Living Room Study

Jeremiah 30

“As for My servant, Jacob, do not be afraid – this is the Lord’s declaration – and do not be dismayed, Israel, for I will without fail save you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity!  Jacob will return and have calm and quiet with no one to frighten him.  For I will be with you – this is the Lord’s declaration – to save you!  I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have scattered you; however, I will not bring destruction on you.  I will discipline you justly, but I will by no means leave you unpunished.” Jeremiah 30:10-11

In an Orthodox Jewish home, whenever a person chooses to follow Jesus as Messiah, the family has a funeral for them.  They tear their clothes, weep, mourn the required amount of time…they have a funeral.  This is because, to the ultra religious, following Jesus is apostasy.  It is a complete rejection of their Jewish-ness and the God who chose them, therefore, the community rejects them.  This type of funeral communicates more than the death of a person; it signifies that they are dead and will not be seen in paradise.  Gone forever.

This must have been the way the Israelites in Babylonian exile must have felt.  They had rejected following the Lord with their whole hearts and were suffering the consequences of their apostasy.  Many had supplemented proper worship with idolatry, and others had completely forsaken the Lord.  Either way, God is looking for whole-heartedness.  Lukewarm faith is not saving faith, at all.

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Today’s passage bears a message of hope.  God is telling the descendants of Jacob that they are not cursed…as if their sin is so great that there is no longer any means of salvation for them.  If they would turn back to him, and obey His Word, God promised to restore His people back to the land of Canaan.  It was not their righteousness which would trigger this restoration, rather, Israel’s return would be by God’s Grace, through their faith in His Word.  

“For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, the Messiah died for the ungodly.  For it is rare for anyone to die for a righteous person, though somebody might be brave enough to die for a god person.  But God demonstrates His love for us by the fact that Messiah died for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:6-8

That said, God’s Grace is seldom extended without His Mercy close by!  Grace is getting something you don’t deserve.  Mercy is not getting what you DO deserve!!  Israel was not getting a free pass.  God said His discipline was just, and “Jacob” would no longer avoid stern discipline.  Still, compared to what the other nations underwent, Israel was shown God’s mercy.  They were not completely destroyed.  Let’s thank God for His grace & mercy, extended towards us through Messiah Jesus!

Blessings.

Steve Wiggins