Jeremias 31
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Jeremias 31
Morgan wrote this in 1912, long before Israel was reborn as a nation in May, 1948! As an aside, Morgan could hardly be labeled a "Dispensationalist." Morgan interprets the passage as a "literalist" writing: This is repeatedly promised in Jeremiah and secured by the most solemn asseverations which can be used, but it is minutely described in this and the following chapter. The reason of their restoration is disclosed, Jer 31:3, viz., the unalterable love of God. The extent of the regathering is foretold, Jer 31:8; from every quarter of the earth both the house of Israel and the house of Judah will be brought back again. With deep penitence and supplications for their sins will they come, the Lord Himself leading them, Jer 31:9. Scarcely anything can exceed the pathos, the exquisite tenderness with which the penitents and their Redeemer talk together, as it is foretold in Jer 31:18-20. Of course this is true of all genuine repentance, but it will most emphatically be true in restored Israel, Zech 12:11-14. A New Covenant is made with them in the day they return to God, Jer 31:31-37. That we may be assured that the covenant was not fulfilled at the return from the Babylonian exile, it is quoted once and again in the New Testament anddistinctly applied to the Jews of the future, Ro 11:26, 27; Heb 8:8-13; 10:16, 17. A still more convincing proof of the restoration is given in Jer 32:6-15,—the account of the purchase of Hanamel’s land by Jeremiah. The Chaldeans were laying siege to the city; and that they would capture it the prophet very well knew. And yet he is bidden buy his cousin’s field, pay the money for it, for God gave him the assurance that in due time the people would be restored to their inheritance. Abraham bought a field for his dead; Jeremiah bought one for a nation yet unborn. God led him to commit himself openly to the faith of Israel’s final restoration. (Living Messages of the Books of the Bible - The Message of Jeremiah) I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people - This is the language of covenant. Compare the similar divine declaration in Jer 31:33 "I will be their God, and they shall be My people" which is clearly in the context of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31). Not to mention that He had just made a similar statement 3 verses earlier = 'And you shall be My people, And I will be your God.'" (Jeremiah 30:22) God of all the families of Israel - This foreshadows the reunification of the 10 northern tribes (aka, Israel or Ephraim) and the 2 southern tribes (Judah). It also foretells of the time when Messiah returns and "all Israel will be saved." (Ro 11:26-note). This theme of reuniting the divided kingdom is picked up very clearly in Jer 31:27-28 where he mentions the house of Israel and the house of Judah using the metaphor of them as seeds sown - they will ultimately produce one harvest, not two. This promise is given repeatedly to Israel by Jehovah by several OT prophets (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah)... "And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart." (Jeremiah 24:7) "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:33) "And they shall be My people, and I will be their God, and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them." (Jeremiah 32:38-39) "And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them (Ed: The blessings of the New Covenant). And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God." (Ezekiel 11:19-20-note) "In order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 14:11-note) "And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:28-note) "And they will be My people, and I will be their God....."My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people." (Ezekiel 37:23, 27-note) "And I will bring them back, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be My people and I will be their God in truth and righteousness." (Zechariah 8:8 ) "And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" (Zechariah 13:9) All the families of Israel - The point is that at that time (when God says I will be the God of all the families) (and probably for the first time in the history of Israel) all of Israel is regenerate and redeemed (genuinely "born again"). Ryrie has an interesting note stating that "This chapter continues the theme of restoration for Israel. Verses 1-22 concern the Northern Kingdom, verses 23-26 the Southern Kingdom, and verses 27-40 both kingdoms." Charles Feinberg comments that "In chapter 30 the restoration of Judah is foretold; here that of Israel is predicted. The messages of hope and restoration, it will be recalled, carry through chapter 33. The dominant themes in this chapter are the restoration of God’s people and the new covenant. The whole nation is addressed in Jeremiah 31:1, then the Ten Tribes in Jeremiah 31:2–22, then Judah in Jeremiah 31:23–26, then both Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 31:27–40. (Expositor's Bible Commentary, 1984) James Van Dine outlines Jeremiah 30-31... A. Israel and Judah will be regathered to the land of promise. Jeremiah 30:1-31:26 B. Israel and Judah will be renovated into a numerous people. Jeremiah 31:27-30 C. Israel and Judah will be regenerated through a new covenant. Jeremiah 31:31-37 D Jerusalem will be rebuilt. -40 Warren Wiersbe divides the audience as follows saying the prophet spoke to... To a united people - Jeremiah 31:1, 27-30 To Israel (10 Northern Tribes) - Jeremiah 31:2-20 To Judah (2 Southern Tribes) - Jeremiah 31:21-26 To a united people (Jeremiah 31:27-30) Butler's Alliterated Outline of Jeremiah 31 A. The Restoration of Israel (Jeremiah 31:1–9) 1. The Possession in the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:1) 2. The Passion for the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:2, 3) 3. The Pleasure in the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:4, 7) 4. The Product of the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:5) 5. The Piety in the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:6) 6. The Praise in the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:7) 7. The People in the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:8, 9) 8. The Protection for the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:9) 9. The Path for the Restoration (Jeremiah 31:9) B. The Rejoicing for Israel (Jeremiah 31:10–14) 1. The Countries in the Rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:10) 2. The Cause for the Rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:11) 3. The Cornucopia for the Rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:12, 14) 4. The Celebrating in the Rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:13) 5. The Changes for the Rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:13) C. The Repining of Israel (Jeremiah 31:15–21) 1. The Remorse in the Repining (Jeremiah 31:15, 16) 2. The Return in the Repining (Jeremiah 31:17) 3. The Repentance in the Repining (Jer. 31:18, 19) 4. The Remembrance in the Repining (Jeremiah 31:20) 5. The Recalling in the Repining (Jeremiah 31:21) D. The Reaffirmation for Israel (Jeremiah 31:22–26) 1. The Scolding in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:22) 2. The Strength in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:22) 3. The Spirituality in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:23) 4. The Sojourning in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:24) 5. The Satisfaction in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:25) 6. The Sleep in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:26) 7. The Sowing in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:27) 8. The Sureness in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:28) 9. The Sentence in the Reaffirmation (Jeremiah 31:29, 30) E. The Ratification for Israel (Jeremiah 31:27–34) 1. The Newness of the Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31, 32) 2. The Nature of the Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33, 34) F. The Reassurance of Israel (–40) 1. The Continuance of the People (–37) 2. The City of the People (–40) (Analytical Bible Expositor) Here is the Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible outline for Jeremiah 30-33... The Messages of Comfort and Hope to God's People, Jeremiah 30:1-33:26 A. The Great Trial and Triumph of the Coming Days, Jer 30:1-24 B. The Great Gift of Restoration: A Picture of Reconciliation Between God and His Backsliding People, Jer 31:1-30 C. The Great Gift of a New Covenant: A Picture of Regeneration, of Being Given a New Heart, Jer 31:31-40 D. The Great Faith Needed in the Coming Days, Jer 32:1-44 E. The Absolute Surety of God's Promises in the Coming Days, Jer 33:1-26 Charles Briggs observing the introductory formula of “thus says the Lord” and its expansion, divides Jeremiah 30–31 as follows: (1) The time of Jacob’s trouble, Jer 30:1–11; (2) The healing of the incurable wound, Jer 30:12–31:6; (3) Ephraim, God’s firstborn, Jer 31:7–14; (4) Rachel weeping for her children, Jer 31:15–22; (5) The restoration of Israel in Judah and the new covenant, Jer 31:23–34; and (6) God’s inviolable covenant with the nation of Israel , Jer 31:35-40. (Charles A. Briggs, Messianic Prophecy) Jeremiah 31:2 Thus says the LORD, "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness-- Israel, when it went to find its rest." The interpretation of this verse is somewhat enigmatic - some favor allusion to the exodus from Egypt and other commentators apply this "the return of the Ten Tribes from Assyrian captivity, perhaps also including the later captives from Babylon." (Feinberg). Still others feels this passage parallels Rev 12:6 (note) where "the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days." It is probably best to not be too dogmatic on this passage. The English rendering of the Septuagint (Lxx) does not shed much light on the interpretation. Lxx = "Thus did the Lord say: I found him warm in a wilderness with people that perished by dagger." The other question is to whom is Jehovah directing the promises in this next section? Most commentators feels that He is addressed primarily to the Northern Ten Tribes and that they are the main recipient of the message through verse 22 (see Feinberg's Outline in Jer 31:1).
Jeremias 31
Morgan has a story related to Jeremiah 31:16-17 - In chapter 31, there’s a passage that proved absolutely remarkable in a true story that Sarah Fletcher shared with me recently. Verses 16-17 say this: This is what the Lord says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded," declares the Lord... "There is hope for your future," declares the Lord. "Your children will return to their own land." The Japanese occupation of China during World War II was brutal, not only for the Chinese but for missionaries like John and Edith Bell of Canada. They were serving the Lord in China’s western regions when their three children, far away in Chefoo, were suddenly seized and imprisoned at Weihsien Concentration Camp. You can imagine the parents’ anxiety, hundreds of miles from their imprisoned young children. They longed for any scrap of news about them. But the Lord gave Edith these verses, Jeremiah 31:16-17, and she claimed them for her children. One day a man arrived on the Bell’s doorstep with news that the children were well cared for with food and clothing. Some time later, he came again. This time he said, "Mrs. Bell, I have some very sad news. All the students in the Weihsien Camp have been murdered." Edith’s mind reeled, and she fought to stave off total panic. Suddenly she remembered Jeremiah 31:16-17: "Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears... they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, That your children shall come back to their own border." She quickly found the verses in her Chinese Bible and said to the man, "Doctor, you read this." He read it, then angrily threw down the Bible and stomped from the house. As it turned out, he was a lying infiltrater, a spy, trying to destroy the Christians’ morale with lies. Sometime later, John and Edith had to flee through India. They eventually booked passage to America without knowing the condition of their children. As they disembarked in New York, a Red Cross worker greeted them with news their children had been liberated and had arrived back in Canada ahead of them. "I was completely overcome," Edith said. "My children not only came from the land of the enemy, they came to their own border as the verse in Jeremiah had promised." The Bells caught the next train to Ontario where "we stepped down and were almost knocked over by our three children. It was joy unspeakable and full of glory. God’s "I wills" had not failed, and we knew they never would." Jeremiah 31:17 "There is hope for your future," declares the LORD, "And your children will return to their own territory. A FUTURE AND A HOPE Hope...future - Earlier Jehovah in that famous passage in Jer 29:11 promised "I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jehovah is speaking to Israel and explains that "Then (in the last days, when Messiah returns) you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (No one seeks for God, so clearly this seeking is supernaturally enabled). And I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile." (Jer 29:12-14). While there may be a partial historical fulfillment in the return of exiles from Babylon, that return does not entirely explain the passage for God says He "will gather (them) from all the nations" not just from Babylon. So ultimately this re-gathering awaits the last days when Jehovah "will gather them from the remote parts of the earth." (Jer 31:8, cp 31:10, 32:37). Even the ancient writer Jerome (circa 347-420AD) agrees (commenting on the regathering of Israel in Jer 32:37) - "This promise, taken in its full extent was not made good to those that returned from captivity; because they were frequently infested with wars, as well by the kings of Syria and Egypt as by the rest of their neighbours; and they were finally subdued and destroyed by the Romans." The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge adds this comment - "God's word cannot fail; therefore there remaineth yet a rest for the ancient people of God." Hope (08615)(tiqvah) is a feminine noun referring to a hope or expectation that something will happen (Ru 1:12 referring to the hope of bearing children). In the psalms we see the writer recognize that "hope is from" God (Ps 62:5), that He is "my hope." (Ps 71:5) Tiqvah - 31v - Ruth 1:12; Job 4:6; 5:16; 6:8; 7:6; 8:13; 11:18, 20; 14:7, 19; 17:15; 19:10; 27:8; Ps 9:18; 62:5; 71:5; Prov 10:28; 11:7, 23; 19:18; 23:18; 24:14; 26:12; 29:20; Jer 29:11; 31:17; Lam 3:29; Ezek 19:5; 37:11; Hos 2:15; Zech 9:12