Walking With Christ

Jeremiah 33:14-15 (14)Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (15)In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.(ESV)

As we continue our journey through some of the prophecies in the bible, we come to Jeremiah. To say that Isaiah and Micah saw times of trouble would be an understatement, but Jeremiah comes at a much worse time. This was during the time of the rise of Babylon, the fall of Judah, and the destruction of Jerusalem along with Solomon’s temple. This was the beginning of the Babylonian exile in 586 BC.

Still, God sent word through a prophet that Judah would be saved. Temples destroyed, people enslaved, the land is lost, and still God says “I will save you”? This might be the darkest period in all of the history of Israel. They lost the promised land, their sovereignty, freedom, and so much more. The crisis of identity for those forced to live in a strange land was part of a much deeper crisis of faith that forced the entire nation to acknowledge that they ignored the repeated warnings. Fear and uncertainty ruled the lives of many. Many of Jeremiah’s messages focuses on the moral and spiritual decay of Judah. Idolatry, false prophets, and general unfaithfulness to the covenant with God were common place. Like many of the messages through prophets before this one, the message could be summed up as God saying, “You’re about to mess up, but that’s ok because things will get better. I have a plan.”

The people of Israel had forgotten the face of God. They had forgotten the voice of our creator.

Even in these dark and dire times when all hope seemed lost and so much had been taken from them, God still offered hope. He still sent promises of redemption. No matter how far away from Him the people of His chosen nation strayed, He still sent messages of love and hope, because He knew the plans he had.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.(ESV)

Jeremiah 29:11 was directed at the exiles in Babylon, but the promise is no less true for the rest of us. Just a little bit later in Jeremiah 33, God says that if we can break His covenant with the night and day so that they do not come when they are supposed to, then His promise to David can also be broken. Until then, His promise stands firm. Those are pretty powerful words. That is a pretty powerful commitment from our creator. He has a plan. It will happen.

Jesus is that “righteous branch”. His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection fulfill all of the old testament prophecies and promises to Abraham and David. Jesus is the very embodiment of justice and righteousness.

God is faithful to the end. He is already there waiting for us with open arms. God has promised a second coming of Jesus Christ. That will happen.

Until then, we look forward to that day with joyful anticipation. It is that hope that directs our daily lives and informs the decisions we each make. This hope is the light for our paths. Every knee will bow. Every tear will be counted and every eye will be dried. Every mouth will confess that He is Lord and Savior. King of Kings. Now and forever.