1“At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
2 Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest, 3 the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 5 Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant
and shall enjoy the fruit. 6 For there shall be a day when watchmen will call
in the hill country of Ephraim:
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”
REFLECTION:
God wants all peoples to be His people, not limited to one nation and one tribe. This promise of God is not only to the tribe of Judah, but to the tribes of Israel, including all those who trust in the Lord. They will return and rebuild. God’s love will never change. Today, when we encounter all kinds of hardships and difficulties, do we still have faith in His promise? God always treats His people with deep love and kindness, and as long as we are willing to accept it, He will give us the best. Jeremiah has repeatedly proclaimed warnings about sin, but here he speaks of God’s deep and wide love, which is undoubtedly like a breath of fresh air, rejuvenating and refreshing the soul. The message of God that Jeremiah wanted to convey was that God’s justice and mercy should go hand in hand. When we think of God, we should not only be in awe and trembling, but we must also carefully observe how God draws us to Him with love on the path of our growth. God’s will is to build up our lives, so that we can enjoy abundance. May we be able to appreciate God’s will every day, live happily in God’s justice and love, and bear the fruit of life.
PRAYER:
Come to God with a grateful heart, review your journey of faith, and count the blessings of God especially for your experience of being led by God’s cords of kindness and bands of love when you are far away from Him. Ask God to give you spiritual vitality and alertness so that you will be more sensitive and alert to sin, and desire for God’s guidance and enlightenment.
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”
4 These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:
5 “Thus says the Lord:
We have heard a cry of panic,
of terror, and no peace. 6 Ask now, and see,
can a man bear a child?
Why then do I see every man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?
Why has every face turned pale? 7 Alas! That day is so great
there is none like it;
it is a time of distress for Jacob;
yet he shall be saved out of it.
8 “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. 9 But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
10 “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,
nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid. 11 For I am with you to save you,
declares the Lord;
I will make a full end of all the nations
among whom I scattered you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.
REFLECTION:
This passage records the message of comfort and hope that Jeremiah conveyed. God always has mercy in judgment, and there is no lack of comfort in His wrath. One day, the people will return to their native land from the exile, and make a new covenant with God to replace the broken old covenant. They will also repent from their sins and be converted and obey God. When we read it, it’s like looking at the mountains from afar. The summits are close to each other. When we get closer, we will see that there is actually a great distance between the summits. As far as Jeremiah’s prophecy is concerned, people often think that what is about to happen is only a short distance away from the end, but in fact it is not. Jeremiah not only saw the doom of Judah’s impending exile, but also saw the scene of Christ’s eternal rule over all things in the future. The King David here (v9) does not really refer to David, but refers to his descendants, the Messiah whom everyone admires. Today, we have passed the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus for more than two thousand years, His promise of return seems that it is about to be accomplished, but it also seems to be far away indefinitely. We should be encouraged from this past of the Israelites returning from captivity, with good hope in our hearts, and watchful waiting for the Lord’s return.
PRAYER:
Come to God quietly, pour out to God what you hope He will accomplish for you, but has not yet been accomplished. Ask God to comfort you, and make you understand that what God is willing to accomplish will be accomplished, but God has His own time. Ask God to give you more patience to wait, just like the farmer to wait for the early and the late rains until there is a fruitful harvest.
1These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
REFLECTION:
Jeremiah wrote to the Judahites in Babylon (v4 to 23 is the content of the letter), instructing them to continue to live and to pray for the peace of the Gentiles who took them captive. Life should not be stopped due to hardship. Despite the harsh living environment and poor circumstances, God’s people should try their best to adapt and live actively. You may find it too difficult to pray for tyrants or unrighteous people, but this is what you need to learn. God’s salvation is for all nations and peoples, no matter who, as long as they are willing to come to God and repent sincerely, God is willing to accept them. Therefore, we should pray for all people, especially those in positions and powers, because God also wants them to be saved (see 1 Timothy 2:1-6). In addition, when you encounter difficulties or suffer sudden changes, don’t give up hope because of fear or uncertain prospects. Instead, pray more persistently, live more actively, try your best to bear a good testimony to God, and attract the non-believers to return to God.
PRAYER:
Come to God humbly, pray for an unrighteous ruler in your eyes, ask God to make him/her repent, give him/her more justice and mercy, and do good things for everyone. Ask God to make you understand that His grace and love do not want anyone to perish. He allows the sun to shine on the righteous as well as the unrighteous. Ask God to enable you to imitate the love of Christ and try your best to preach the gospel of repentance, so that more people will receive God’s salvation.
