Jeremiah 33 reminds me of how my kids hated when Dad tried to “help” with a loose baby tooth. Sometimes the tooth would be holding on by a thread, but they insisted that I could not touch it. Even though the tooth caused pain while biting or chewing, that was better than my imagined torture. I would say “just let me yank it out and you will feel better”, but they insisted on keeping their lips tight. In today’s chapter, the prophet Jeremiah was still being held prisoner because of his unpopular prophesy. Recall that they blamed Jeremiah’s words for their woes rather than their own rebellion. Jeremiah speaks God’s words a second time, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know”. What an offer! God promised to give them the whole truth, if they will ask. Like us, all they wanted was the good stuff. Hearing no questions God speaks. Destruction is coming “I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness. Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal My people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security”. Some things must go to make room for the new, but we stand with our jaw and lips clenched shut. “I… will rebuild… I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against Me… forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me”. He is not finished, “This city will bring Me renown, joy, praise and honor”. Are you sticking your tongue out instead of opening up?
The people look at what is left of their city and see “a desolate waste, without people or animals”, but God says, “there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom”. And He adds that in the House of the Lord, voices will say, “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; His love endures forever”. Maybe that is an echo from your childhood? God reaffirms that His Word does not change, “I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel”. And He hints of the new thing that will come, “I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line”. Change can be scary, but renewal often first requires loss.
For the rest of the chapter, God reminds His people of His promises, chief among all is the Messiah. “He will do what is just and right in the land… He will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior”. God promised the fatherless Abraham that not only would he have a son, but he would be the father of many nations and ultimately through his heir “all the nations on the earth would be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). Israel resisted and squirmed and had tantrums along the way, but God’s promise remained, “‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel”. Turn your head away, and thrash all you want, you cannot “break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night”. As surely as the sun will rise, God’s promise will be fulfilled. The chapter ends with a promise that I believe applies to all of us who accept God’s forgiveness through the Savior, “I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them”. Where are you friend? Are you still resisting? 1 Peter 2:2-3 suggests a start, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good”. Maybe it is time to grow up? “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Is it time to let go of the baby stuff?