Israel Will Be Restored and Join Judah in Worship. Judah Will Be Restored. Israel and Judah Will Be Repopulated

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1 1 Israel Will Be Restored and Join Judah in Worship Judah Will Be Restored Israel and Judah Will Be Repopulated The Lord Will Make a New covenant with Israel and Judah The Lord Guarantees Israel s Continuance Jerusalem Will Be Enlarged Jeremiah 31:1-40

2 2 Israel Will Be Restored and Join Judah in Worship Judah Will Be Restored Israel and Judah Will Be Repopulated The Lord Will Make a New covenant with Israel and Judah Text: The Lord Guarantees Israel s Continuance Jeremiah 31:1-40, Jerusalem Will Be Enlarged 1. At that time I will be the God of all the clans of Israel and they will be my people. I, the Lord, affirm it! 2. The Lord says, The people of Israel who survived death at the hands of the enemy will find favor in the wilderness as they journey to find rest for themselves. 3. In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them. He will say to them, I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you. 4. I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, so that you will once again be built up. Once again you will take up the tambourine and join in the happy throng of dancers. 5. Once again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria. Those who plant them will once again enjoy their fruit.

3 Yes, a time is coming when watchmen will call out on the mountains of Ephraim, Come! Let us go to Zion to worship the Lord our God! 7. Moreover, the Lord says, Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob. Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard. Then say, Lord, rescue your people. Deliver those of Israel who remain alive. 8. Then I will reply, I will bring them back from the land of the north. I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth. Blind and lame people will come with them, so will pregnant women and women about to give birth. A vast throng of people will come back here. 9. They will come back shedding tears of contrition. I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. I will lead them besides streams of water, along smooth paths where they will never stumble. I will do this because I am Israel s father; Ephraim is my firstborn son. 10. Hear what the Lord has to say, O nations. Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea. Say, The one who scattered Israel will regather them. He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock. 11. For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob. He will secure their release from those who had overpowered them. 12. They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion. They will be radiant with joy over the good things the Lord provides, the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil, the young sheep and calves he has given to them. They will be like a well-watered garden and will not grow faint or weary any more. 13. The Lord says, At that time young women will dance and be glad. Young men and old men will rejoice. I will

4 4 turn their grief into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow. 14. I will provide the priests with abundant provisions. My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide. 15. The Lord says, A sound is heard in Ramah, a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone. 16. The Lord says to her, Stop crying! Do not shed any more tears! For your heartfelt repentance will be rewarded. Your children will return from the land of the enemy. I, the Lord, affirm it! 17. Indeed, there is hope for your posterity. Your children will return to their own territory. I, the Lord, affirm it! 18. I have indeed heard the people of Israel say mournfully, We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. You disciplined us and we learned from it. Let us come back to you and we will do so, for you are the Lord our God. 19. For after we turned away from you we repented. After we came to our senses we struck our thigh in sorrow. We are ashamed and humiliated because of the disgraceful things we did previously. 20. Indeed, the people of Israel are my dear children. They are the children I take delight in. For even though I must often rebuke them, I still remember them with fondness. So I am deeply moved with pity for them and will surely have compassion on them. I, the Lord, affirm it! 21. I will say, My dear children of Israel, keep in mind the road you took when you were carried off. Mark off in your minds the landmarks. Make a mental note of telltale signs

5 5 marking the way back. Return, my dear children of Israel. Return to these cities of yours. 22. How long will you vacillate, you who were once like an unfaithful daughter? For I, the Lord, promise to bring about something new on the earth, something as unique as a woman protecting a man! 23. The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns. When I do, they will again say of Jerusalem, May the Lord bless you, you holy mountain, the place where righteousness dwells. 24. The land of Judah will be inhabited by people who live in its towns as well as by farmers and shepherds with their flocks. 25. I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint. 26. Then they will say, Under these conditions I can enjoy sweet sleep when I wake up and look around. 27. Indeed, a time is coming, says the Lord, when I will cause people and animals to sprout up in the lands of Israel and Judah. 28. In the past I saw to it that they were uprooted and torn down, that they were destroyed and demolished. But now I will see to it that they are built up and firmly planted. I, the Lord, affirm it! 29. When that time comes, people will no longer say, The parents have eaten sour grapes, but the children s teeth have grown numb. 30. Rather, each person will die for his own sins. The teeth of the person who eats the sour grapes will themselves grow numb.

6 Indeed, a time is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32. It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them, says the Lord. 33. But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land, says the Lord. I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people. 34. People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me, says the Lord. For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done. 35. The Lord has made a promise to Israel. He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by day and the moon and stars to give light by night. He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll. He promises it as the one who is known as the Lord who rules over all. 36. The Lord affirms, The descendants of Israel will not cease forever to be a nation in my sight. That could only happen if the fixed ordering of the heavenly lights were to cease to operate before me. 37. The Lord says, I will not reject all the descendants of Israel because of all that they have done. That could only happen if the heavens above could be measured or the foundations of the earth below could all be explored, says the Lord.

7 Indeed a time is coming, says the Lord, when the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt as my special city. It will be built from the Tower of Hananel westward to the Corner Gate. 39. The boundary line will extend beyond that, straight west from there to the Hill of Gareb and then turn southward to Goah. 40. The whole valley where dead bodies and sacrificial ashes are thrown and all the terraced fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far north as the Horse Gate will be included within this city that is sacred to the Lord. The city will never again be torn down or destroyed. (NET) Introduction: I. Coffman spoke of Jeremiah 31 as one of the most significant chapters in the entire Old Testament. A. The Northern Kingdom (Ephraim), due to their repentance, would again be restored to their land and their favor with God (verses 2-22). B. The promises made to those of the Northern Kingdom were also made to those of the Southern Kingdom (verses 23-26). 1. God s promises were to all Israelites north and south. a. Jeremiah 30:22, Then you will again be my people and I will be your God. (NET)

8 8 C. Coffman wrote that these promises refer to the times of the Messiah because they were never fulfilled by physical Israel. 1. The Messianic kingdom is meant by these promises, Coffman wrote. II. Clarke quoted Blayney as stating, There are many prophecies in various parts of the Old Testament which announce the future restoration of Israel to their own land, and the complete reestablishment of both their civil and religious constitution in the latter days, meaning the times of the gospel dispensation. A. These prophecies were never literally fulfilled in the physical history of Judah and Israel. B. God would make with Israel and Judah a better, new covenant than he had made with their forefathers, that covenant being the New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Commentary: Jeremiah 31:1, At that time I will be the God of all the clans of Israel and they will be my people. I, the Lord, affirm it! (NET) I. At that time I will be the God of all the clans of Israel and they will be my people. A. Following the return of the exiles from Babylon, God would again make clear his love for all the tribes, clans of both Israel and Judah. (See Hamilton.)

9 The covenant vows are here re-emphasized. (Willis) a. Hosea 2:23, Then I will plant her as my own in the land. I will have pity on No Pity (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to Not My People (Lo-Ammi), You are my people! And he will say, You are my God! (NET) B. Smith wrote, The judgment against Judah would continue like a whirlwind until God had accomplished his purposes. 1. Only in the latter days, i.e., the New Testament age, would men really be able to comprehend the significance of the Babylonian exile, Smith continued. 2. Israel and Judah would be reunited with each other and with God. C. Coffman wrote, Both Northern Israel and Southern Judah will be accepted in the kingdom of Christ, as will everyone else on earth who desire to serve God. D. Clarke wrote, The restoration of the Israelites is the principal subject of this chapter. II. I, the Lord, affirm it! A. The Lord confirmed that what he said would take place. 1. Israel and Judah could definitely depend on God s promises.

10 10 Israel Will Be Restored and Join Judah in Worship Jeremiah 31:2, The Lord says, The people of Israel who survived death at the hands of the enemy will find favor in the wilderness as they journey to find rest for themselves. (NET) I. The Lord says,... A. It behooves us to carefully distinguish between what God has said and what he has not said. II. The people of Israel who survived death at the hands of the enemy* will find favor in the wilderness as they journey to find rest for themselves. A. *NET footnote: Hebrew who survived the sword (referring to the remnant of northern Israel who were not killed when Assyria conquered Israel in 722 B.C. or who had not died in exile). B. Those who truly repented of their sins while in the wilderness (exile) would be returned to their homeland where they would find rest. (See Smith.) 1. Isaiah 40:3, A voice cries out, In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord; construct in the desert a road for our God. (NET) C. This is thought to refer to the deliverance from Egypt and/or to the survivors of the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities.

11 Coffman favored the latter view because the mention of Ephraim and Samaria clearly show that the Northern Kingdom was meant. 2. The return of Judah from Babylon would remind the exiles of the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. a. Hosea 11:4, I led them with leather cords, with leather ropes; I lifted the yoke from their neck, and gently fed them. (NET) b. Hosea 2:14-23, However, in the future I will allure her; I will lead her back into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. From there I will give back her vineyards to her, and turn the Valley of Trouble into an Opportunity for Hope. There she will sing as she did when she was young, when she came up from the land of Egypt. At that time, declares the Lord, you will call, My husband ; you will never again call me, My master. For I will remove the names of the Baal idols from your lips, so that you will never again utter their names! At that time I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground. I will abolish the warrior s bow and sword that is, every weapon of warfare from the land, and I will allow them to live securely. I will commit myself to you forever; I will

12 12 commit myself to you in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and tender compassion. I will commit myself to you in faithfulness; then you will acknowledge the Lord. At that time, I will willingly respond, declares the Lord. I will respond to the sky, and the sky will respond to the ground; then the ground will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil; and they will respond to God Plants (Jezreel)! Then I will plant her as my own in the land. I will have pity on No Pity (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to Not My People (Lo-Ammi), You are my people! And he will say, You are my God! (NET) D. Babylon and the way home was a wilderness, a dry and barren land, compared to Judah and Israel, a land flowing with milk and honey. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) 1. Even though some exiles prospered in captivity, they would find no genuine rest in a foreign land. a. Jeremiah 6:16, The Lord said to his people: You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. Ask where the old, reliable paths are. Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it. If you do, you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not follow it! (NET) Jeremiah 31:3, In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them. He will say to them, I have loved you

13 13 with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you. (NET) I. In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself to them. A. In Babylon, a far-off land, God would manifest himself to his people. 1. The Pulpit Commentary states that the primary reference here is to the return of the exiles from Babylonian captivity rather than from Israel s departure from Egypt. 2. This is true of all God s people where ever they may be. a. Jeremiah 51:50, You who have escaped the sword, go, do not delay. Remember the Lord in a faraway land. Think about Jerusalem. (NET) 3. Related references:... a. Isaiah 40:10, Look, the sovereign Lord comes as a victorious warrior; his military power establishes his rule. Look, his reward is with him; his prize goes before him. (NET) b. Isaiah 59:20, A protector comes to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds, says the Lord. (NET)

14 14 c. Jeremiah 30:10, So I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid, you descendants of Jacob, my servants. Do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land where you are captives. The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure and no one will terrify them. (NET) d. Jeremiah 51:50, You who have escaped the sword, go, do not delay. Remember the Lord in a faraway land. Think about Jerusalem. (NET) II. He will say to them, I have loved you with an everlasting love. A. The Lord punished his people because of their sins, but he never ceased loving them. B. Clarke explained the everlasting love with which God had loved his people as an old love, a love of long standing, a love that is always, constant. 1. Isaiah 54:8, In a burst of anger I rejected you momentarily, but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you, says your protector, the Lord. (NET) III. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.

15 15 A. Judah had not been faithful to the Lord, but the Lord had never been unfaithful to them because he loved them. 1. Because of his love, God will bring them home from their captivity, exile. Jeremiah 31:4, I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, so that you will once again be built up. Once again you will take up the tambourine and join in the happy throng of dancers. (NET) I. I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel, so that you will once again be built up. A. God here speaks of the repentant exiles as my dear children and promises to once again build them up, restore them to their ancient purity and national status. (See Clarke.) 1. Jeremiah 12:16, But they must make sure you learn to follow the religious practices of my people. Once they taught my people to swear their oaths using the name of the god Baal. But then, they must swear oaths using my name, saying, As surely as the Lord lives, I swear. If they do these things, then they will be included among the people I call my own. (NET) 2. Jeremiah 24:6, I will look after their welfare and will restore them to this land. There I will build them up and will not tear them down. I will plant them firmly in the land and will not uproot them. (NET)

16 Ephesians 2:22, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (NET) 4. Jeremiah 14:7, Then I said, O Lord, intervene for the honor of your name even though our sins speak out against us. Indeed, we have turned away from you many times. We have sinned against you. (NET) II. Once again you will take up the tambourine (tabrets, timbrels) and join in the happy throne of dancers.* A. *NET footnote: Contrast Jeremiah 7:34 and Jeremiah 25: Jeremiah 7:34, I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, or the glad celebration of brides and grooms throughout the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. For the whole land will become a desolate wasteland. (NET) 2. Jeremiah 25:10, I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, to the glad celebration of brides and grooms in these lands. I will put an end to the sound of people grinding meal. I will put an end to lamps shining in their houses. (NET)

17 17 B. Upon their return to the Lord, joy would return to Judah and Israel, a contrast to the mournful images found previously in some of Jeremiah s prophecies. (See Willis.) 1. Jeremiah 16:9, For I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, tell you what will happen. I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, to the glad celebration of brides and grooms in this land. You and the rest of the people will live to see this happen. (NET) C. Happy times would once again resonate from the Judean and Samaritan hills. 1. Psalm 68:25, Singers walk in front; musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, in the midst of young women playing tambourines. (NET) 2. Judges 11:34, When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter. (NET) Jeremiah 31:5, Once again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria. Those who plant them will once again enjoy their fruit. (NET) I. Once again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria. Those who plant them will once again enjoy their fruit.

18 18 A. Peace and prosperity would be restored to God s people, Israel and Judah. 1. They would live harmoniously with God and one another. B. Related references: Jeremiah 1:10, Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted. (NET) 2. Jeremiah 24:6, I will look after their welfare and will restore them to this land. There I will build them up and will not tear them down. I will plant them firmly in the land and will not uproot them. (NET) C. Samaria was the governmental center of the Old Northern Kingdom as Jerusalem was the governmental center of the Southern Kingdom. 1. Delicious grapes would again be plentiful and enjoyed by the populace. a. Isaiah 65:21, They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. (NET) 2. Clarke observed that these grapes were considered common, lawful, and could be eaten freely by all.

19 By contrast, Clarke observed that previously, according to the Law of Moses, grapes could only be eaten beginning at the fifth year after planting. For the first three years, the grapes were regarded as unclean. During the fourth year, the grapes were considered holy to the Lord. a. Leviticus 19:23-25, When you enter the land and plant any fruit tree, you must consider its fruit to be forbidden. Three years it will be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, praise offerings to the Lord. Then in the fifth year you may eat its fruit to add its produce to your harvest. I am the Lord your God. (NET) b. Deuteronomy 20:6, Or who among you has planted a vineyard and not benefited from it? He may go home, lest he die in battle and someone else benefit from it. (NET) c. Deuteronomy 28:30, You will be engaged to a woman and another man will rape her. You will build a house but not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but not even begin to use it. (NET) Jeremiah 31:6, Yes, a time is coming when watchmen will call out on the mountains of Ephraim, Come! Let us go to Zion to worship the Lord our God! (NET)

20 20 I. Yes, a time is coming when watchmen* will call out on the mountains of Ephraim,... A. *NET footnote: Watchmen warned of approaching attacks (Jeremiah 6:17) or spread news of victory (Isaiah 52:8); here they announced the times for the pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem. 1. Jeremiah 6:17, The Lord said, I appointed prophets as watchmen to warn you, saying: Pay attention to the warning sound of the trumpet! But they said, We will not pay attention! (NET) 2. Isaiah 52:8, Listen, your watchmen shout; in unison they shout for joy, for they see with their very own eyes the Lord s return to Zion. (NET) B. Watchmen usually stood on the city walls to warn the people of the approach of enemies, but here they proclaim, on the mountains of Ephraim, that all in Israel should go to Zion to worship Jehovah and reunite with their southern brethren. (See Hamilton.) C. The call to return to the worship of Jehovah in Jerusalem would radiate from the mountains of Ephraim. II. Come! Let us go to Zion to worship the Lord our God! A. Smith observed, During the intertestamental period the region of Ephraim was full of Jews who took every opportunity to travel to Jerusalem to worship at the temple.

21 Kings 12:26-27, Jeroboam then thought to himself: Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom. If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the Lord s temple in Jerusalem, their loyalty could shift to their former master, King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah. (NET) 2. All Israelites, north and south, were again to unite in worship of the Lord in Zion, Jerusalem. B. Jews, Gentiles and Samaritans found their ultimate spiritual kinship in the body of Christ, the church, Zion. (See Smith.) 1. Hebrews 12:22, But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly (NET) 2. Unity would be restored in Christ among all believers! How we long for that day! Jeremiah 31:7, Moreover, the Lord says, Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob. Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard. Then say, Lord, rescue your people. Deliver those of Israel who remain alive. (NET) I. Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob. Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard.

22 22 A. The reuniting of all the tribes in worship of Jehovah and with one another would be a joyous occasion calling for a grand celebration. (See Hamilton.) 1. Isaiah 66:10, Be happy for Jerusalem and rejoice with her, all you who love her! Share in her great joy, all you who have mourned over her! (NET) 2. Isaiah 61:6, You will be called, the Lord s priests, servants of our God. You will enjoy the wealth of nations and boast about the riches you receive from them. (NET) B. Smith observed, The verses that follow offer consolation to four groups of people; that is, the distressed, the blind, the lame and the woman with child,... a. Jeremiah 31:8-9, Then I will reply, I will bring them back from the land of the north. I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth. Blind and lame people will come with them, so will pregnant women and women about to give birth. A vast throng of people will come back here. They will come back shedding tears of contrition. I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. I will lead them besides streams of water, along smooth paths where they will never stumble. I will do this

23 23 because I am Israel s father; Ephraim is my firstborn son. (NET) 2. the disheartened,... a. Jeremiah 31:10-14, Hear what the Lord has to say, O nations. Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea. Say, The one who scattered Israel will regather them. He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock. For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob. He will secure their release from those who had overpowered them. They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion. They will be radiant with joy over the good things the Lord provides, the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil, the young sheep and calves he has given to them. They will be like a wellwatered garden and will not grow faint or weary any more. The Lord says, At that time young women will dance and be glad. Young men and old men will rejoice. I will turn their grief into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow. I will provide the priests with abundant provisions. My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide. (NET) 3. the disconsolate, and...

24 24 a. Jeremiah 31:15-17, The Lord says, A sound is heard in Ramah, a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone. The Lord says to her, Stop crying! Do not shed any more tears! For your heartfelt repentance will be rewarded. Your children will return from the land of the enemy. I, the Lord, affirm it! Indeed, there is hope for your posterity. Your children will return to their own territory. I, the Lord, affirm it! (NET) b. Matthew 2:16-18, When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were gone. (NET) c. Hebrews 11:14-16, For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they aspire to a better land,

25 25 that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (NET) 4. the despondent. a. Jeremiah 31:18-19, I have indeed heard the people of Israel say mournfully, We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. You disciplined us and we learned from it. Let us come back to you and we will do so, for you are the Lord our God. For after we turned away from you we repented. After we came to our senses we struck our thigh in sorrow. We are ashamed and humiliated because of the disgraceful things we did previously. (NET) C. Once Israel was the chief, foremost of the nations enjoying the favor of the Lord. 1. By righteousness they could return to that blessed state. a. Amos 6:1, Woe to those who live in ease in Zion, to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria. They think of themselves as the elite class of the best nation. The family of Israel looks to them for leadership. (NET) b. Deuteronomy 7:6, For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. He has chosen

26 26 you to be his people, prized above all others on the face of the earth. (NET) c. Deuteronomy 4:7-8, In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this whole law that I am about to share with you today? (NET) II. Then say, Lord, rescue your people. Deliver those of Israel who remain alive. A. Coffman wrote that eternal salvation is the culmination of God s promises here. 1. John 3:16, For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (NET) Jeremiah 31:8, Then I will reply, I will bring them back from the land of the north. I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth. Blind and lame people will come with them, so will pregnant women and women about to give birth. A vast throng of people will come back here. (NET) I. Then I will reply, I will bring them back from the land of the north. I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth.

27 27 A. The Assyrians had long before taken the Northern Tribes into captivity. 1. These descendants of those exiles now living would be brought home from the distant parts of the earth where they had been scattered. B. However, Clarke understood the land of the north as a reference to Babylon. C. From the distant parts (coasts) of the earth may refer to the places to which the northern tribes were taken captive, to Assyria, Mesopotamia and Media. (See Clarke.) 1. 2 Kings 15:29, During Pekah s reign over Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the territory of Naphtali. He deported the people to Assyria. (NET) 2. 2 Kings 17:6, In the ninth year of Hoshea s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor (the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes. (NET) II. Blind and lame people will come with them, so will pregnant women and women about to give birth. A. Those returning to the promised land would include all the faithful, the disabled and those with medical conditions making travel difficult.

28 God would not leave any of his devoted people behind. 2. Disabilities and/or medical conditions did not and do not need to interfere with a person s return to God then or now! 3. Isaiah 33:23, Though at this time your ropes are slack, the mast is not secured, and the sail is not unfurled, at that time you will divide up a great quantity of loot; even the lame will drag off plunder. (NET) 4. Isaiah 35:5-6, Then blind eyes will open, deaf ears will hear. Then the lame will leap like a deer, the mute tongue will shout for joy; for water will flow in the desert, streams in the wilderness. (NET) III. A vast throng of people will come back here. A. Those returning to God and righteousness are many, pictured here as a vast throng of people. B. The word here references Palestine, The Pulpit Commentary states. Jeremiah 31:9, They will come back shedding tears of contrition. I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. I will lead them besides streams of water, along smooth paths where they will never stumble. I will

29 29 do this because I am Israel s father; Ephraim is my firstborn son. (NET) I. They will come back shedding tears of contrition. I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. A. Those who repent, who see their sins for the evil things they are and the harm these sins have caused, will weep with broken hearts. 1. Jeremiah 31:18, I have indeed heard the people of Israel say mournfully, We were like a calf untrained to the yoke. You disciplined us and we learned from it. Let us come back to you and we will do so, for you are the Lord our God. (NET) 2. Ezra 8:21, I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey for us, our children, and all our property. (NET) 3. Psalm 107:7, He led them on a level road, that they might find a city in which to live. (NET) II. I will lead them beside streams of water, along smooth paths where they will never stumble.* A. *NET footnote: Jeremiah 31:8-9 recall the New Exodus motif of Isaiah (already in Jeremiah 16:14-15; 23:7-8).

30 Jeremiah 16:14-15, Yet I, the Lord, say: A new time will certainly come. People now affirm their oaths with I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt. But in that time they will affirm them with I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the people of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other lands where he had banished them. At that time I will bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors. (NET) 2. Jeremiah 23:7-8, So I, the Lord, say: A new time will certainly come. People now affirm their oaths with I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt. 8 But at that time they will affirm them with I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the descendants of the former nation of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other lands where he had banished them. At that time they will live in their own land. (NET) B. God will provide for his repentant people. C. Related references: Deuteronomy 8:7, For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of brooks, springs, and fountains flowing forth in valleys and hills, (NET)

31 Psalm 107:7, He led them on a level road, that they might find a city in which to live. (NET) 3. Psalm 23:2-3, He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water. He restores my strength. He leads me down the right paths for the sake of his reputation. (NET) 4. Isaiah 40:11, Like a shepherd he tends his flock; he gathers up the lambs with his arm; he carries them close to his heart; he leads the ewes along. (NET) D. As God provided food (manna) and water in Israel s journey from Egypt to Canaan, he would provide water in Israel s journey from Egypt to Canaan, he would provide water and smooth paths from Babylon to the promised land, from death and destruction caused by sin to life and salvation resulting from righteousness. III. I will do this because I am Israel s father; Ephraim* is my firstborn son. A. *NET footnote: Here Ephraim is a poetic parallel for Israel. B. Hosea 11:1-11, When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son, and I summoned my son out of Egypt. But the more I summoned them, the farther they departed from me. They sacrificed to the Baal idols and burned incense to images. Yet it was I who led Ephraim, I took them by the arm; but they did not acknowledge that I had healed them. I led them with

32 32 leather cords, with leather ropes; I lifted the yoke from their neck, and gently fed them. They will return to Egypt! Assyria will rule over them because they refuse to repent! A sword will flash in their cities, it will destroy the bars of their city gates, and will devour them in their fortresses. My people are obsessed with turning away from me; they call to Baal, but he will never exalt them! How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? I have had a change of heart! All my tender compassions are aroused! I cannot carry out my fierce anger! I cannot totally destroy Ephraim! Because I am God, and not man the Holy One among you I will not come in wrath! He will roar like a lion, and they will follow the Lord; when he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. They will return in fear and trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria, and I will settle them in their homes, declares the Lord. (NET) C. All Israel, north and south, were God s children. D. Ephraim and Manesseh were sons of Joseph born in Egypt, Manasseh being the firstborn of their two sons. 1. Both became heads of Israelite tribes. 2. While Ephraim was not Joseph s firstborn, this tribe became one of the largest and most influential, making Ephraim God s firstborn son.

33 Chronicles 5:1-2, The sons of Reuben, Israel s firstborn (Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father s bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records. Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him, the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.) (NET) 4. Genesis 48:15, Then he blessed Joseph and said, May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, (NET) Jeremiah 31:10, Hear what the Lord has to say, O nations. Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea. Say, The one who scattered Israel will regather them. He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock. (NET) I. Hear what the Lord has to say, O nations. Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea. A. God s word was to be proclaimed in faraway lands as well as in their homeland. 1. Jeremiah 2:10, Go west across the sea to the coasts of Cyprus and see. Send someone east to Kedar and have them look carefully. See if such a thing as this has ever happened: (NET)

34 This we must also do; that is, proclaim what the Lord says far and near. B. Coffman wrote that verses refer to God s care for his church in the New Israel, the Messianic kingdom. II. Say, The one who scattered Israel will regather them. He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock. A. God who scattered the people because of their sins, now brings his repentant people home. B. Related references: Jeremiah 50:6-7, 19, My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have allowed them to go astray. They have wandered around in the mountains. They have roamed from one mountain and hill to another. They have forgotten their resting place. All who encounter-ed them devoured them. Their enemies who did this said, We are not liable for punishment! For those people have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. They have sinned against the Lord in whom their ancestors trusted. But I will restore the flock of Israel to their own pasture. They will graze on Mount Carmel and the land of Bashan. They will eat until they are full on the hills of Ephraim and the land of Gilead. (NET) 2. Psalm 77:20, You led your people like a flock of sheep, by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (NET)

35 Psalm 80:1, O shepherd of Israel, pay attention, you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep! You who sit enthroned above the winged angels, reveal your splendor! (NET) 4. Jeremiah 13:17, But if you will not pay attention to this warning, I will weep alone because of your arrogant pride. I will weep bitterly and my eyes will overflow with tears because you, the Lord s flock, will be carried into exile. (NET) 5. Ezekiel 34:11-16, For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day. I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the sovereign Lord. I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured and strengthen the sick, but the fat and

36 36 the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment! (NET) 6. Psalm 28:9, Deliver your people! Empower the nation that belongs to you! Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms at all times! (NET) 7. Isaiah 40:11, Like a shepherd he tends his flock; he gathers up the lambs with his arm; he carries them close to his heart; he leads the ewes along. (NET) Jeremiah 31:11, For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob. He will secure their release from those who had overpowered them. (NET) I. For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob. He will secure their release from those who had overpowered them. A. Only God could rescue his people from their hopeless situation. 1. Micah 6:4, In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I delivered you from that place of slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you. (NET) B. The theme of ransom and redemption is mentioned elsewhere. 1. Hosea 13:14, Will I deliver them from the power of Sheol? No, I will not! Will I redeem

37 37 them from death? No, I will not! O Death, bring on your plagues! O Sheol, bring on your destruction! My eyes will not show any compassion! (NET) 2. Exodus 15:13, By your loyal love you will lead the people whom you have redeemed; you will guide them by your strength to your holy dwelling place. (NET) 3. Deuteronomy 7:8, Rather it is because of his love for you and his faithfulness to the promise he solemnly vowed to your ancestors that the Lord brought you out with great power, redeeming you from the place of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (NET) 4. Deuteronomy 9:26, I prayed to him: O, Lord God, do not destroy your people, your valued property that you have powerfully redeemed, whom you brought out of Egypt by your strength. (NET) 5. 1 Corinthians 15:55, Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (NET) Jeremiah 31:12, They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion. They will be radiant with joy over the good things the Lord provides, the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil, the young sheep and calves he has given to them. They will be like a well-watered garden and will not grow faint or weary any more. (NET)

38 38 I. They will come and shout for joy on Mount zion. They will be radiant with joy over the good things the Lord provides, the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil, the young sheep and calves he has given to them. A. Hamilton observed, They will return to a land of milk and honey. 1. Exodus 3:8, I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the region of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (NET) B. Agricultural language was also used by Hosea, Jeremiah and Joel. (See Willis.) 1. Hosea 2:8, 22, Yet until now she has refused to acknowledge that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil; and that it was I who lavished on her the silver and gold which they used in worshiping Baal! then the ground will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil; and they will respond to God Plants (Jezreel)! (NET) 2. Joel 2:19, The Lord responded to his people, Look! I am about to restore your grain as well as fresh wine and olive oil. You will be fully satisfied. I will never again make you an object of mockery among the nations. (NET)

39 Jeremiah 3:24, From earliest times our worship of that shameful god, Baal, has taken away all that our ancestors worked for. It has taken away our flocks and our herds, and even our sons and daughters. (NET) 4. Jeremiah 5:17, They will eat up your crops and your food. They will kill off your sons and your daughters. They will eat up your sheep and your cattle. They will destroy your vines and your fig trees. Their weapons will batter down the fortified cities you trust in. (NET) C. Joy would replace the sorrowful times through which the people had come. D. People of all the tribes would flow together at Jerusalem having come from many far away places. II. They will be like a well-watered garden and will not grow faint or weary any more. A. Israel and Judah, having reunited with God and one another, are pictured as a well-watered garden, the picture of health and beneficial to all. 1. Deuteronomy 8:8, a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates, of olive trees and honey, (NET) Jeremiah 31:13, The Lord says, At that time young women will dance and be glad. Young men and old men

40 40 will rejoice. I will turn their grief into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow. (NET) I. The Lord says, At that time young women will dance and be glad. Young men and old men will rejoice.* A. *NET footnote: So LXX; MT reads - will dance and be glad,/young men and old men together. B. Everyone, young men and women as well as old men, at that time will rejoice and be glad. II. I will turn their grief into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow. A. We often sing when a person becomes a Christian, O happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away! B. There won t be any happy people in hell! Everybody in heaven will be happy. No one will shed even one tear. C. Sin produces grief and sorrow. Righteousness produces gladness and joy. 1. Psalm 36:8, They are filled with food from your house, and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies. (NET) 2. Leviticus 7:34, for the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution offering I have taken from the Israelites out of their peace offering sacrifices and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from

41 41 the people of Israel as a perpetual allotted portion. (NET) Jeremiah 31:14, I will provide the priests with abundant provisions. My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide. (NET) I. I will provide the priests with abundant provisions. My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide. A. Clarke understood this to mean that, now temple worship had been restored, the priests would have their proper shares of the sacrificial animals. Jeremiah 31:15, The Lord says, A sound is heard in Ramah, a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone. (NET) I. The Lord says, A sound (voice) is heard in Ramah,* a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone. A. *NET footnote: Ramah was a town in the tribal area of Benjamin about five miles (8 km) N or Jerusalem. B. Long before, Rachel, Jacob s wife, died at Ramah while giving birth to Benjamin and was buried nearby at Zelzah. 1. Genesis 35:16-21, They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, Rachel went into labor and her

42 42 labor was hard. When her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, Don t be afraid, for you are having another son. With her dying breath, she named him Ben Oni. But his father called him Benjamin instead. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set up a marker over her grave; it is the Marker of Rachel s Grave to this day. Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. (NET) 2. 1 Samuel 10:2, When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin s border. They will say to you, The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! He is asking, What should I do about my son? (NET) 3. 1 Samuel 7:15-17, So Samuel led Israel all the days of his life. Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places. Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there. (NET) 4. 1 Samuel 8:4, So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. (NET)

43 Samuel 15:34, Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. (NET) 6. 1 Samuel 19:18, Now David had run away and escaped. He went to Samuel in Ramah and told him everything that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. (NET) 7. 1 Samuel 25:1, Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned him. They buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David left and went down to the desert of Paran. (NET) C. It was from Ramah the Judean captives departed for their Babylonian exile. 1. Hamilton wrote,... the long-deceased Rachel weeps at the loss of her children being taken into exile. a. Ruth 4:11, All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May you prosper in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. (NET) b. Micah 5:2, As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah from you a king will