2022-04-29
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The following citation from JER 31: 18-23 uses the name, Ephraim, meaning Israel --Jeremiah’s God-given prophecy about Israel (as a united nation). “I have truly heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return because You are the Lord, my God. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ ‘Is not Ephraim My dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore, My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,’ declares the Lord. ‘Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road you take. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns. How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter? The Lord will create a new thing on earth-a woman [Israel] will surround a Man [the Lord].’ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says, ‘When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless you, O righteous dwelling, O sacred mountain.’” The names here are figurative not literal. When God is restored to the center of one’s life or the life of a nation, inner joy is also restored.
To understand the significance of what is said here, it’s important to place Jeremiah in historical perspective. Jeremiah lived from 650 BC to ~586 BC, prophesying from 626 BC until his death. He was the son of the priest, Hilkiah, from Anathoth, a tiny town less than 3 miles from Jerusalem. During his life, Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet” due to his suffering. He prophesied at a time when Judah wouldn’t listen and the punishment of exile in the Babylonian Captivity at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar came to pass. After his forced deportation to Babylon, he was put in the care of Gedaliah, who himself was assassinated by fanatics. This was to be Judah’s 70-year diaspora (scattering and loss of nationhood); this prophecy came to pass. Once Gedalia was dead, some Jews took Jeremiah to Egypt where he lived out the rest of his life.
Let me begin giving some promises of restoration and/or joy that we see in the Scriptures. 1) God rescued the Jews from Egyptian slavery and remembered His covenant [EX 2: 23-25]. 2) God offered provision and protection during the Jew’s 40 years of wandering in the desert [EX 16: 15-16 which refers to manna, and JER 31: 1-2]. 3) God showed believers His love [JER 31: 3-4]. 4) Israel and all believers in God will enjoy restoration when contrite after sinning [JER 31: 4; JN 3: 16; EPH 2: 20-22]. Israel will prosper [JER 31: 9; PS 122: 6-8]. 5) Restoration from the diasporas for a united Israel [EZK 37: 16-23]. 6) Hope for the future for Israel [RO 11: 25]. 7) Rewards [HE 11: 6]. 8) All Israel does for her children will be rewarded [DT 6: 1-2, 7; JER 31: 16-17]. 9) God will grant all believers inner joy [PS 16: 11]. 10) All believers will enjoy eternal hope of salvation, justification, and forgiveness [JN 3: 16; JN 15: 7-8; RO 4: 3; 1 JN 1: 9]. If any of these citations are not familiar, please look them up. Your effort will be worth it!
God is good and He wants us to be obediently faithful to Him as he is to us. He is also with us, even when He has His reasons to be silent; He is also wanting us to experience the joy that real faith brings. PS 16: 11, “You have made the path of life known to me; You fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” These are only some of the blessings genuine faith yields. Please read JN 14: 26 and JN 15: 1-17 for next week. I will write much more on the blessing of God sharing His word and wisdom with us next week. (Don’t skip this assignment, because it’s one of the most beautiful chapters in the book of John!)
PRAYER: O Lord, the grace You give us is so undeserved and yet, precious to our lives. Your word is one way You open Your love and wisdom to us. You watch over us, provide for us, and protect us in a way no other soul can. Sometimes we disappoint you, as the Jews who disobeyed You did in Jeremiah’s time. You have given Your prophets messages and predictions for us that we didn’t always understand, as was the case with those who refused to listen to Your prophets in ancient times. However, in modern times, You have made Your mystery open to us [COL 1: 26-27; COL 2: 2-3], which gives us less excuse for disobedience than the ancients had. Out of the love You have for us, we who are observant believers, are given joy, restoration, and peace with You [RO 5: 8-11]. We bow to You in reverence, offer You thanks and praise, and acknowledge what an awesome God You are. In the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, we offer this prayer. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I am amazed at the information the Holy Spirit gives to me to pass along to each of you. We are learning together new reasons for believing that the Scriptures are God’s ”love letter” to us. Reading them and taking in the lessons He has brings me joy and peace, as I am hoping it does for each of you. Next week, I have been commanded to discuss JN 15: 1-17 in conjunction with better understanding the joy He gives us. My desire is that you will read each reference I give, so that the full impact on His love and desire for us to be joyful isn’t missed. As I’m writing this message, it is Lent, those 40 days that lead up to Easter week. When I was younger, this would always be a busy time, as I was singing in our congregation’s choir. We sang and waved palm branches for Palm Sunday. These were then burned, and the ashes retained for the following Ash Wednesday. On Maundy Thursday, we had a seder (ritual meal as Christ had it on Passover or Pesach) and had a traditional Tenebrae service. It was mournful and the altar was stripped. All of us left the church in darkness and silence. Good Friday, which commemorated Christ’s crucifixion was entirely sung by the choir alternating with a speaker telling the story. Saturday was the vigil with lots of prayer, and then, we had six services (3 with choir participation) on Easter morning, celebrating Christ’s resurrection –with the joy and hope that Easter gives us. I loved all the many flowers decorating the sanctuary. The Lord offers any believer in His son, Jesus Christ, our Yeshua HaMessiach (Jesus, the Messiah in Hebrew), His love, peace, and joy. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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