July 9

Jeremiah 33
Yesterday, Jeremiah 32, could be summed up by saying, “When you are in the pits, it is time to look at the long term work of God, not your momentary distress. What is God seeking to accomplish?” Today, Jeremiah 33, we continue in sort of the same vein. Jeremiah is still in the court prison for speaking in the name of the Lord. If the choice were left to me, I wouldn’t want to be a prison Inmate anywhere. Yet it is in this prison that the Lord challenges Jeremiah, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” The KJV Commentary describe Mighty as: “Mighty. Inaccessible, hidden. The mysteries of eternity are available to the believer only through a call unto the Lord. “ Inaccessible—how many times have felt like the situation was hopeless only to find later that the Lord was working through the situation to produce a result which was far better than I thought the situation would lead? How could Jeremiah ever be delivered out prison? He was in the court prison because he was preaching a message that was tantamount to sedition and treason. If the Chaldeans were not effective in their siege, then Jeremiah would remain in prison. If they were effective, the nation would surely perish and become nothing on the face of the earth. It is literally the old saying of, “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
So what is this inaccessible, hidden thing that the Lord shows Jeremiah? It is simply the goodness and the mercy of the Lord. He will raise up out of the rubble a nation that will properly respond to the Lord. How will He do it? It will be a man, a God-man, the descendant of David. He will be called a righteous branch. While Israel was destroyed because of its unrighteousness, He will provide One who will make them righteous. While Israel was destroyed because of its unrighteous kings, He will provide a righteous King who will rule over them. You see, He had made two covenants one with the Levites and one with David. The Levites, which technically included the priests, were the family that was supposed to bring the people to the temple, and cover their sin. The line of David was supposed to rule in such a way that it led the people in righteous living. Both families had failed. Could God no longer keep His covenant? He would keep His covenant because He is good and full of mercy. He kept it in the God-man, Jesus Christ. Jesus, through the sacrifice of Himself, makes us righteous when we yield to Him. Jesus, through His eternal Spirit, empowers us, rules in us, when we yield to Him. When He returns, He will also establish a nation where He will be the true King. He would like to see that happen in His church right now. The availability of the New Covenant makes it possible. Will we yield? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john