Looking toward Restoration (4)

Pray Psalm 122.1-4.
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the LORD,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

Sing Psalm 122.1-4.
(Nettleton: Come Thou Fount)
I was glad when they  said to me, “To the Lord’s house let us go!”
Holy City, let our feet be firmly planted in your soil.
Jesus builds His Church forever, where His people sing His praise!
As Your Word decrees forever, we will thank You all our days.

Read and meditate on Jeremiah 33.1-9.

Prepare.
1. What does God promise if we will pray?

2. What is the end result of God’s restoring His people?

Meditate.
God continues His answer to Jeremiah’s prayer in these verses, expanding on previous revelation concerning the return of His people and the making of a new covenant, and bringing the focus of this restoration clearly into view.

God wanted to encourage Jeremiah’s prayers. He also wanted to assure Jeremiah that He is still God and the sovereign Lord. Jeremiah is in prison. God made the prison and established it. It’s His prison, so it must be serving His purpose (vv. 1, 2: both the word “prison” and “it” are in the same gender – a bit like saying “girl” and “she”). Recall what’s going on in the city. The people are frantic, running here and there, tearing down even the most expensive buildings and homes to defend against the Babylonians (v. 4). It’s crazy and terrifying.

But God wanted to talk with Jeremiah, so He created a cool, safe place in which to meet with him, and had the prophet ushered into safety courtesy of his enemies. The LORD is His Name!

God invited Jeremiah’s most ambitious prayers. He invites ours as well. If we call on Him, He will answer us. He will show us great things and “mysteries” (better translation than “mighty things”), things we would not normally expect to see, so that we may trust in Him and live toward His promises (v. 3).

God told Jeremiah that the end was almost near (vv. 4, 5), but it was really only a new beginning. In a short while, God would shine His face on His people once again (v. 5) and restore them to health and prosperity. But even more, He promised to forgive their sins and then make them such a praise in the earth that all the nations would fear and tremble and honor the Lord because of what they saw in His people (vv. 6-9).

At the end of this season of judgment, the purpose of God will be realized: He will be glorified in all the earth. We today are part of this promise and its fulfillment. In God’s new covenant, and in the forgiveness of sins, we have new life in Christ, and we shine like lights into the darkness of our world. All we have to do to realize this great promise is call on the Lord and live in the shining light of His Word. He’ll do the rest.

Reflect.
1. When you pray, do you expect God to show you “great things” and “mysteries”? Should you?

2. Forgiveness of sins leads to peace and truth and joy and praise, and honoring God and goodness (vv. 6, 9). How do you experience this in your own life?

3. How do you expect to know the Lord’s goodness today? How will you honor Him for it?

Here God testifies that his favor would be such as to deserve praise in all the world, or, which is the same thing, that his bounty would be worthy of being remembered. Hence he says, that it would be to him for a name among all nations; but as he designed to extol the greatness of his glory, he adds, a praise and an honor, or a glory; and it is emphatically added, among all nations. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Jeremiah 33.9

Thank You, Lord, for all Your goodness. Help me to honor You today as I…

Pray Psalm 122.5-9.
Jesus Christ is Lord. He rules the world, and He shepherds us His people. Call on Him to show great measures of peace and goodness, and to lead you deeper into the mysteries of your relationship with Him.

Sing Psalm 122.5-9.
Psalm 122.5-9 (Nettleton: Come Thou Fount)
On the throne of David, Jesus sits to judge the nations all.
As our holy peace increases, we are safe who on You call.
Grant us peace, Lord, by Your favor, for Your people’s sake we pray.
For the Church’s sake, O Savior, we will seek Your good today.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).