< Jeremiah 31 >

At the same time when God performs the intents of his heart he will confirm himself the God of Israel and they his people.v.1Jeremiah 31:1XWaiting for response He loves them with an everlasting love and he will bless them,vs.2-6Jeremiah 31:2-6XWaiting for response and the nations are called upon to be glad for Israel and to cry to the LORD to save her.v.7Jeremiah 31:7XWaiting for response He will save them v.8Jeremiah 31:8XWaiting for response and tells all nations to hear what he will do. v.10Jeremiah 31:10XWaiting for response He will redeem them from powerful enemies,v.11Jeremiah 31:11XWaiting for response bring them rejoicing to Jerusalem,vs.12-13Jeremiah 31:12-13XWaiting for response and completely satisfy them with his goodness.v.14Jeremiah 31:14XWaiting for response

Before God saves his people, they would pass through many centuries of suffering because of their wickedness, and this suffering is represented as “Rachel [Jacob’s wife] weeping for her children”.v.15Jeremiah 31:15XWaiting for response This is applied to the murder of children by Herod at the birth of Jesus Matthew 2:17Matthew 2:17XWaiting for response which was just one example of the distress which came upon God’s people. Nevertheless, the faithful could always look forward to the end of their suffering when the children of Israel will be regathered into the land.vs.16-17Jeremiah 31:16-17XWaiting for response “And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD”.vs.27-28Jeremiah 31:27-28XWaiting for response

God will make a new covenant with Israel.vs.31-34Jeremiah 31:31-34XWaiting for response The old covenant was the one he made with them through Moses and the new covenant is the one he made with Abraham but was not confirmed until the shedding of Jesus’ blood - his blood is the blood of the new covenant. Luke 22:20Luke 22:20XWaiting for response These verses in Jeremiah are cited in the New Testament and applied to the disciples of Christ Hebrews 10:16-17Hebrews 10:16-17XWaiting for response so we can now, by belief and baptism, enter into this covenant with God, and natural Israel will do so also when they are regathered into the land. Both Israel and the saints will have God’s law written on their hearts.v.33Jeremiah 31:33XWaiting for response

We can be as confident that God will perform his word as we are that the sun will rise each morning.v.35Jeremiah 31:35XWaiting for response Only if the ordinances of the natural heavens, earth and sea come to an end need we fear that God will not redeem Israel. Many assert that God has cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done v.37Jeremiah 31:37XWaiting for response which is a lie. The LORD will save Israel and re-establish Jerusalem as a holy place. Even the valley of Gehenna (translated “hell” in the New Testament and cited by many to support the erroneous idea of eternal torments), used as a place to destroy the bodies of criminals and by Jesus as a metaphor for God’s judgments, will be made holy unto the LORD.