The Best is Yet to Come Jeremiah 31:1-14
Although our message this morning comes from Jeremiah 31:1-14, It’s better to start reading from verse 18 of chapter 30.
Jeremiah lived around 600 years before Christ, when the moral decline of Israel and Judah was well advanced. They’d turned their backs on God.
God’s covenant with Israel was conditional, but this chosen people hadn’t kept their end of the deal.
They ignored God’s prophets.
As they were being led away into captivity the words of Jeremiah must have been reverberating in their minds. But even in this, there was some small mercy for them. In amongst all of the bad news that Jeremiah had prophesied against them, there were a few paragraphs of hope for the nation of Israel.
Jeremiah had told them that they would be in exile for seventy years, but then after that, they would return to their own land. That did happen, just as God said, but these prophecies have only seen partial fulfilment. A time is coming which will see all of these things realized.
While Israel has had some good times, like the rest of the nations, they were always ruled over by sinful men. Even the most noble of kings had their shortcomings.
Even David, who we’re told had a heart after God, disobeyed God and the people suffered pestilence and many died.
Even now, just like every other nation, Israel is led by imperfect, sinful men, but a descendant of David will rule righteously.
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. A kingdom is coming when he will reign forever. Isaiah 2:4
The law was written on tablets of stone and the old covenant required Israel to keep the law, which they could not do. In the future, God will write his law on their hearts. Jeremiah 31:33-34
This hasn’t happened yet for Israel. Modern Israel is a secular nation. Just like here in our country, there are many false gods. As a whole, they don’t recognise the one true God who sent his son to die for the sins of the world. They’re still waiting for the messiah, but they will be deceived by a false messiah. If your faith isn’t anchored in the work of Christ on the cross alone, then you will be deceived.
One day, God will open their eyes
He tells them-
22 …you shall be my people,
and I will be your God.”
All of Israel will be saved, but for now, God is showing favour to the gentiles. Romans 11:11-12
Paul, speaking to the gentile believers, (that’s us) likened God’s kingdom to an olive tree. The unproductive branch (Israel) has been broken off and gentile believers have been grafted in, but some day Israel will be grafted back in.
It’s easy for us to look at the history of the Jews and judge them for their mistakes, but we are just the same as them. We have to face the same types of temptations.
We live in the now; in this world. We have to deal with day to day life, and that’s difficult.
Israel failed to realise that the life we live now bears upon what is to come. Our actions have consequences and many of those consequences are spelled out in scripture.
Israel has made many mistakes, but they are still God’s chosen people.
God has made a way of salvation for them. It’s the same way of salvation for us- Through the blood that the Messiah shed upon the cross.
Although today’s passage has seen some partial fulfilment, It is really speaking of a time to come when Jesus will reign on earth.
This will be a time of great joy.
Think about it- think of the persecution the Jews have suffered. The nations surrounding them that want them wiped out; a constant fear of terrorism; the growing threat of nuclear attack.
Imagine what it would be like then, to go from that, to being the world’s preeminent nation.
But they will have much more cause for joy than that-
They will finally accept Jesus as their true Messiah and understand that their sins are forgiven because of what he accomplished on the cross.
There have been some vineyards planted in Samaria, but this is land that is being contested by Palestinian Arabs. A day will come when no-one will contest Israel’s claim to all of the land that God has assigned to them.
9 … With weeping they shall come,
and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
This verse seems out of place. When there is so much reason for joy, why are they weeping? Why are they pleading for mercy? Look at Zechariah 12:10
A time will come when Israel will not repeat their past failures. Not because they are of themselves righteous, but because God will write his laws in their hearts.
When God the son reigns on earth the land will prosper again -even more than it did in the time of Solomon, because while Solomon is famous for his wisdom, it was God who gave him that wisdom, and while Solomon knew about plants and animals, it was Jesus who brought them into being. So of course a Kingdom ruled by him will be exceedingly fruitful.
Israel will find their ultimate joy in the Lord.
Israel will no longer look to idolatry.
Today’s passage paints a picture of a Kingdom that we would all love to see now. But all of this is only an introduction to God’s eternal Kingdom.
Jesus’s reign on earth will last a thousand years, but-
Revelation 20:7-10
2 Peter 3:7
Revelation 21:1-4
If you are saved, you have an amazing future to look forward to. Do you live like the best is yet to come?
Don’t cling to anything that this world can offer. All of it can be taken away at any time and after you have breathed your last breath, all that you have accumulated in earthly wealth will count for nothing.
The best is yet to come…but not for everyone. Only a very few will be saved. Are you in that number?