Read: Jeremiah 30:18-24
I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob. (v. 18)
In the first half of Jeremiah, God threatened judgment; in the second half, he promised restoration. The judgment was concrete: in 587 BC, God sent his rebellious people into exile. The restoration was abstract, and consisted of three future actions: God would raise up a godly king (v. 21); God’s wrath would be satisfied (vv. 23-24); and God would restore his city and its inhabitants (v. 18). God’s people waited centuries for him to accomplish this redemption. When he finally did, many people did not recognize it. Why? Because they expected God’s redemption to manifest in a place: Jerusalem. Instead, his promises were fulfilled in a person: Jesus.
Jesus was the true king. Throughout the New Testament he is called Messiah, God’s anointed. Jesus satisfied God’s wrath. Paul wrote, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, [how] much more shall we be saved by [Jesus] from the wrath of God” (Rom. 5:9). Jesus gathered a new people who were also a new city. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14).
Through Jeremiah, God pronounced the ultimate result of his plan of redemption: “You shall be my people, and I will be your God” (Jer. 30:22). Through Jesus, God claimed us as his people and presented himself to us as our God. Accept his offer of reconciliation, and open your life to his restoration. —Ben Van Arragon
As you pray, embrace God’s restorative work through Jesus Christ.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon is the Minister of Worship and Leadership at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
