©Michael Player
Chapter 33:1-13 (ESV) - The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 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: They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them 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. Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 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. And this city 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.
“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 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.
“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. 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.
Question to consider: How do these promises to Jeremiah extend beyond the return of the exiles to Christ?
In Peter’s first letter, he wrote, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” (1 Peter 1:10-12)
Most likely, Peter was referring to passages like the Servant’s Song in Isaiah 52-53 which overtly proclaimed the work of Christ, but I wonder what Jeremiah understood about these promises given to him by the LORD. He knew the judgment was coming upon Jerusalem by Babylon very quickly as he was preaching to the very king who would experience this judgment— Zedekiah.
Jeremiah also would have known that the city and temple would remain desolate for seventy years as the land was given its missing sabbaticals. At the end of this judgment, he was made to understand that land would once again be sold among his brethren, and a remnant would return to rebuild what had been destroyed.
I have to wonder though about whether he assumed the new covenant would be set up at this time. There’s precedent for it. Adam and Eve believed their son, Cain, was the promised seed. Abraham believed Isaac was the promised seed when he took him to the mountain of sacrifice.
Daniel read Jeremiah, but it’s doubtful that Jeremiah ever knew about Daniel’s encounter with Gabriel which mapped out the years after the exile until the coming of the Messiah who would bring about the everlasting covenant. While it is true that the city which had been made desolate once again was inhabited by the people of Israel and Judah, this passage pointed to something more. The LORD proclaimed, “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.”
The temple had once again been built, but the sacrifice of animals according to the author of Hebrews “cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper.” (Hebrews 9:9) Therefore, the author went on to say, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11-12)
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the angel army announced the birth of Christ to “shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night,” (Luke 2:8) given this promise that “there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks.”
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for cleansing us and forgiving all the guilt of our sin and rebellion against You. May the promise of shepherds resting their flocks in Judah turn our hearts to the Good Shepherd who keeps watch over our souls. Amen.