Jeremiah 31:1-14
1 "At the same time," says the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people."
2 Thus says the LORD:
"The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when I went to give him rest."
3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:
"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.
6 For there shall be a day
When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,
'Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the LORD our God.'"
7 For thus says the LORD:
"Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
'O LORD, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!'
8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the ends of the earth,
Among them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child
And the one who labors with child, together;
A great throng shall return there.
9 They shall come with weeping,
And with supplications I will lead them.
I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters,
In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;
For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My firstborn.
10 "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
And declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
'He who scattered Israel will gather him,
And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.'
11 For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
And ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion,
Streaming to the goodness of the LORD—
For wheat and new wine and oil,
For the young of the flock and the herd;
Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden,
And they shall sorrow no more at all.
13 "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old, together;
For I will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD."
The chosen remnant of Israel was drawn by God’s everlasting love and eternal grace to find rest in Him (Hebrews 4:9-10). They were drawn out of the darkness of sin and their idolatrous rebellion against Him and into the promised light of peace with Him according to His word which promised reconciliation and restoration by His atoning work for them. They did not earn this by their righteous works, but were given it as a gift because the LORD set His love on them. He promised to rebuild them, feed them, and cause them to worship Him in Zion once more after their long captivity in Babylon. The Babylon of this present evil age, this world system given over to the adversary until Christ’s return, even this will be left behind by God’s people as He judges it in the end as the picture portrayed here with Israel. We will be called out and restored forever just as we have already entered His kingdom of light, having been delivered out of that darkness (1 Peter 2:9-10). Many are called by the proclamation of the gospel, yet few are chosen to enter into His kingdom. The remnant of Israel and the nations will therefore find peace with God in the Messiah and be cared for in eternity by His restoration by atoning and reconciling grace. That is praiseworthy and worth singing in joy for as we also proclaim, “Lord, save your people!” He promised to gather the scattered sheep, even the lame and blind, back to Israel out of the Babylonian dispersion. Jesus also gathered the blind and lame upon healing many of them as a further fulfillment of this promise to demonstrate His faithfulness to His people called by His love and care. They too will enter into His kingdom with tears of joy along the river and led in the straight and narrow path of such joy of deliverance and restoration because He is their Father and ours. The testimony to the world then was how God the Shepherd who scattered the flock will also gather them to Himself by ransoming them from the penalty of their sin and redeeming them by buying them at such a great price (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23) from the one too strong for us to pull ourselves out of that one’s grip of sin and death! Together with Israel we will all therefore stream to God’s goodness and multiply by spreading the good news of His redemption according to this example and promise long ago. The comfort of the Lord turns our mourning for sin and its penalty into the dancing of joyful deliverance so there will eventually be no more sorrow forever (Revelation 21:4), only rejoicing. May we then be satisfied with His goodness and provision until that day as we live accordingly (1 Timothy 6:6) in holiness and righteousness, working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) as we realize our undeserved deliverance and expectation of unending joy in His presence as a remnant drawn by His everlasting love.
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