Unique Promises

When you look at teams that do well, you discover that it takes a lot of discipline to make them as good as they are. When a basketball team loses because of not executing certain defenses or offenses, you can rest assured that if they hope, to win in the future, they will go over and over those mistakes, so as to know how to do it correctly the next time.

Even in school, most of us remember, or even now experience, missing spelling words or not being able to quite figure out that algebra equation. Then there was the repetition that took place afterwards. You would either have to write the word several times or you would get extra help with your algebra; meaning three more pages of problems to do, hoping you would figure it out and not make the same mistakes again.

In the adult world, there is a need for discipline, if real maturity and deliverance is to be found. I believe the Bible teaches that it is wrong for an individual to cause damage and then to simply say "I'm sorry." The Bible stresses the need to repair the damage and to make things right.

What does this all have to do with Jeremiah chapter 30? Simply stated, whether we like it or not, Sometimes deliverance requires discipline. You and I are much more comfortable with the idea of being forgiven without a price tag being attached. However, the reality is that their almost always is a price to pay for our wrong act, as we will see in this chapter.

Promise of Deliverance - 30.1-11a

As we read through these verses, one can imagine that Jeremiah must have been thrilled to be able to share these words from the Lord. You can certainly imagine the frustration that he had experienced when there was constant negative response to his preaching. Plus, it could not have been any fun to be constantly sharing negative messages. However, when you serve the living Lord, sometimes you actually get to share the hope that is found in Him.

Verse three is almost like a shout of optimism about the future. Jeremiah 30:3 “‘For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.’ ”” Not only will there be restoration back to their land, which had been promised to Abraham and his descendants, but there would also be a reuniting of the nation. No longer would there be Judah and Israel, the southern Kingdom and the northern Kingdom, but they would be united. Sin had previously divided the nation. Sin had separated them from God. Sin had brought them both into captivity. However, now it was going to be genuine repentance, and God's mercy, which would bring them back home.

Look at Jeremiah 30:5–7““For thus says the Lord, ‘I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace. ‘Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? ‘Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it . . . “ This is a picture of the intense fear and hopelessness that was seen on the faces of the people of Judah and Israel. Because all the prophets that had been predicting peace and a swift end to the exile, were totally false. This was not happening.

But we see in the verses following that God promises that He Himself will save the Jewish nation. Even though the pagan nation had been used by God to judge Judah, they would also ultimately reject God. Sadly, they made sport of their captives, which was the same as mocking God. God would then indeed deliver the Jewish people from their oppressors.

Listen to Jeremiah 30:7–10 “And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it. ‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. ‘But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid.”

Can you hear the colorful language, the adverbs, and all those helping words that we used to despise in our English classes? Don't you just love listening to God's sure-fire guarantee of deliverance?

That's enough to get anybody excited and ready to get out and serve God! With a message from the Lord like that, it doesn't matter what you have gone through. You realize that God wants to still use you if you are willing.

But just a second. Just like the nation of Israel and Judah, we cannot just go off helter-skelter. We cannot assume that we don't have to pay a price for our sin. Let's look at that in the next section.

Promise of Discipline - 30.11b-15

Jeremiah 30:12–15 ““For thus says the Lord, ‘Your wound is incurable And your injury is serious. ‘There is no one to plead your cause; No healing for your sore, No recovery for you. ‘All your lovers have forgotten you, They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the punishment of a cruel one, Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous. ‘Why do you cry out over your injury? Your pain is incurable. Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you.” This paints the picture quite vividly as to what Israel and Judah were experiencing.

The people needed to understand that the trauma which they were experiencing was brought on by themselves. If they would've listened earlier and repented and followed God with all of their hearts, they might have avoided this pain. Sadly, they chose to trust in themselves, along with pagan allies and false gods. This is what placed them in this horrible predicament.

Jeremiah 30:11b “Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly And will by no means leave you unpunished.’”

This information actually is something that ought to have been appreciated. Of course we do not thrill on the pain of discipline and punishment. Yet we do know that God is a God of justice. He is the only One Who knows best how to create natural consequences that will do the job.

We see a similar example as David gives us some insight in the Old Testament. 1 Chronicles 21:9–13 “The Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I offer you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.” ’ ” So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Take for yourself either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.” David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.””

Consider those options from which David could choose. He could choose hunger, attacks from the enemy, or he could choose to receive God's wrath. His logic is found in the last part of verse 13. You see, men do not have the power that God has; but they also do not have the mercy which God has.

Jonathan Edwards, a revival preacher from many, many years ago, described the horror of falling into the hands of an angry God. But I am convinced that it is better to experience God's discipline and punishment, rather than to choose what man might do. The reality is that God will always act with love, justice, and mercy.

We want to move on to the next verses to prove that deliverance by God after discipline by God is truly beneficial. So we're going to look at these few verses and observe the delight that God gives his children.

Promise of Delight - 30.16-24

Jeremiah 30:16 “‘Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity; And those who plunder you will be for plunder, And all who prey upon you I will give for prey.”

Jeremiah 30:23–24 “Behold, the tempest of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, A sweeping tempest; It will burst on the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back Until He has performed and until He has accomplished The intent of His heart; In the latter days you will understand this.”

We know from these verses that God was and is going to require punishment to be inflicted on all who tortured and ravaged Israel and Judah. There was going to be justice that would be accomplished. Now that had to be somewhat satisfying to the people, just as it probably would be to us. We might not wish to say it out loud, but when somebody intentionally wrongs someone else, there is that part of us inside that longs to know that justice is going to be served.

But go back and look at God's portrait of their future, in verses 17 and following. Rather than reading all those verses, let me just take time to point out the highlights as you follow along in your Bibles. God promises restoration and healing once again. But even more so, is the promise of physical and spiritual restoration to their land and a relationship with him.

There is also the promise that Jerusalem will be rebuilt. There is the promise of praise and adoration being lifted to God from the people. There is the promise of respectability from the surrounding people's and nations again. Families will once again be as they used to be.Communities will sound and feel and look like they truly belong there while they are going to be established. Their leadership will be from their own people, and not from an outsider. And of course, ultimately, that leader will be Jesus Christ.

The ultimate delight is found in Jeremiah 30:22 “‘You shall be My people, And I will be your God.’ ”” To belong to God and know that God is our God, is absolutely the greatest delight.

Conclusion

I am so thankful that God has provided deliverance for us through Jesus Christ. You and I are delivered from the penalty of sin! We are delivered from the power of sin! All because of Jesus Christ.

However, we must recognize that when we do sin, there is a price to pay in natural consequences today. I cannot expect to get off "scot free" simply because I am free from the penalty of sin. My salvation may be secure, but that does not eliminate the fact that discipline may be necessary. We find an Old Testament quote from Psalms and Proverbs, which is found in Hebrews 12:6 “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”” This is done for the purpose of correcting us.

We have seen that we can be thankful for our deliverance from hell to eternal life through Christ. We recognize that when we do sin, discipline may be necessary. But now we come to the part where we can experience the light. In the song of Solomon, we read the phrase, "I am my beloved, and he is mine…" What a wonderful thing for even a husband and wife to know that they belong to each other. There is commitment, trust, and loyalty as found no place else. But it's important that we understand that this thought coincides with our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Isn't it wonderful to know that you belong to Jesus? Isn't it wonderful to know him as your personal Lord and Savior?

Maybe you have not experienced deliverance. Maybe you are just feeling whipped and buried under a load of guilt and sin. For you, there certainly is no delight about your walk on this earth. It is completely vain and meaningless and empty.

Do you want to know something? Jesus Christ offers you the same opportunity for deliverance and delight today. The Bible states in.John 3:18 ““He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” We are told in John 3:15 “whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” It is spelled out further in Romans 10:13 “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

It is actually quite simple. Simply agree with God that you were a sinner. Tell God that you were sorry for sinning against him and others and ask him to forgive you. Then ask Jesus to take over your life, giving you eternal life and victory over sin. The Bible promises that by "calling on the name of the Lord you will be saved. "

Today could be the day of your salvation.