Jeremiah

Chapter Thirty-three

Introduction

The media is calling it "the election that will shape Israel's future."

This week Benjamin Netanyahu beat Shimon Peres for the prime ministership of Israel by the narrowest of margins. Peres, the incumbent prime minister, favored the exchange of Israeli held land for peace; Netanyahu spoke of "peace with security," which means Israel will hold her land. Most analysts feel that Peres was a better choice for continued peace talks, and they fear that Netanyahu represents a more hard-line position that will hinder negotiations.

I was struck, though, by the comment that this was "the election that will shape Israel's future." It represents a profound ignorance of Israel's history - both her former history, and her future history. Israel's future is not being shaped by the whims of an electoral process. One Israeli was quoted prior to the election as saying,

The electoral process in any nation is important; but it is not as important as God's election of Israel as His chosen nation! Israel has a former and a future history that can only be fully understood when you acknowledge her unique status as God's elect, chosen nation. The Old Testament prophets declare with one voice that the Jews are a chosen people and that God has a special destiny for them and for the land which He has given them. The New Testament, too, makes the same divine declaration.

Our text in Jeremiah Thirty-three looks at both the former history and the future history of the Jews. Reading verses one through thirteen you see the former history. Then in verse fourteen you read, "Behold, the days are coming," and you are propelled forward into the future history of Israel.

At the time of his writing, the Jews were beseiged by the invading Babylonian army. As you read in verse four, "the houses of [Jerusalem] and the houses of the kings [had] been pulled down to fortify against the seige mounds and the sword." Even as the Jews sought to fortify themselves, God promised,

"Mighty things" is a translation of a word that means fortify. God said that He would fortify Israel, even as they fell into Babylonian hands. He meant that He would fortify their future.

Both Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu desire a to fortify Israel's future in the Middle East. God already has Israel on a course that will fortify her future! As we study Jeremiah Thirty-three we will look at that course.

#1 Their Former History Shows You That

God Has Been Faithful To Fortify Israel

Jerusalem was beseiged. The Babylonian army was about to break through her defenses. God, though, was not through with His chosen people. He speaks to and through Jeremiah about His plans to fortify Israel.

Jeremiah 33:2 "Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name):

What did God "make" and "establish?" The NIV translates this verse, "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it..."

Without the Bible you cannot make any sense of human history. You are faced with only two choices: Either mankind is merely an accident which happened by chance on one of billions of planets, or we were created by God for His own eternal purposes. God made the earth; He formed and established it; He created mankind for His own eternal purposes. Thus history has meaning, purpose, and direction. And Israel stands at the center of history and at the very heart of God's purposes for this planet and all of its inhabitants. Like it or not, the whole world finds itself caught in the grip of God's choice.

The Jews of Jeremiah's time tried to fortify themselves against the seige, but it would be to no avail. In their predicament God makes them a far-reaching promise:

Even in the moment of her judgment and discipline God still reaches out to His people. Nevertheless, the Jews in Jerusalem tried to fortify themselves without God's help:

Jeremiah 33:5 'They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but only to fill their places with the dead bodies of men whom I will slay in My anger and My fury, all for whose wickedness I have hidden My face from this city."

Even as they fell into Babylonian hands, God promised to fortify the Jews. God would fortify them, and here is what He meant: He would retore them to their land, He would restore them to their Lord, and He would restore them to their leadership.

God would restore them to their land:

Jeremiah 33:7 'And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first.

God would restore them to their Lord:

God would restore them to their leadership among the nations of the world:

The former history of Israel is the story of God preserving them in order to keep these promises to fortify their future. As you read verses ten through thirteen, think of the Jews throughout history - persecuted, yet preserved:

Jeremiah 33:11 'the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever"; and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD.

Jeremiah 33:12 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be a dwelling place of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

Jeremiah 33:13 'In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks shall again pass under the hands of him who counts them,' says the LORD.

The preservation of the Jews as an identifiable ethnic group since the Babylonian captivity - a span of some twenty-five hundred years - is nothing if it isn't a miracle. Author Dave Hunt writes,

The Jews have been the object of persecution and of attempted extermination at least since the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon scattered them throughout the world. Four hundred years later Antioches Epiphanes brutally persecuted the Jews. In 70 AD the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple. Jews were slaughtered by the thousands all across Europe as the Catholic Crusaders made their way to the "Holy Land" to recover it from both Jews and Turks for the Roman Catholic Church. In modern times the holocaust threatened to exterminate the Jews as a people as six million of the eight million Jews in Europe were systematically murdered.

Driven by the holocaust to seek a permanent and secure homeland, the Jews returned to the Promised Land. The Arabs attacked the Jews in 1947 and 1948. The outnumbered and outgunned Israeli's were victorious. In 1967 Israel was again forced to fight overwhelming odds for its very survival. Egyptian President Nassar spoke openly of driving Israel into the sea in total destruction. Many in the Arab world spoke of "the 19 year war." In their minds, the attack against Israel in 1948 was the beginning of a nineteen year preparation to exterminate the Jews, culminating in 1967. Once again, though, Israel was victorious against overwhelming odds in the Six-Day War.

Anti-Semitism persists today, and is growing. The Anti-Defamation League recently reported "a record number of anti-Semetic incidents..." Everywhere around the globe you see blatant symbols of anti-Semitism. Arabs speak openly of the annihilation of the Jews. Yasser Arafat, who was given a Nobel Peace prize,is still calling for jihad (holy war) against Israel. When his comments became public, he tried to explain them by saying that jihad can also mean a peaceful struggle.

There is no such concept of a jihad being a peaceful struggle. Besides, here is what Arafat said later about his remarks:

"This agreement [between the PLO and Israel], I am not considering it more than the agreement which had been signed between our Prophet Mohammed and the Quaraish."

According to historians, the Quaraish - Mohammed's own tribe - controlled the city of Mecca but was not strong enough to resist Mohammed's growing military might. Its people therefore signed a peace agreement with Mohammed which the prophet broke two years later, killing the Quaraish leaders and conquering Mecca. Arafat was saying that the PLO's agreement with Israel is only a step in the avowed conquest of Israel and is easily broken in good conscience. The so-called "peace process" in the Middle East is really only a step towards the planned annihilation of the Jews as a people.

What is behind this historic pattern of anti-Semitism? Satan himself is the author of their attempted genocide throughout history! He attempted to destroy the Jews because it was through them that the world's Savior would come. After failing in his many attempts to prevent the Messiah from being born, Satan continued in his efforts to exterminate the Jews because by destroying the Jews he could still prevent God from fulfilling the many biblical prophecies which declare that their Messiah will one day rule over a regathered, restored, and revived Israel.

Yet, through it all, the Jews are preserved; God fortified their future. Israel's persecution is a fulfilment of Bible prophecy; so is her preservation. Dave Hunt lists nine "major prophecies involving specific and historically verifiable details" that have already been fulfilled:

1 - God promised a land of clearly defined boundaries to Abraham. He renewed that promise to Abraham's son Isaac, to his grandson Jacob, and to their descendants after them forever.

2 - God brought these chosen people into their Promised Land as prophesied.

3 - When the Jews entered the Promised Land, God warned them that if they practiced idoloatry and immorality He would cast them out. All of this happened precisely as foretold.

4 - God declared that His people would be scattered "among all the people, from one end of the earth even unto the other." And so it happened as to no other people in history. The "wandering Jew" is found literally everywhere.

5 - God warned that wherever they wandered the Jews would be "an astonishment, a proverb, a byword...a curse and a reproach." This has been true of the Jews all down through history.

6 - The prophets declared that the Jews would be persecuted and killed as no other peoples on the face of the earth had ever or would ever experience. History witnesses to this century after century.

7 - In spite of such wholesale persecution, God promised to preserve the Jews as an identifiable etnic, national group. Against all odds, and even their own common sense, the Jews remain today.

8 - God promised to bring the Jews back into their land in the last days before the return of their Messiah. That prophecy and promise, so long awaited, was fulfilled in the rebirth of Israel in her Promised Land in 1948.

Finally, 9 - God declared that in the last days, Jerusalem would become "a cup of trembling...a burdensome stone for all people."

Beloved, this is what history is about. It is about the coming of a Savior through the nation of Israel, and about His coming again to them.

God has indeed been faithful to fortify Israel, as seen in their former history. His faithfulness will continue as He fortifies Israel in their future history.

#2 Their Future History Shows You That

God Will Be Faithful To Fortify Israel

In verse fourteen you read, "Behold, the days are coming..." Jeremiah propels us forward, to Israel's future history - also clearly spelled out in Bible prophecy.

Jeremiah 33:15 'In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

Jeremiah 33:16 In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'

Jeremiah 33:17 "For thus says the LORD: 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;

Jeremiah 33:18 'nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.'"

The 100% accuracy of Israel's former prophesied history should encourage you as to the 100% accuracy of their future prophesied history. The Messiah - Jesus Christ - will return to rule and reign from Jerusalem.

The stage is being set for God to fortify Israel in the future. Here is a brief sketch of future history:

1. A world leader will emerge who resolves the Middle East issues and who signs a peace and protection agreement with Israel... The Bible calls him by many names; he is commonly called the Antichrist.
2. Midway through the peace treaty, the Antichrist breaks the treaty, entering the rebuilt Temple and demanding to be worshipped as God. The Jews refuse and a three and one half year persecution breaks out against them - the greatest time of tribulation the world has ever or will ever see...
3. This last three and one half years ends with five armies fighting the Battle of Armageddon, until Jesus returns from heaven and they turn to make war with Him. Jesus destroys His enemies and sets up a one thousand year kingdom of heaven on earth.

At His coming, all remaining Jews are saved! The prophet Zechariah explains that in the midst of Armageddon, when Israel is surrounded by the armed forces of the world and about to be destroyed, the Messiah suddenly arrives from heaven to rescue them. There are nailprints in His hands and feet and a spear wound in His side. The greatest outcry of mourning in history breaks out as Israel realizes that for nineteen centuries, just as their prophets warned they would, the Jews have despised and rejected the very One who died for their sins. Nevertheless, His love for them has brought Him to their rescue. Their hearts are broken; they are brought to repentance and faith in Jesus as Savior. All Jews who are alive at that time, upon seeing Jesus, believe and are saved:

Zechariah 12:11 "In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

Zechariah 12:12 "And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;

Zechariah 12:13 "the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves;

Zechariah 12:14 "all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Zechariah 13:1 "In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be; "The LORD is one," And His name one.

God will be faithful to fortify Israel for and until this glorious future! Jeremiah Thirty-three ends with words that declare the absolute certainty of the fulfillment of these prophecies and promises:

Jeremiah 33:20 "Thus says the LORD: 'If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season,

Jeremiah 33:21 'then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers.

Jeremiah 33:22 'As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.'"

Jeremiah 33:23 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,

Jeremiah 33:24 "Have you not considered what these people have spoken, saying, 'The two families which the LORD has chosen, He has also cast them off'? Thus they have despised My people, as if they should no more be a nation before them.

Jeremiah 33:25 "Thus says the LORD: 'If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth,

Jeremiah 33:26 'then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.'"

Your Bible is about 30% prophecy, and most of that is already 100% fulfilled. God says that in contrast to the false gods of the world's religions, He is the God of prophecy. He declares what will happen before it happens and watches over history to make certain that it does happen. The prophecies He has given concerning Israel and their fulfillment provide irrefutable evidence for His existence and for the fact that He has a purpose for mankind. History is not merely happenstance; it is going somewhere. There is a plan, the plan of God. Prophecy reveals that plan in advance. At the heart of that plan the Bible places Israel as His great sign to the world and lets us know in advance the details of her former and her future history.

Conclusion

God promises to fortify your future, too. You, too, if you are a Christian, are elect of God. You, too, if you are a Christian, have a future history with God.

You must simply "call to [God]" and then be content with His answer. It's the contentment that we struggle with! We must, with the Apostle Paul, say,

Philippians 4:12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Beloved, you are frequently beseiged by spiritual enemies, both within and without. God can nevertheless fortify you. Call on Him and learn to be content with His answer.