Jer 50:17 | KingComments | STEP | After describing the judgment on Babylon comes another word about Israel ( ). God’s people are compared to a cornered sheep that has been chased by two lions. One lion is the king of Assyria, the other the king of Babylon. They have left nothing of Israel. Therefore, the LORD will punish both nations ( ). Assyria has already been punished, having been given up to the power of Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Babylon will suffer the same fate as Assyria and in turn will be judged by the next world empire that God is raising up for it, namely the Medes and Persians. As God punishes nations for their heartless behavior toward His people, so He will have mercy on His people ( ). He will bring His people back to their dwelling place and let them live there in peace and quiet: that is Carmel in the northwest, Bashan in the northeast, Ephraim, the ten tribes realm in the land and Gilead in the region at the other side of the Jordan. This will happen “in those days and in that time”, which are the days and the time of the future realm of peace ( ). Then all the people, Israel and Judah, will be restored in the land because they will be free from their iniquity and their sins. This is because the LORD has pardoned the remnant which is “all Israel” ( ). Therefore, any search for iniquity or sin is futile. This is how God does when He pardons sins: He erases them and they are gone, also gone out of His mind. This is possible because Christ has borne the sins of those to whom they are pardoned, and they are pardoned to anyone who repents of his sins and believes in the Lord Jesus.

‏ Jeremiah 50:17

Comfort for Israel

After describing the judgment on Babylon comes another word about Israel (Jer 50:17). God’s people are compared to a cornered sheep that has been chased by two lions. One lion is the king of Assyria, the other the king of Babylon. They have left nothing of Israel. Therefore, the LORD will punish both nations (Jer 50:18). Assyria has already been punished, having been given up to the power of Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Babylon will suffer the same fate as Assyria and in turn will be judged by the next world empire that God is raising up for it, namely the Medes and Persians.

As God punishes nations for their heartless behavior toward His people, so He will have mercy on His people (Jer 50:19). He will bring His people back to their dwelling place and let them live there in peace and quiet: that is Carmel in the northwest, Bashan in the northeast, Ephraim, the ten tribes realm in the land and Gilead in the region at the other side of the Jordan. This will happen “in those days and in that time”, which are the days and the time of the future realm of peace (Jer 50:20).

Then all the people, Israel and Judah, will be restored in the land because they will be free from their iniquity and their sins. This is because the LORD has pardoned the remnant which is “all Israel” (Rom 11:26). Therefore, any search for iniquity or sin is futile. This is how God does when He pardons sins: He erases them and they are gone, also gone out of His mind. This is possible because Christ has borne the sins of those to whom they are pardoned, and they are pardoned to anyone who repents of his sins and believes in the Lord Jesus.