Justin Houtz

Jeremiah 33

DateVersionReading Plan
@July 26, 2023ESV (2016)ESV Prophets Plan 2023

Pericopes

  • The Lord Promises Peace
  • The Lord’s Eternal Covenant with David

Notes

The chapter opens with a second word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah while he was “shut up in the court of the guard” (Jer. 33:1). God speaks of His power and dominion over the earth and that He will answer all who call on Him, telling them “great and hidden things” they have not know. (Jer. 33:3)

In Jer. 33:4-5, God tells the people that they will tear down houses to use the materials to build a defense against the Chaldeans, but these efforts will not be effective. God had turned His face from the people, so their fighting against the Chaldeans will result and the area being filled with their dead bodies (Jer. 33:5).

However, Jer. 33:6-9 is a dramatic shift toward the positive. There will be death in Judah, but God will later “bring it to health and healing” (Jer. 33:4). He will 1) restore the fortunes of Judah, 2) cleanse them from all their sin against Him and 3) forgive all their rebellion. In the end, they will “tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity” that God will provide (Jer. 33:5)

Jer. 33:10-13 describe how the desolation of the land without man or beast will become a place of joy and worship. God will “restore the fortunes of the land as at first” and there will be plentiful flocks of livestock in all places “about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah” (Jer. 33:13).

In Jer. 33:14-18, a word of the LORD came to Jeremiah that God will fulfill His promise to cause a “righteous Branch” to spring up for David who will “execute justice and righteousness in the land.” (Jer. 33:15). The “righteous Branch” is a metaphor for the Messiah and His coming will yield Judah’s salvation and secure dwelling (Jer. 33:16). The Davidic line of kings will not be broken and the Messiah will fulfill both the roles of King and Priest. Christ’s kingship is of the line of David and his priesthood of the line of Melchizedek, the priest of Salem (Gen. 14:17-20).

In Jer. 33:19-22, God compares the irrevocability of His promises to David and Levi’s lines with His unbreakable covenant with day and night. God would no sooner break the Davidic covenant than day and night would cease to come at their regular times (Jer. 33:20). As “the host of heaven cannot be measured”, so too will the offspring of David and Levitical priest minister to Him (Jer. 33:22).

The rest of the chapter (Jer. 33:23-26) continues in similar vein, that God’s ability to keep His covenant with the offspring of David is as assured as His covenant with the “fixed order” of creation (Jer. 33:25). If He had not established such a trustworthy covenant, He would then “reject the offspring of Jacob and David”. It is because He is the God of everlasting faithfulness that He will “restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” (Jer. 33:26).

Application

God’s promises are always true, making him worthy of all praise, honor and glory. There never has and never will be a word from God that returns void. This is difficult to grasp given the pervasiveness of broken promises in our fallen world. And yet, this is the God we serve, steadfast and enduring. This should give us great hope as we live in the days of the final promise: the return of His Son in triumphant victory, gathering His flock and making all things new.

Scripture Journal Notes

Commentaries & Resources Used