Jer 30:18-22 | KingComments | STEP | Glorious promises about the restoration of God’s people follow. The LORD speaks of “the tents of Jacob” and of “his dwelling places” ( ). These are the dwelling places in the land where He will let His people dwell in peace. Those dwelling places are now ruins because the people have been driven out of the land. Jerusalem, His “city”, His dwelling place, will also be rebuilt, as will “the palace”, the dwelling place of His King. Everything will have its rightful place. There is also a certain ascension to be seen: tent, dwelling, city, palace. When His people dwell in peace in the land again, the land will be filled with thanksgiving ( ). This will go out to the LORD and be perceived as a testimony by the nations around them. It is the sound of joyful people who will be numerous. The nations around them will look up to them and despise them no more. Their sons will serve the LORD in faithfulness, and the whole, the congregation of Israel, will be established in the land before Him forever ( ). They will never again be removed from it. Anyone who dares to lay a finger on them will be punished by Him. We have in one of those beautiful Old Testament references to the Messiah. First, the nation will be blessed with a Ruler of their own people and not of a foreign people. “Their leader”, that is the Messiah, shall be “one of them” (cf. ). This is a prophecy that presents a strong consolation in light of the people’s imminent subjugation to a foreign power. He is not a foreigner, like the many foreign rulers who have ruled over them. He will speak of them as of ‘My brethren’ (cf. ). He is their Ruler, “the government will rest on His shoulder” ( ), He, Who will “be ruler in Israel” ( ). He rules. Also, He is the One Who approaches God. This points to His priestly position and ministry (cf. ; ). He is the King-Priest, the true Melchizedek. He is the Mediator between God and His people. This Ruler needs no mediator. He is therefore greater than David and Solomon. Like Melchizedek, He will have a double function. No man can take on the service of the priesthood by himself (cf. ). In fact, it is dangerous even for a king to do so. We see this with Jeroboam ( ) and Uzziah ( ). In view of the importance of approaching God, Jeremiah shows in the last lines of by a rhetorical question that it is not a light matter. Approaching God is allowed only to the priests, who serve in the holy place, while on the day of atonement only the high priest is allowed to enter the holy of holies. The question implies a negative answer. But when the true David reigns, Israel will in truth be God’s people and God can openly acknowledge them as His people ( ). In asking who would dare to risk his life to approach the LORD, we can think of the price the Lord Jesus was willing to pay for His people on the cross. There He not only risked His life, but He gave it. He made His soul a guilt offering ( ) and paid the debt that we could not pay. There the Divine exchange took place: He our sins and we His blessing. In Proverbs 17, we read that a person is “a man lacking in sense” if he stands surety for his neighbor ( ). After all, you never know what you might end up with. The debt may well be so great as to be unaffordable. What the Lord did was not without “sense”. For He knew perfectly how high the price was and He knew that He could pay it. It reminds us of the statement in the letter to Philemon where the apostle Paul, as a true follower of the Lord Jesus, offers himself to Philemon as guarantor for Onesimus ( ).

‏ Jeremiah 30:18-22

Rebuilding Jerusalem

Glorious promises about the restoration of God’s people follow. The LORD speaks of “the tents of Jacob” and of “his dwelling places” (Jer 30:18). These are the dwelling places in the land where He will let His people dwell in peace. Those dwelling places are now ruins because the people have been driven out of the land. Jerusalem, His “city”, His dwelling place, will also be rebuilt, as will “the palace”, the dwelling place of His King. Everything will have its rightful place. There is also a certain ascension to be seen: tent, dwelling, city, palace.

When His people dwell in peace in the land again, the land will be filled with thanksgiving (Jer 30:19). This will go out to the LORD and be perceived as a testimony by the nations around them. It is the sound of joyful people who will be numerous. The nations around them will look up to them and despise them no more.

Their sons will serve the LORD in faithfulness, and the whole, the congregation of Israel, will be established in the land before Him forever (Jer 30:20). They will never again be removed from it. Anyone who dares to lay a finger on them will be punished by Him.

We have in Jer 30:21 one of those beautiful Old Testament references to the Messiah. First, the nation will be blessed with a Ruler of their own people and not of a foreign people. “Their leader”, that is the Messiah, shall be “one of them” (cf. Isa 10:34 ; Isa 11:1). This is a prophecy that presents a strong consolation in light of the people’s imminent subjugation to a foreign power. He is not a foreigner, like the many foreign rulers who have ruled over them. He will speak of them as of ‘My brethren’ (cf. Deu 17:15). He is their Ruler, “the government will rest on His shoulder” (Isa 9:5), He, Who will “be ruler in Israel” (Mic 5:2). He rules.

Also, He is the One Who approaches God. This points to His priestly position and ministry (cf. Zec 6:13; Psa 110:4). He is the King-Priest, the true Melchizedek. He is the Mediator between God and His people. This Ruler needs no mediator. He is therefore greater than David and Solomon. Like Melchizedek, He will have a double function. No man can take on the service of the priesthood by himself (cf. Heb 5:4). In fact, it is dangerous even for a king to do so. We see this with Jeroboam (1Kgs 12:26-33 ; 1Kgs 13:1-6) and Uzziah (2Chr 26:16-20).

In view of the importance of approaching God, Jeremiah shows in the last lines of Jer 30:21 by a rhetorical question that it is not a light matter. Approaching God is allowed only to the priests, who serve in the holy place, while on the day of atonement only the high priest is allowed to enter the holy of holies. The question implies a negative answer. But when the true David reigns, Israel will in truth be God’s people and God can openly acknowledge them as His people (Jer 30:22).

In asking who would dare to risk his life to approach the LORD, we can think of the price the Lord Jesus was willing to pay for His people on the cross. There He not only risked His life, but He gave it. He made His soul a guilt offering (Isa 53:10b) and paid the debt that we could not pay. There the Divine exchange took place: He our sins and we His blessing.

In Proverbs 17, we read that a person is “a man lacking in sense” if he stands surety for his neighbor (Pro 17:18). After all, you never know what you might end up with. The debt may well be so great as to be unaffordable. What the Lord did was not without “sense”. For He knew perfectly how high the price was and He knew that He could pay it. It reminds us of the statement in the letter to Philemon where the apostle Paul, as a true follower of the Lord Jesus, offers himself to Philemon as guarantor for Onesimus (Phlm 1:18).