Seeing Jesus in Jeremiah’s New Covenant
By Dr. Paul Kattupalli
Welcome back to Defender’s Voice.Today let us see some important truths from the book of Jeremiah.
Today let us see some important truths from the book of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah lived through a very turbulent period in the history of Judah. I remember Horace Vernet’s portrait of Jeremiah sitting on the ruins of Jerusalem. How painful it is to watch your beloved city turning into rubble. Jeremiah was assigned by God to prophesy before, during and after the fall of Jerusalem.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel went into exile in 722 BC.
The Southern Kingdom of Judah went into exile in 586 BC.
As the kingdom of Judah was moving towards its demise, God sent Jeremiah to give final warnings to its people. Abraham Herschel wrote, “Jeremiah has often been called a prophet of wrath. It would be more significant to say that Jeremiah lived in an age of wrath”
Jeremiah had an assistant called Baruch. Today we have archaeological evidence for Jeremiah and Baruch. In 1986, scholars identified an ancient seal that belonged to Baruch. Think of that, a seal which once belonged to Baruch is now discovered. In the years before the Fall, Jeremiah and Baruch had a difficult task before them. Their back was breaking because people were not responding to their message. The Israelites abandoned God They were worshiping foreign gods. They filled the nation with idols. They were living in prosperity; they were comfortable with their affluence and security. But, that was not what God planned for them. God sent Jeremiah to a potter’s house. God wanted to be the potter, as the nation of Israel mold as clay in his hands and transform into a beautiful pot, a pot filled with streams of righteousness to nourish the souls of its neighbors. God wanted them to be a nation of priests to the world. A light to Gentiles; a holy people consecrated to God.
But sadly, that was not how they turned out to be. God spoke to them through prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah Chapter 9:23,24
Thus saith the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches.24. But let him that glorieth glory in this: that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD who exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight,” saith the LORD.
God told Israel,
“You are boasting about your wisdom. You are boasting about your power. You are boasting about your wealth. But your land is filled with hatred, corruption, and unrighteousness because you have rejected me, the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness”.
The Israelites were busy in the religion. There was a lot of activity in the temple. They were celebrating their freedom. But God exposed their corruption. In the life and prophecies of Jeremiah, we see a beautiful portrait of Messiah our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah we see a prefigure of Jesus.
Jeremiah 7: 9 – 11
- Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not,10. and come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, “We are delivered” — to do all these abominations? 11. Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
God was scolding Israel, you made my house a den of robbers. The anger of God when His temple is abused. I can see Jesus in that anger as he walked towards the temple of God in Jerusalem.
In Luke chapter 19, we see Jesus going into the temple and throwing out people who turned that place into a business center. Jesus told them, ‘It is written, ‘My house is the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves’. Lord Jesus was quoting the words of Jeremiah. You have transformed the house of prayer into a den of thieves.
We should go to the temple of God to fill our hearts, not our pockets.
Israel did not care to heed the warnings of God. God decided to destroy this den of thieves. The Potter decided to crush this pot.
King Nebuchadnezzar came from Babylon.
He invaded Judah. He captured Jerusalem and destroyed the temple of God. He crushed the rebellion and consigned thousands to deportation. Jeremiah was deeply disturbed by the devastation and desolation that engulfed his nation. We can hear the pain in his heart in the lamentations he composed. People were shocked by these unanticipated turns of events. They cried out, ‘where is God in all of this? When catastrophes hit us, we also respond with the same question, ‘where is God in all of this’.
On November 1, 1755, a massive earthquake hit the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Over 100,000 people were killed. Europe at this time embraced philosophical optimism, a belief in a benevolent God preached by Gottfried Leibniz (1646 – 1716). Leibniz taught that ‘this is the best of all possible worlds created by God’. But The Lisbon earthquake put deep cracks in that worldview. Among others, David Hume and Voltaire attacked this sense of optimism. David Hume attacked optimism from a philosophical view while Voltaire attacked it from a humanistic view. The earthquake happened in 1755. Four years later, in 1759, Voltaire published Candide. Voltaire mocked the idea that this is ‘the best of all possible worlds’. He was 64 years old when he wrote Candide. Candide is a young man who lives in Germany. His name means gullible in French. His beloved tutor is Dr. Pangloss, a philosopher who teaches, ‘metaphysico-theologo-cosmologo-nigology’. Voltaire was making fun of all the theology and metaphysics prevalent in Europe during that time. Pangloss is a Greek compound. Pan means ‘all’ and gloss means ‘tongue’. So, Pangloss means ‘all tongue’ or ‘all talk’. As President Trump would say, he is ‘all talk, no action’. Candide goes through horrible, horrible experiences in his life, but his tutor Dr. Pangloss maintains that they are living in the best of all possible worlds. Voltaire is mocking that idea. How absurd for Candide to maintain his optimism? How absurd for Pangloss to believe in optimism? How absurd to believe in a loving God in a world of violence, cruelty, disease, and destruction?
The Lisbon earthquake shook the philosophical foundations of Europe and changed its religious landscape as more and more people lost confidence in a benevolent God and turned to deism and atheism. We can still see the impact of David Hume and Voltaire even to this day.
Last time I was in Auschwitz, I walked through a concentration camp. A large hall where hundreds of Jews were incarcerated. Around Passover, one elderly man says, ‘Let us celebrated Passover’ Some people became incredibly angry at that man. ‘Passover, You want God now, when we are going to be killed’ ‘We are in a gas chamber, how can you even think about God? Have you lost your mind?’
Elie Wiesel (1928 – 2016) was a Holocaust survivor and a Nobel Laureate. He was born in Romania. In May 1944 his family was sent to Auschwitz, where his mother and his younger sister were murdered. He and his father were sent to labor camps. Later he was taken to the Buchenwald concentration camp. After the publication of his book Night, his name became synonymous with the Holocaust. In Night, he described his suffering in the labor camps. One day, SS guards were beating his father with their clubs. His father was begging Elie Wiesel for help: ‘Eliezer! Eliezer! Come, don’t leave me alone….’ The shame you cannot even help your own father the guilt, the loneliness, the helplessness during those dark days in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, Elie Wiesel found inspiration from the Book of Jeremiah. He once said, “I love the prophet Jeremiah because he is the one who lived the catastrophe before, during, and after and knew how to speak about it”
Wiesel was surrounded by the crisis brought on by the Holocaust. He saw the Fall of Jerusalem in the sixth century BC as ‘cosmic crumbling’, when the worldview of Jewish people was shattered. Jeremiah walked through a ‘domain of death’ yet became an ‘ideal survivor’. Just like Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem, Wiesel had to witness the Holocaust and still maintain faith in God in the post-Holocaust age. Like Jeremiah, the Prophet/Poet, Elie Wiesel became a prophet/poet. He was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. We called him modern Jeremiah because he warned us of the consequences of abandoning God and His Word.
Composer Igor Stravinsky was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. He witnessed all the destruction the Second World War brought upon the World. Stravinsky composed a musical he called ‘Threni, Lamentations of Prophet Jeremiah’ Some critics said, ‘wow, here go, prophet Jeremiah! Can we put away these prophets and Bibles and find some secular solutions to our problems’
After the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah told people, ‘after all the destruction and devastation you witnessed, God is still in control. God will restore you at the appointed time’ People mocked Jeremiah like Voltaire mocked Leibniz. Dr. Pangloss and his ‘‘metaphysico-theologo-cosmologo-nigology’ they don’t solve human suffering. But Jeremiah did not yield. ‘God is still on his throne. War, destruction, earthquakes, tsunami, tornadoes, hurricanes whatever it is God is still on his throne, His character or His nature will never change. Even as Jerusalem turned into ashes the love of God for Israel will not change’
Jeremiah looked at the people as they were carried in chains towards Babylon and he told them the words from the mouth of God. God is saying to Israel,
Jeremiah Chapter 31: 3-4
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.4. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel”
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. As we read about Uncle Tom nearing his death, George enters the shed and says,
‘Uncle Tom, my poor, poor old friend?’ Tom opens his eyes, and as tear flowing over his cheeks, he says, ‘Jesus can make a dying bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are’ ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul’ George says, ‘You shall not die, you mustn’t die, nor think of it! I’ve come to buy you, and take you home’ Tom replies, ‘O Master George, you’re too late. The Lord has bought me, and is going to take me home – and I long to go. Heaven is better than Kentucky’ George says, ‘Poor, poor fellow!’ Tom replies, ‘Don’t call me poor fellow. I have been a poor fellow, but that’s all past and gone now. I’m right in the door, going to glory! O, Master George, Heaven has come! I’ve got the victory! – the Lord Jesus has given it to me! Glory be to His name!” Tom starts to breathe with long, deep inspirations, and then dies with a smile on his face saying, ‘Who – who- who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’
Master George exclaims, ‘What a thing it is to be a Christian!’
No matter what chains you carry in your life today, you can be assured that nothing shall separate from the love of Christ. Jeremiah looked at the people as they were carried in chains towards Babylon and he told them, “People of Israel, remember one thing, God loves you with an everlasting love.
God loved you with an everlasting love. Let not the chains of Babylon sink your soul. Let not the curses of Nebuchadnezzar taint your spirit
Let not the smoke from Jerusalem shatter your hope. I will build you,
You will be built again, O virgin of Israel God has promised everlasting love for Israel. There will be consequences for sin. But there will be no change in the love God has for Israel.
We go through suffering for various reasons. The longer we live, higher the chances of suffering. Sometimes we go through suffering because of our own mistakes. Sometimes the pain comes in spite of all the precautions we take, a hurricane might destroy our home, an accident might cause an injury, a loved one might suffer or die. Sadly, we have no control over a lot of things that could happen to us or to our loved ones. The most common mistake we commit is to judge God based on our circumstances. Rather, we should judge our circumstances based on God. His love for us will never change no matter what circumstances we go through in our lives. God loved you with an everlasting love. He loved you before the foundation of the world. Grief follows us throughout this earthly life. Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook. An annual salary is 15 million dollars, a husband, and children, happy life. They went to Mexico for a vacation in 2015. One fine morning in the villa they were staying, her husband went to do some morning exercise, he embarked on the treadmill, developed a heart arrhythmia, fell from the treadmill and sustained a head trauma. When Sheryl went to check on her husband, he was in a pool of blood. She described the experience as all her world falling apart. She is now on a mission to understand the impact of grief on human life. She is consulting lots of psychologists and asking many questions to understand grief. There is nothing wrong to ask questions. Elie Wiesel wrote in his book Night, “Man comes closer to God through questions he asks Him” Fever, sickness, traffic accidents, job loss, cancer wards, ER visits, high-interest rates, mortgages, love failures, disappointing children, arthritis, chemotherapy, migraines, and mental breakdowns…they are all temporary and vanish the first moment we see Lord Jesus in all His glory in heaven. God called Israel with love. “When Israel was a child, then I loved him and called My son out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1)
God called you and me with love. 1 John 4:10 days, “Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”.
God remembered His people while they were in Babylon. He told Jeremiah that captivity would last 70 years, from 605 BC – 535 BC. No matter where they go, God has a plan for Jews.
Frederick the Great asked the Marquis D’ Argens, “Can you give me one single irrefutable proof of God?” The Marquis replied, “Yes, your majesty, the Jews”. What is the best evidence for the existence of God? We think of an ontological argument, teleological argument, and cosmological argument. But the best argument is right before our eyes: The Jewish people. Canaanites, Jebusites, Hittites, Philistines, Girgashites, Amorites, Moabites…they all disappeared into the pages of history, yet the Jews outlived all of them. They have been the most persecuted people in the history of the world, but they survived, not because of their ingenuity or survival tactics but because God has been behind them. Through them, God gave us the Bible and a Savior, Lord Jesus Christ. We can always be grateful for the Jews just for those two things, even though, I can think of many other contributions they made to our society.
God constantly reminded His people that He is their Father, Creator, and Redeemer.
Jeremiah 31:9
for I am a father to Israel
Jeremiah 31:33
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jeremiah 31:35
Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name
Jeremiah 10:10,11
But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath, the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
Jeremiah 51:15
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.
Jeremiah 50:20
In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.
God offered complete forgiveness to His repentant children. He promised them a Savior. Let us see Jeremiah 23: 5-6
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Listen to that wonderful promise God gave Israel.
I will raise unto David a righteous branch
A king who shall reign and prosper
A judge who shall execute justice in the earth
A savior who will provide security
A redeemer who will become your righteousness
Who is this Messiah Jeremiah talking about?
He is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
During Camp David Accords in 1978, both Israel and Egypt were arguing over Sinai Peninsula. US President Jimmy Carter looked at Anwar Sadat and asked him, ‘Why do you want Sinai Peninsula?’ Sadat replied, ‘sovereignty’. Jimmy Carter looked at Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel and asked him, ‘Why do you want Sinai?’
‘Security’
Security, Security, Security…..
For most nations in this world, the chief concern is sovereignty. But for Israel, it has always been security. Iran inscribes ‘for the destruction of Israel’ on all its missiles and nuclear reactors.
God said, ‘when the Messiah comes back, Israel will live in safety and security’.
What is the name of this Messiah? The Lord our Righteousness.
How can we obtain the righteousness of God? Only when we are in Christ.
We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21
“For he hath made him be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Romans 3:
Even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Apostle Paul: what is he saying?
The righteousness of God cannot come through prophets or the Law.
Let us go back to Jeremiah chapter 15:1 “Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.”
Moses represents the Law, Samuel represents the prophets.
Both the law and the prophets cannot make us righteousness in the sight of God. Righteousness comes only through faith in Lord Jesus Christ. That is the most important truth we must understand.
We have people who follow the prophets for righteousness
We have people who follow the law for righteousness.
But righteousness comes only through faith in Lord Jesus Christ.
In Jeremiah, you can see a prefigure of Jesus. Jeremiah was born in a small town near Jerusalem. Jesus was born in a small town near Jerusalem. Jeremiah was chosen by God before he was born. Jesus was chosen by God before he was born. Jeremiah carried the will of God to the end in spite of his circumstances. Jesus carried the will of God even unto death on the cross. Jeremiah described himself as a lamb brought to the slaughter (Jeremiah 11:19). Jesus is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29)
Jeremiah prophesied the imminent Fall of Jerusalem that happened in 586 BC. Jesus prophesied the imminent Fall of Jerusalem that happened in 70 AD. Jeremiah lamented the unbelief of his generation
Jesus lamented the unbelief of his generation. Jeremiah is called Weeping Prophet as he cried for Jerusalem. Jesus is the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief as he cried for Jerusalem. Jeremiah was both a priest and prophet. Jesus is our high priest and prophet
Jeremiah was ridiculed and mocked. Jesus was ridiculed and mocked
Jeremiah went to the temple and exposed the hypocrisy and corruption. Jesus also went to the temple and exposed the hypocrisy and corruption in the temple. Jeremiah was beaten and rejected. Jesus was beaten and rejected. Jeremiah prophesied about a new testament covenant. Jesus fulfilled the new testament covenant ratified it with his precious blood on the cross of Calvary. Jeremiah was called the prophet to the nations. Jesus is called Savior of the world
Inconsolable Grief of Rachel
So, Jeremiah and Jesus, both prophesied the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. In Matthew chapter 24, we find Olivet Discourse, Lord Jesus describing the prophetic plan of God. He starts his speech with the coming destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
Matthew 24:1-2
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of the temple by Babylonians in 586 BC. The magnificent temple of God crumbled down. It was a time of inconsolable grief. Jeremiah described it in chapter 31, verse 15.
Jeremiah 31:15
Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children because they were not.
Rachel weeping for her children. We see Matthew quoting this prophecy in his gospel, in Matthew chapter 2, verse 17-18.
Last time I was in Israel, on my way to Bethlehem, I stopped at Rachel’s tomb. She was the favorite wife of Jacob. Joseph and Benjamin were her sons. Her grandchildren were divided between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Southern Kingdom of Judah. Joseph’s children went to the north, while Benjamin’s children went into the south. Assyrians destroyed the Northern Kingdom and Babylonians destroyed the Southern Kingdom.
Rachel was weeping when Jeremiah’s message was rejected and also when Jesus’ message was rejected because both times judgment of God came upon Israel.
Balm of Israel
In Jeremiah 8:22, we can hear the cry of the prophet. Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
We need a balm to give us relief. We need a physician to give us healing. But where is the balm? Where is the physician?
Jeremiah’s cry will be answered. The Messiah is coming soon.
Let’s turn to Mark 2:17
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus came as our physician to heal us from the sickness of sin.
Jeremiah proclaimed the utmost need of Israel: She needs to be healed of her sickness, the sickness of sin.
People wanted Jeremiah to join them in rebellion against Babylonians. Jeremiah rejected their plea. People wanted Jesus to join them in their rebellion against Romans. Jesus rejected their plea.
Because their most important need is not political freedom but spiritual freedom. They first need liberation from the slavery of sin.
They first need healing from the sickness of sin
They first need redemption from the bondage of sin.
How shall we obtain healing from the sickness of sin?
Jeremiah prophesied a new covenant
Jeremiah says God is providing a new covenant.
Let us turn to Jeremiah 31:31ff.
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
God is making a new covenant with the people of Israel.
Some Christians think that God rejected Israel and made the new covenant with the Gentiles. But, Please notice what Jeremiah wrote, “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel”, the new testament is made with the people of Israel, not Gentiles.
The new testament is not made with the Gentiles. It is made with the house of Israel. The gentiles are only invited into the house of Israel.
Luke 22: 19,20
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
The new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
The new testament is made with the very blood of God incarnate. That is why it is much superior to the old testament.
Old Covenant vs. New Covenant
-The old covenant came through human beings, but the new covenant came through the incarnate Son of God.
-The old covenant was written on the tablets of stone, but the new covenant is written on the hearts of the believers
-The old covenant is temporary, but the new covenant is eternal
-In the old covenant the blood of animals was shed that was not able to remove sin, but in the new covenant the blood of Jesus was shed that removed the sin forever
-In the old covenant, frail and feeble human beings were appointed as the priests but in the new covenant, the omnipotent Son of God became our high priest to represent us before God.
-Temples built under the old covenant were removed by Babylonians and Romans; but the temple under the new covenant is the church of the living God built on Christ as the foundation, impenetrable and imperishable.
-Unlike the old covenant, this new covenant is being written on the hearts of the believers. One of the endearing images of George Washington is his taking oath as the President of the United States. He keeps his right hand on the Bible and his left hand on his heart.
Right hand on the Bible and left hand on our heart….that is what new covenant is all about. God’s word written on our hearts.
Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:3
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Please note those words:
Not with the ink, but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
In recent news, we’ve heard many great conservative commentators who had to be fired from their jobs because of allegations of sexual harassment. What’s the point of preaching family values when you go and harass women who are working around you? That’s the problem, folks. We have many conservatives who are not saved by the grace of God, who have not committed their lives to the new covenant of Christ. We are easily impressed when they talk about family values. Ignatius said, ‘Faith is the beginning and love is the ending’. True love flows from our lives only when the new covenant is written on fleshy tables of our hearts. When the love of Christ lives in your heart, you won’t harass people.
The writer of the Hebrews quoted Jeremiah twice in his epistle. He wrote the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah was fulfilled in Christ.
Hebrews 8:12,13
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Jeremiah’s New Covenant fulfilled in Christ
So, Jeremiah and all the old testament prophets are pointing us to the new covenant of Christ. Recently I was looking at a painting by German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach. On this painting he drew, you will see Jesus and John the Baptist as infants. John the Baptist points his right index finger at Jesus. He is representing all the prophets of the old covenant. They are all pointing us to Christ.
Under the left hand of John, we see a lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Under the feet of Jesus, we see a serpent and a skeleton. The serpent represents Satan and sin and the skeleton represents death and judgment. Under the feet of Jesus, Satan is crushed, sin is removed and death is abolished.
Conclusion:
Jeremiah lived through the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem but he reminded people of the everlasting love God has for his people.
He prophesied about the Great Physician who would heal us from the sickness of sin. Jeremiah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in the house of David. He would bring a new covenant. Jesus Christ our Lord brought that new covenant. He was born in the family of David. He was circumcised; He fulfilled the Law to its perfection.
Jeremiah concluded his prophecies with a promise of restoration for the nation of Israel. As Messiah, Jesus will restore the throne of David, under his reign, Jerusalem will enjoy security and prosperity.
Margaret Atwood wrote the dystopian novel Handmaid’s tale. It came out as a TV series recently. In this dystopia, Protestant Christians take over the US government, they institute a totalitarian regime based on the Old Testament. It’s a pathetic novel that misrepresents Christians and Christian faith. We preach a kingdom ruled by Christ in love and peace, a kingdom of peace envisioned by prophet Jeremiah.
May you accept Messiah as your personal Savior and Lord and become a part of His new covenant. Augustine said, ‘You have put salt in our mouths that we may thirst for you’. Let your thirsty soul get satisfied with the living waters flowing from the feet of Jesus Christ our Lord.