The Branch of Our Righteousness

Jeremiah 23:1-8 

1 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: "You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings," says the LORD. 3 "But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking," says the LORD.

5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD,
"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

6 In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

7 "Therefore, behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' 8 but, 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.' And they shall dwell in their own land."

The Branch of righteousness from the physical line of king David was the answer to the sheep whose shepherds had scattered them with false and misleading teachings instead of God’s words of life for their food.  The shepherds of His people ended up driving them away from the LORD and not attending to their real needs.  They allowed idolatry and willful disobedience which explained away God’s holy commandments for their own gain and supposed comfort of living for themselves and the moment.  Greed and rejection of God’s grace led them to in turn lead the people away instead of caring for their state as true shepherds should.  God would hold each of them accountable and then gather the remnant of His faithful back to Himself as a picture of the church to come of both Israel and the surrounding nations in Romans 9:22-24, 27-28, 11:5).  The remnant would be made fruitful by God’s work and calling (Colossians 1:10, Ephesians 2:10) and He would provide faithful shepherds to feed and protect them in a national sense which pointed to the picture of a spiritual one to come in Christ with the bishops and elders of His choosing and service in His church with Him as the head and Chief Shepherd (Isaiah 40:11, 1 Peter 2:25, 5:4) that the under shepherds and sheep might do what is pleasing and glorifying to God (Hebrews 13:20-21).  He would remove their fear and supply all their needs (Philippians 4:19) out of the infinite riches of His glory.  He would do this through the Branch of righteousness who is Christ our Messiah and Lord!  He alone reigns as sovereign and executes judgment and righteousness among us all.  He alone brings salvation, deliverance for sin and death and not just physical enemies.  He alone gives us a safe place to live apart from the consequences of our sin and gives life and peace with Himself (Romans 5:1) in that Branch of God who has become our righteousness as Yahweh Tsidkenu (2 Peter 1:1).  Israel at that time would not only be able to boast in God’s deliverance out of the bondage of Egypt, but also from the surrounding nations.  Like, we all in the Messiah (Branch of righteousness) are delivered out of spiritual bondage from all nations as He has chosen and calls.  The foundation of the remnant of Israel supports the branches grafted in from the surrounding nations (Romans 11:17, 25), and the land we will all dwell in together is the Kingdom of God coming to earth as the New Jerusalem in the end.  This is our certain hope and rest for our souls as His people in the Branch of our righteousness.