(17)
(3)
Scripture Reading: Jer. 32; Jer. 33
In this message we will consider chapters thirty-two and thirty-three. These chapters are a continuation of Jehovah's promise concerning the restoration of Israel.
In 32:1-5 Zedekiah, the king of Judah, imprisoned Jeremiah and condemned his prophecy concerning the capturing of the city of Jerusalem and Zedekiah. Later, Zedekiah was caught while trying to escape. Nebuchadnezzar killed Zedekiah's sons in his presence and then put out his eyes and took him to Babylon, where he died. With Zedekiah, a pitiful king, the kingship of the royal family was terminated.
In verses 6 through 15 Jeremiah bought the field of his cousin Hanamel in Anathoth according to Jehovah's word, signifying that houses, fields, and vineyards would again be bought in the holy land. This indicates that although Jerusalem and Zedekiah would be captured, God would still keep the holy land with His people. In God's intention the holy land would remain a fit place for His people to live.
Verses 16 through 25 speak of Jeremiah's dealing with Jehovah. Jeremiah asked Jehovah why He told him to buy the field since the city of Jerusalem had been given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Jeremiah could not understand this. Here the fellowship between God and Jeremiah was very intimate, like the fellowship between intimate friends. In asking about the field, Jeremiah addressed God as if He were his close friend.
Jehovah's answer to Jeremiah, found in verses 26 through 44, is very interesting.
Jehovah said that He was giving the city of Jerusalem into the hand of the Chaldeans, and Nebuchadnezzar would take it, because of the evils of Israel which she had done to provoke Him (vv. 28-36).
Jehovah went on to say that although He had driven Israel in His wrath and in His great indignation, He would gather them out from all the lands where He had driven them and would bring them back to the holy land and make them dwell there in safety (v. 37). Here we see that Jeremiah came to know God's intention and that His intention, revealed in His word to Jeremiah, became His promise to the prophet.
According to verse 38, Israel would be Jehovah's people, and He would be their God. After making this promise, Jehovah said, "I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all the days, for their own good and for the good of their children after them" (v. 39).
We, the chosen people of God, should all have one heart and one way. We should have one heart to love God, to seek God, to live God, and to be constituted with God. This means that we love to be the expression of God. The one way is just the Triune God. The Lord Jesus said, "I am the way" (John 14:6a).
Christians today are divided because they take many different ways other than Christ. The Catholic Church has the Catholic way, and the Orthodox Church has the Orthodox way. Each denomination and independent group has its own way. The Presbyterians have one way, and the Pentecostals have another way.
What should be our way in the Body of Christ? As the Body of Christ, we should take the way of the inner law, which is the Triune God with His divine capacity. We should all have one heart to love Him, and we should all take Him as our life and our way. This one heart and one way is the one accord (Acts 1:14). If we do not have one heart and one way, we cannot be in one accord.
For eternity in the New Jerusalem there will be only one way. John tells us, "He showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street. And on this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month" (Rev. 22:1-2a). In the middle of the street, the river of water of life flows, and in the river the tree of life grows. This indicates that the way, the life, and the life supply are all one. It also indicates what our way should be today. Our way in the Lord's recovery is life; it is the inner law of life; it is the very Triune God Himself.
I am sorry to say that in recent years there was a turmoil among us, and this turmoil brought in division. The reason for this turmoil was that certain ones wanted to take a way other than life, a way other than Christ, the Triune God, and the inner law. Divisions are always the result of taking a way other than Christ. If we keep ourselves to the one way, there will be no division. We praise the Lord that in His restoration He will give His people one heart to love Him and express Him and one way to enjoy Him.
In Jeremiah 32:40-44 Jehovah said that He would make an eternal covenant with them that He will not turn away from them. He will do them good. He will plant them in the holy land, and fields will be bought there.
This eternal covenant is the new covenant (31:31-34). It is by this covenant that God will not turn away from us and will plant us in Christ, our good land, and Christ in all His aspects will be bought by us. To buy Christ is to pay a price to gain Christ by forgetting the things that are behind and pursuing Christ (Phil. 3:13-14).
God's answer to Jeremiah surely was wise and wonderful.
While Jeremiah was still imprisoned, the word of Jehovah came to him a second time as a reaffirmation of His promise concerning the restoration of Israel (33:1-26).
Jehovah promised to bring the city of Jerusalem recovery and healing. He said that He would reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth and would turn the captivity of Israel and build them up as in the former time. He also promised that He would cleanse them from their iniquity, by which they have sinned against Him, and forgive all their iniquities, by which they have sinned against Him and have transgressed against Him (vv. 6-8).
In verse 9 Jehovah made this further promise concerning Jerusalem: "It will be a name of gladness and a praise and a glory to Me before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good that I am about to do for them; and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and because of all the peace that I am about to provide for it." In addition to being a promise concerning Jerusalem, this is also a picture of today's church life.
According to verses 10 and 11, there will be heard in the city of Jerusalem the voice of gladness, the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, the voice of the bride, and the voice of those who say, "Praise Jehovah of hosts, for Jehovah is good, for His lovingkindness is forever." He will turn the captivity of the holy land.
Verses 12 and 13 say, "Again there will be in this place which is a waste, without man and without beast, and in all of its cities, a habitation of shepherds making their flock lie down. In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the south and in the land of Benjamin and round about Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, the flock will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them." This is a picture of the church life. In the church life shepherding is a crucial matter. In the church we need to count the flock. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God paid attention to the number of His people. In Numbers God numbered the tribes of Israel; in the Gospels the Lord sent first twelve and then seventy; and in Acts 2 three thousand were saved, and in Acts 4 "the number of men came to about five thousand" (v. 4). If we neglect the number of our "flock," we will neglect our duty, and our flock may remain small in number. However, if we care for the number of the flock, eventually the Lord will multiply our flock to the extent that we will not be able to count them (Jer. 33:22). This should be the situation in the church life.
Jehovah will establish the good word which He has spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah (v. 14). He will cause to shoot forth a Shoot (Christ) of righteousness unto David, who will execute justice and righteousness on the earth (v. 15). This word regarding Christ as the Shoot of righteousness unto David is related to the new covenant, the center of which is the inner law of life. This law is the Shoot of David, and the Shoot of David is Christ. Christ is the inner law; He is the center, the reality, and even the essence of the new covenant.
Verse 16 continues by saying, "In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely; and this is the name by which she will be called: Jehovah our righteousness." In 23:6 it is Christ who is called Jehovah our righteousness, but here it is the city of Jerusalem which is called by this name. The fact that both Christ and Jerusalem are called by the same name seems to indicate that, just as Christ and the church are one today, so in the restoration Christ and the city of Jerusalem will be one.
As no one can break Jehovah's covenant with respect to the day and His covenant with respect to the night, so that day and night will not be at the appointed time, so His covenant with David His servant can never be broken, so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne. Likewise, His covenant can never be broken with the Levitical priests as His ministers (vv. 17-21).
Verse 22 says that as the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so Jehovah will multiply the seed of David His servant and the Levites His ministers.
If Jehovah's covenant with respect to day and night does not stand, if He has not established the statutes of heaven and earth, then He will also reject the seed of Jacob and David His servant and will not take rulers from his seed to be over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for He will turn their captivity and have compassion on them (vv. 23-26; 31:35-36). Here God is assuring His people that just as the universe remains forever, so the people of God and the royal family will also remain forever.
