RUINS TO RESTORATION

Restoration for Israel and Judah

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”

4 These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

5 “Thus says the LORD:
We have heard a cry of panic,
    of terror, and no peace.
6 Ask now, and see,
    can a man bear a child?
Why then do I see every man
    with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?
    Why has every face turned pale?
7 Alas! That day is so great
    there is none like it;
it is a time of distress for Jacob;
    yet he shall be saved out of it.

8 And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him.^{1

30:8
Or serve him} 9 But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

10 Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD,
    nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for behold, I will save you from far away,
    and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
    and none shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with you to save you,
    declares the LORD;
I will make a full end of all the nations
    among whom I scattered you,
    but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
    and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

12 For thus says the LORD:
Your hurt is incurable,
    and your wound is grievous.
13 There is none to uphold your cause,
    no medicine for your wound,
    no healing for you.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
    they care nothing for you;
for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,
    the punishment of a merciless foe,
because your guilt is great,
    because your sins are flagrant.
15 Why do you cry out over your hurt?
    Your pain is incurable.
Because your guilt is great,
    because your sins are flagrant,
    I have done these things to you.
16 Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured,
    and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
those who plunder you shall be plundered,
    and all who prey on you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you,
    and your wounds I will heal,
    declares the LORD,
because they have called you an outcast:
    ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’

18 Thus says the LORD:
Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
    and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city shall be rebuilt on its mound,
    and the palace shall stand where it used to be.
19 Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,
    and the voices of those who celebrate.
I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;
    I will make them honored, and they shall not be small.
20 Their children shall be as they were of old,
    and their congregation shall be established before me,
    and I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their prince shall be one of themselves;
    their ruler shall come out from their midst;
I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me,
    for who would dare of himself to approach me?
    declares the LORD.
22 And you shall be my people,
    and I will be your God.”

23 Behold the storm of the LORD!
    Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
    it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back
    until he has executed and accomplished
    the intentions of his mind.
In the latter days you will understand this.

Footnotes

[1] 30:8 Or serve him

As you read through the book of Jeremiah, you see Jeremiah prophesying over and over again about the coming destruction and exile of Judah. The people of Judah will be in captivity to Babylon for 70 years because of their unwillingness to listen to Jeremiah's warnings and repent of their sin (Jeremiah 25:12).

Now in chapter 30, we see a glimmer of hope and comfort in the middle of desperate times. In verse 18 (NLT, emphasis added) it says, "WHEN I bring Israel home again from captivity and restore their fortunes, Jerusalem WILL be rebuilt on its RUINS and the palace reconstructed as before." God's restoration will involve a physical rebuilding for Israel from its ruins.

Have you ever seen a house consumed by a fire and left in ruins? This is what I woke up to a few years ago when my neighbor's house behind us went up in flames. I love verse 18 because it reminds me of my own testimony and how I spent years in captivity to my selfish, prideful, and stubborn ways. My life was in ruins much like my neighbor's house until God, through Christ, made a way for me to come out of my captivity to sin and made me His captive. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Thankfully, my neighbor and her family escaped the fire. Over the next year, the ruins of the previous house were cleared away and a new foundation was laid. A beautiful new house was built on top of a solid foundation. God does not say He may bring us out of captivity. He says WHEN He does, He will give us a "crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair." (Isaiah 61:3, NLT)

I praise God for giving me a new foundation in Christ and for continuing to rebuild me into the person He wants me to be. I pray God will do the same for each of you!

1. How would you describe your life: still a captive to sin or are you God's captive?

2. Who do you trust with your ruins? The Lord or yourself?

3. Are you doing the rebuilding or is He?

4. What things are you doing to ensure you have a solid foundation?

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

JEREMIAH 30-34 (MAY 16-20)

Read Jeremiah 32:16-25.

Here, Jeremiah is praying to God after God has told him to buy a field. What does Jeremiah do first in his prayer? What miracles did God perform to free the Israelites from Egypt? When you pray to God, what great things has He done in your life that you can remember and thank Him for?

What does Jeremiah say in verse 25? He does not understand why God told him to buy the field, but why did he buy it anyway? When you don't understand all that God is doing in your life, do you go to Him and talk about it with Him? Do you come away from your time with Him remembering who He is and that He will take care of you?

Activity: What things are going on in your life that you don't understand? Talk about them as a family. Then, take time to remember how God has been faithful in the past and how He has provided and taken care of you. Pray together as a family, thanking Him for His miracles in the past and telling Him that you trust Him with your future.