The Burden of Punishment

Jeremiah 30:4–11 ESV

These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: “Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with you to save you, declares the Lord; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

Opening Prayer

God’s acknowledgement of suffering.

verse 4-7

Jeremiah 30:5 ESV

“Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace.

This cry is so great that God .

compared the fear and pain to a woman giving birth.

It’s a shame that God’s people have to suffer.

But also realize that they brought it on by their flagrant and rampant sin.

They had been warned for generations.

But after a while, living a sinful life just become your new common place.

They had completely rejected God to live their won way.

Thankfully...

God’s love is truly unconditional.

Beyond all the tribulation...

The important thing to realize is the God DID see them.

They may have left for a life of pleasure, but God never left them.

God was able assure them by saying:

You’re going to go through this, but I hear you, and I see you.

God’s acknowledgment of suffering may not be what you want to hear, but it does mean that God there.

At the very least, you are not alone.

God’s promise of restoration.

(v8-10)

Jeremiah 30:8 ESV

“And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him.

“It shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord...”

It will happen you can count on it.

It will happen when it is time.

It will happen by God’s authority.

“I will break this yoke … I will burst your bonds”

Isreal was experiencing incredible hardship

But her yoke of suffering was brought on by her own collective sin.

God’s love is unconditional.

He wasn’t going to leave His people.

He was going to save them.

Jeremiah 30:9 ESV

But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

“They shall serve the Lord THEIR God and David their King”

They had been serving basically everything except God.

They day will come when God will once again become THEIR God … redeemed relationship

“…and David their King”

This obviously isn’t talking about the actual king David

This is a reference to coming King who’s throne will be eternal

This is talking about Jesus!!!

Whom God will “Raise up for them”

Jeremiah 30:10 ESV

“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.

“Then fear not...”

This word means there is a result coming from God’s intervention.

It means that what may be true today will not be true tomorrow.

This is a powerful word of assurance.

It means that even in their darkest days God is at work!

“O Jacob my servant … O Isreal...”

God people will be whole again

“I will save you from far away”

God’s people will be gathered

God’s people will be redeemed

God still has a plan for His people.

This is good not for the people of Jeremiah’s time but also great news for us.

Because this word includes a promise to gather all God’s people and then references God...

Many theologians see this as an overall prophecy about the God establishing Jesus’ eternal kingdom after the tribulation.

After all, as Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans

We have been grafted into the family of God.

We are all scattered in a land that is not our final destination.

We are all living under the yoke of sin.

We all need to be redeemed.

Our acknowledgement of sin.

(v11).

Jeremiah 30:11 ESV

For I am with you to save you, declares the Lord; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

“I am with you”

This is a reality that no matter where we are or what we experience (Good or bad) God is with us.

We called your dad.

When I was young I lived with my dad. He was a single parent so when I was sick or got hurt they would let me know that they have called my dad. That would help easy my anxiety.

When I was in grade school, the teachers could still spank you. ( how ever you feel about that is ok, but that was the world I grew up in.) We you know what was even worse than getting a spanking? They would follow up with the words, “We called you dad.”

Knowing that God is with you can be a comfort or a warning depending on how dumb you have been.

“I am with you to save you.”

God’s discipline is just, complete, and unbiased.

God promised to to make a FULL END of those nations who enslaved His people

He would spare them and not make a FULL END of them.

But God is also a Just God.

God will also not show favoritism.

WE WILL FACE PUNISHMENT FO OUR SINS

Closing Prayer