Jeremiah 33:1-13 GOD Did It
God tells Jeremiah a second time, while he is in the court of the guards, that He will restore the nation of Israel. It will be restored because GOD did it; not man.
God gave Jeremiah a promise of a restored Israel when he asked why God wanted him to buy a field. God told Jeremiah again about His plans to restore Israel AFTER their punishment. God focuses more on the rebuilt than the demolishing in this vision to Jeremiah. Still, there is plenty of reference to the fact that the city and Judah will be destroyed first, to the point where there are no people living in the cities. They are destroyed and desolate as a result of the people’s sin and God’s judgment for that sin.
God is not making light of their immediate future. He is instead focusing on a coming hope. EVERYONE needs hope. It is what keeps us going in the face of difficult times. It is what we reach for when trouble surrounds us. And the BEST hope is a SURE hope! God gives that to Jeremiah today.
When we chase ‘hope’ or a ‘dream’ we don’t know for certain if we will attain what we set out for. It is not uncommon for us to have to shift our focus to something a little more attainable than what we started off ‘chasing.
God doesn’t settle for ANYTHING less than what HE allowed to happen in the beginning. Yes. Our world is a WHOLE LOT different than it would be if Eve had never taken of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. If Eve had never sinned, we would not be in this mess. But God knew what it would turn out like before He even created it. Eve wouldn’t have sinned if God hadn’t given man free will. But He wants to KNOW that those who love Him do so of their own will. So, yes, things are NOT perfect, but they are what God created from the beginning. Warts and all.
Don’t get me wrong! God NEVER made ANYONE sin. He didn’t WANT us to sin, but He knew we would. And He knew exactly what it would take to bring things back in line with His ultimate plan EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
Judah is heading for punishment, a SERIOUS lesson, in Jeremiah’s time. There is no way out of it; only through it. But on the other side, God has something MUCH BETTER waiting. And it is NOT man who is going to get them there!
“Behold, I will bring it to health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against Me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against Me” (verses 6-8).
GOD would bring Israel back to the place they were in the beginning. A place where they were following Him alone. He would do the work. He would forgive their past sins and make the relationship right again. He could have rightly held a grudge against Israel and Judah for the way they turned against Him. But He didn’t. Because He loved Judah, HE did the work to restore the relationship.
He STILL does all the work! Because He loves us, He does all the hard work again. And because we love Him, we change our ways so He won’t have to do that hard work again. God sent His ONLY begotten Son to make a way for our relationship to be without barriers. He removed the sin that stood between us and God. All we have to do to receive that relationship is to open our hearts to His invitation.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). Will you answer the door? Or will you leave Him on the other side knocking?
Father God, You did ALL the work! THANK YOU for doing what I couldn’t do. THANK YOU for continually working on me and correcting things I didn’t know to look for. THANK YOU for making this relationship possible.
