KBM God's Hope In His People

We find our study on the theme “Impact 3:16” taking us to Jeremiah 3:16 today. Here we have God discussing the spiritual reality of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. God does not mince his words here stating of Israel in Jeremiah 3:2…

Jeremiah 3:2 ESV

2 Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom.

Of Judah he points out they were worse than their northern brethren because they saw what sin had done to Israel and tried to “fake righteousness” before God (Jeremiah 3:6-11).

This is the back drop to our text in Jeremiah 3:16. Thankfully for us, God always holds out hope for us, his creation. Starting in Jeremiah 3:13 and going through Jeremiah 3:19 God calls both Israel and Judah to repent and come back to him, but in that passage he admits it will be after they fall and are taken to other cities and families. Again, it’s after they are in that situation he will “bring them back to Zion” which is Jerusalem (Jeremiah 3:14). Let’s read our text now.

Jeremiah 3:16 ESV

16 And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again.

When the remnant comes back after captivity as read about in Ezra and Nehemiah they no longer have the “ark of the covenant.” It has disappeared to never be seen again. However, they don’t need it because Jerusalem is now considered the “throne of the LORD” and thankfully for the Israelites they never fall into the worship of idols again. What I want us to consider this day is “God’s Hope In His People.” Thankfully for you and I we have a God that so longs to have a relationship with us that he continually holds out hope for our righteousness. The apostle Peter put it this way in 2 Peter 3:9 when people were asking why Jesus had not returned yet.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

We sin and sin a lot. We defile ourselves and the land we live on when doing so. But God continues to “hope in his people.” God longs to give us his inheritance which is an eternity with him, but it requires our “whole heart” not just a “pretense” of faithfulness (Jeremiah 3:10; Jeremiah 3:22).

When all hope of repentance is gone Jesus will return, pray that isn’t in our lifetime. I can’t imagine living in a time similar to that of Noah’s day.