1–40 This chapter includes the most famous passage in Jeremiah, the promise of a new covenant (vv. 31–40). Leading up to that passage, God promises Israel that they will be his people (vv. 1–14), he will have mercy on weary Israel (vv. 15–26), and he will make Israel secure (vv. 27–30).
Jer. 31:38–40 Jerusalem will soon be destroyed, yet God will eventually rebuild it. When it is totally sacred to the Lord (Zech. 14:20–21), it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever. At that time Jerusalem will be Zion, the new Jerusalem, the city where God lives with his people in the permanent absence of sin (Isa. 4:2–6; 25:6–12; 65:17–25).
Jer. 32:1 tenth year. c. 588–587 B.C.
Jer. 32:2–5 Babylon was besieging Jerusalem. This siege lasted about a year (see 39:1; 52:4). Jeremiah was imprisoned by Zedekiah (37:11–21) for prophesying that Babylon would conquer Jerusalem (21:1–10; 34:1–5; 37:6–10).
Jer. 32:6–7 Hanamel . . . will come to you. God revealed what would occur. right of redemption. See Lev. 25:25–32. When property was sold due to financial problems, a relative would buy it back so that it could stay in the family. The person who bought it back was called a “kinsman-redeemer” (see “redeemer,” Ruth 4:1).
Jer. 32:9 Because of God’s word, Jeremiah buys the field, even though Babylon will soon invade the land. seventeen shekels. About seven ounces.
Jer. 32:11 sealed deed . . . open copy. Scribes wrote two copies of the transaction. They rolled up and sealed the first copy, leaving the second open for viewing.
Jer. 32:12 Baruch was Jeremiah’s disciple and scribe (36:4; 45:1–5).
Jer. 32:13–14 Jeremiah had Baruch place the precious document in an earthenware storage vessel for safekeeping.
Fact: Sealing documents in earthenware vessels
Sealing documents in earthenware vessels (32:14) was a common way to preserve them for future generations. The Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the most important biblical archaeological discoveries, were found in vessels similar to the one Jeremiah used.
Jer. 32:15 Now the point of this symbolic act (see also 13:1–14; 16:1–13; 18:1–11; 19:1–15; 27:1–28:17) is revealed: God will return the people to the land, and fields will be bought and sold again.
Jer. 32:17 Jeremiah’s prayer begins by confessing that God is the all-powerful Creator (made the heavens), for whom nothing is too hard (see Gen. 18:14). God has infinite power and can do all that he wills to do. However, that does not mean God can do anything, for he cannot act contrary to his own character (see 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:18).
Jer. 32:18 steadfast love to thousands. Covenant love to countless generations. See Ex. 34:6–7; Joel 2:12–14; Jonah 4:2. repay the guilt. In many cases, both fathers and children have sinned in the same ways, so both suffer the consequences of their actions. See Ex. 20:5–6; Jer. 3:25; 14:20.
Jer. 32:20–23 God has revealed his characteristics (vv. 17–19) by his great acts, such as sending the plagues in Egypt, leading Israel in the exodus, giving Israel the Promised Land, and bearing with Israel until he allowed Babylon to invade.
Jer. 32:24 What you spoke has come to pass. All God’s threats, beginning with 1:9–16, were fulfilled.
Jer. 32:25 Given the certain Babylonian victory, Jeremiah wonders why God directed him to buy land.
Jer. 32:26–27 God confirms Jeremiah’s confession (v. 17). He is the Creator of all flesh, and nothing is too hard for him to accomplish.
Jer. 32:37 I will gather them. See 23:7–8; 29:10–14; 31:1–9.
Jer. 32:38 they shall be my people. See 24:7; 30:22; 31:33.
Jer. 32:39 one heart. United together to serve God (Ezek. 11:19; see Deut. 6:4–9; Jer. 4:4).
Jer. 32:40–41 everlasting covenant. See Isa. 55:3; Ezek. 16:60; 37:26; compare Jer. 31:31–40. God’s covenant will not cease: he will do good to his people, place fear of him in their hearts, and plant them in this land. God will provide everything needed to keep the covenant. I will rejoice in doing them good. God keeps his promises with great delight.
Jer. 32:44 Just as Jeremiah has purchased land (vv. 1–15), others will do the same in future times.
Jer. 33:2 God the Creator (10:16; 32:17), who formed and established the earth, makes the promises that follow. His word was as powerful in Jeremiah’s time as in Gen. 1:1–2:3. His promises cannot fail.
Jer. 33:3 hidden things. Future things that God will now reveal.
Jer. 33:5 God reveals that all current efforts to repel Babylon will fail. Because of Jerusalem’s evil deeds, God will fill it with dead bodies.
Jer. 33:6–8 God promises health and healing for Jerusalem’s “wounds”—its devastation, disgrace, and sin (30:16–17; see 33:7–8)—but first he will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin.
Jer. 33:9 Jerusalem has become a warning for other nations (see 15:4; 24:9; 29:18), but in the future it will be a testimony to God’s goodness.
Jer. 33:10–11 voice of gladness. Jeremiah correctly prophesied that joy would cease when Jerusalem was made desolate (7:34; 16:9; 25:10). But now he prophesies that joy will be restored, with worship being the most important joy (30:19; Ps. 107:22; 136:1–26).
Jer. 33:15 Branch. The Davidic messianic offspring (see Isa. 4:2; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). execute justice and righteousness. A key role God and his Messiah will play (Isa. 9:7; 11:5; Jer. 23:5–6; see 22:3, 13, 15).
Jer. 33:16 The Messiah’s coming will mean salvation for Judah and Jerusalem. The city will be so changed that it will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness,” the name given to the Messiah in 23:6.
Jer. 33:19–21 See 31:35–37. Like the new covenant, God’s covenant with David and Levi will endure forever. This does not contradict the NT teaching about a new covenant (31:31), for Christ fulfills the promise that one of David’s descendants will always reign over the house of Israel.
Jer. 33:22 Like Abraham’s descendants, the offspring of David will be too many to be counted (Gen. 15:1–6), for there will be many believers in the Messiah. They will share the Messiah’s inheritance (Rom. 8:17).
Jer. 30:1–33:26 Restoration for Judah and Israel. The book now turns to positive themes. At last Jeremiah may “build and plant” (1:10). He claims that God will restore the nation (ch. 30), make a new covenant with Israel (ch. 31), bring Israel back to the Promised Land (ch. 32), and honor his covenant with David (ch. 33).
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Listen NowDive Deeper | Jeremiah 31-33
In the hymn "The Love of God," I love the lines that read: "The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell" and "to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry," (Lehman, "The Love of God") I like this hymn because it reminds me that nothing I can do will ever lessen the love God has for me.
It is strange to be talking about love in Jeremiah after chapters of judgment. In today's reading, however, there is a change of tone from condemnation to consolation. Here we see that Jeremiah was called by God to prophesy not only the condemnation of Judah, but also his ultimate plan for hope and repentance in a fallen world. Jeremiah 33:15 says, "I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." Jesus is that Branch! It's here that our Father reveals that Jesus will be born from the line of David. And it is Jesus who will ultimately provide justice and righteousness to God's people.
The Old Covenant required strict obedience to the Mosaic Law, obedience that could not be attained by any man. Jeremiah foretells a new covenant in which God declares: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. . . . for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest . . . . For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:33b, 34b). If this doesn't make you jump out of your chair for joy, I don't know what would!
The Holy Spirit lives in us; and, because of this, we should be encouraged to live a life of hope and gratitude even when we are in a difficult season. God sent his Son to die for our sins, so again I say, "To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry."
This month's memory verse
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
– Lamentations 3:21-23
Discussion Questions
1. Have you ever struggled to feel God's love for you? What truths can you take from Jeremiah 31-33 for situations like that?
2. What, where, or whom do you turn to when you feel like you are being judged? Why is that? What would it look like if your "go-to" was the Lord today?
3. How can you share with those who do not yet believe the good news that God provides hope and repentance in a fallen world?