Jeremiah 16:14-15,21

Jeremiah 16 contains more words of judgment from God upon Jerusalem, this time directed more personally towards Jeremiah, as He tells Jeremiah not to take a wife, or have children in Israel, because they will merely be destroyed (vs. 1). The judgment described is some of the worst yet – those killed are not mourned at all, because God has taken His peace, lovingkindness and mercies away from His people (vs. 5). And yet from verse 14 we read something remarkable:

‘ “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.”’ (Jeremiah 16:14-15)

God will restore Israel to their land! And it will be a better restoration than the Exodus from Egypt! Why does God do it? He has just finished saying how Israel has been wicked and rejected Him, and how they won’t repent but rather chase after idols and follow all their dictates of their own hearts (vs. 12). WHY?? How can God then go and say that He will definitely restore them? Because He loves them. He chose them. He chose them in His sovereignty and made a covenant with them, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Hence, we read:

‘Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know,
I will cause them to know
My hand and My might;
And they shall know that My name is the LORD.’ (Jeremiah 16:21)

The LORD chose Israel all those years ago for His glory. He loves them for His glory. And He will not break that promise, that covenant, to the detriment of His glory.

There is always a similarity between Israel and us. For God has made a covenant, a new covenant, written with His blood that cannot be undone. And though we fail, and in our flesh desire wickedness, yet when we repent He will restore us. For His glory. That we might know that His name is the LORD. That He is king. King of love, King of Mercy, King of Righteousness , King of our hearts, King of the Universe.

Do not get into the habit of thinking that the judgment on Israel was that bad only because they were much much worse than you are, and that their restoration was much greater than yours. For we were as evil as they were, and our flesh is still as evil as they were, and our restoration much more glorious than their physical restoration. For we have not been physically moved from one nation into another, against all odds. We have been fully recreated, reborn as it were. This is not against all odds, it is impossible. And so we should see much more of the glory of God than Israel ever could. Surely, we know that His name is LORD!