**Finally in the Christmas season. Describe some of the festivities. Trees, stockings, lights, hot chocolate. All the holiday cheer makes the winter weather somehow feel a bit warmer.
Read a beautiful promise from the Prophet Jeremiah. This promise has so much texture and depth.
Jeremiah is a long book that has a whole 52 chapters.
It is one of the few prophetic books of the bible that gives us a window into the personal story and struggles of the prophet.
We read about a man who lived through many different times.
Born under an evil king Manasseh
2 Kings 21
“he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers…. Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”
Helped under the revival with Josiah
2 Kings 21
“And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.
When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
Right when things seemed like they were turning around Josiah is killed by the egyptians. Then they monkey around and find the son of his who will be a vassal king to them.
Egypt places jehoiakim on throne as a vassal king to pay tribute to egypt
Then the Babylonians come and wipe everyone out.
But the Israelites still keep seeking safety elsewhere. They flee to Egypt directly in opposition to the word of God delivered through Jeremiah.
With all of this drama going on in the background. We get to the prophecy God gives through Jeremiah that we read this morning.
Jeremiah 33 14 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Branch of david. Looks like the promise to have a descendant of david rule is ended with the destructions of babylon.
Looks like the kingship has ended but the promise is that the kingship of David’s line is not over. Even through everything has been destroyed and babylon looks like it will always rule the whole world God assures his people that his promises are still effective.
The place where the king rules becomes a focal point not just in this prophecy but throughout the hopes of the faithful.
Focal point of Jerusalem. Capital of Judah. King lives there. Place of the temple. Image of the center of the land.
Two names of Jerusalem. The first is “It is a waste without man or beast.”
Jeremiah 33 10 “Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again 11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing.
I wanted to see what a land that has not man or beast look like so I did a google search and I found one place on earth that literally has no life living in it. Dallol Ethiopia
Dallol Ethiopia is so hot that even in the winter temperatures hover around a cool 113. Even though there is water there is so much acid and salt that not even microbes can survive.
Talk about a place experience of losing everything you know and the holy city of Jerusalem is totally ransacked. Can only imagine what it must be like to see your whole country completely wiped out by an army
Yet in the midst of this total destruction, the beautiful promise of God’s future plan. God’s king will once again rule on the throne. Not an evil king or a vassal king but the one God himself chooses.
It is so sure and confident that it is shocking considering the situation the people of israel where in when they first heard it.
A little further on in Jeremiah we read just how sure this promise of God is
Jeremiah 33 20 “Thus says the Lord: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, 21 then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken
We come to the second name for Jerusalem: The lord is our righteousness
Righteousness means being in a right state. Airplane doing what it is meant to do is a righteous airplane
Reliance on God to establish this righteousness.
This is in opposition to how they had been living. They sought Safety sought elsewhere. First they sought it in their own strength. Then in the worship of other gods. Then in the assistance of Egypt
But when the promised king comes, reliance on God will be so complete that it will literally be the name of the capital city.
Imagery of Jerusalem is more than just the historical place and people. Used as an image to help us understand ourselves
We see ourselves in Jerusalem. We are the people of God that have been built together
Talk about prophecy having more than one meaning. Jerusalem was eventually rebuilt but the branch of jesse didn’t go back on the throne until Jesus.
This name is also not just for Jerusalem but for Jesus himself. In Jeremiah 23 the branch of jesse called the same name as Jerusalem. The Lord is our Righteousness name of Jerusalem, also the name of Jesus in jeremiah 23
Talk about city of jerusalem and it’s king being one
The lord being the center of Jerusalem as opposed to how it had been before with so many other things being the center
Conclusion We can take a lot away from this prophecy of Jeremiah
We can look at the story of the Israelites as an example of what happens when we seek safety in other places besides God. One way or another all those other places will take advantage of us and let us down.
Richness of Jesus and his coming.
God will keep his promises even when it looks like everything is falling apart around us.
Look at the Christmas story with fresh eyes. Long awaited branch of Jesse finally arriving. It’s a precious holy moment. We prepare for it every year because it really is such a big deal.