Jeremiah 31: A Promise of Restoration and a New Covenant
At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.
Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.
For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God.
For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.
Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.
And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.
Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.
And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.
For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.
And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord.
In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.
But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.
And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.
And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the Lord; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.
Jeremiah 31 stands as a radiant peak within the Old Testament, offering profound insights into both the future restoration of Israel under their Messiah, Jesus, and the revolutionary concept of a new covenant inaugurated through His death and resurrection. This chapter, particularly Jeremiah 31:1-30, beautifully portrays God's paternal love for Israel and His tender commitment to restoring the nation both to their land and to a renewed relationship with Himself. It's noteworthy that Jeremiah received this powerful prophecy while he slept (Jeremiah 31:26), highlighting the divine origin of this message of hope.
A Nation Rebuilt and Rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:1-30)
The core of this section focuses on the rebuilding of Israel and their renewed praise to the Lord (Jeremiah 31:4-6). God promises to gather them from the nations (Jeremiah 31:8, 10), filling them with joy (Jeremiah 31:12-13). Just as the Lord was the one who uprooted and tore them down in judgment, He will also be the one to build and to plant them in restoration (Jeremiah 31:28).
Jeremiah poignantly depicts Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife (Genesis 29:28), weeping for her children, representing the Israelites in exile. However, God offers a powerful promise of future joy, assuring her that her children will return (Jeremiah 31:15-17). This image of Rachel's weeping resonated so deeply that Matthew later connects it to Herod’s massacre of the infants in his attempt to kill the young Jesus (Matthew 2:16-18), highlighting the enduring pain and hope intertwined in Israel's story. But even this grief, like Rachel's, will one day be transformed into joy when many Jewish people accept their Messiah during His millennial reign (Romans 11:25-27). This section underscores the enduring hope for Israel's future, a hope rooted in God's unwavering love and faithfulness.
The Promise of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
This pivotal section introduces the glorious promise of a new covenant. This new covenant that God will establish with the houses of Israel and Judah will fundamentally differ from the covenant He made with their ancestors, referring to the Mosaic covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-32). The blessings of the Mosaic covenant were contingent upon Israel’s obedience; however, they tragically failed to uphold their end of the agreement, breaking the covenant (Jeremiah 31:32). Consequently, God brought curses upon the people.
The transformative aspect of the new covenant lies in God's promise to place His teaching within them and inscribe it upon their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Israel's failure under the old covenant wasn’t due to any inherent flaw in the law itself, but rather to the condition of their hearts. The law merely revealed their sinfulness and their inability to adhere to its demands, exposing their desperate need for renewed hearts. God promises a new relationship with Him, so profound and dynamic that His law wouldn't need to be written on stone tablets; it would be etched onto their very hearts.
The church today participates in the benefits of this new covenant. The author of Hebrews directly quotes this passage from Jeremiah, emphasizing its fulfillment in Christ (Hebrews 8:7-13). During the Last Supper, Jesus offered the cup to His disciples, declaring, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20). The cup symbolized His blood, shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, God can declare, "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). In the Communion ceremony, Christians partake of the cup "in remembrance" of Christ and the new covenant established through His atoning death (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).
While we, as believers, currently live under the new covenant, a day is coming when the people of Israel will also embrace their Messiah, Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 31:31). From their perspective, the full provisions of this covenant are yet to be realized, awaiting fulfillment upon Jesus' return. When He comes to reign on David’s throne in His millennial kingdom, their hearts will turn toward Him (Romans 11:25-27).
An Unbreakable Covenant and a New Jerusalem (Jeremiah 31:35-40)
The Lord, who established the sun, moon, and stars, guarantees the permanence of His covenant. Only if their established order can be undone will Israel's descendants cease to be a nation before Him (Jeremiah 31:35-36). This highlights the unilateral nature of the covenant, depending solely on God's faithfulness, making it unbreakable. This section also speaks of the establishment of a new Jerusalem, which will serve as the throne of Christ during His millennial reign (Jeremiah 31:38-40). This reinforces the idea of a future, restored Israel at the heart of God's kingdom.
Jeremiah 31 offers a powerful message of hope, restoration, and God's unwavering love for His people. It speaks not only of a future physical restoration of Israel but also of a deeper, spiritual transformation through the new covenant, a covenant in which God's law is written on the heart, and forgiveness is freely offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This chapter continues to inspire and encourage believers today, reminding us of God's faithfulness and the enduring hope we have in Him.
At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.
Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.
For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God.
For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.
Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.
And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.
Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.
And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.
For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.
And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord.
In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.
But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:
If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.
And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.
And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the Lord; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.
Jeremiah 31 stands as a radiant peak within the Old Testament, offering profound insights into both the future restoration of Israel under their Messiah, Jesus, and the revolutionary concept of a new covenant inaugurated through His death and resurrection. This chapter, particularly Jeremiah 31:1-30, beautifully portrays God's paternal love for Israel and His tender commitment to restoring the nation both to their land and to a renewed relationship with Himself. It's noteworthy that Jeremiah received this powerful prophecy while he slept (Jeremiah 31:26), highlighting the divine origin of this message of hope.
A Nation Rebuilt and Rejoicing (Jeremiah 31:1-30)
The core of this section focuses on the rebuilding of Israel and their renewed praise to the Lord (Jeremiah 31:4-6). God promises to gather them from the nations (Jeremiah 31:8, 10), filling them with joy (Jeremiah 31:12-13). Just as the Lord was the one who uprooted and tore them down in judgment, He will also be the one to build and to plant them in restoration (Jeremiah 31:28).
Jeremiah poignantly depicts Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife (Genesis 29:28), weeping for her children, representing the Israelites in exile. However, God offers a powerful promise of future joy, assuring her that her children will return (Jeremiah 31:15-17). This image of Rachel's weeping resonated so deeply that Matthew later connects it to Herod’s massacre of the infants in his attempt to kill the young Jesus (Matthew 2:16-18), highlighting the enduring pain and hope intertwined in Israel's story. But even this grief, like Rachel's, will one day be transformed into joy when many Jewish people accept their Messiah during His millennial reign (Romans 11:25-27). This section underscores the enduring hope for Israel's future, a hope rooted in God's unwavering love and faithfulness.
The Promise of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
This pivotal section introduces the glorious promise of a new covenant. This new covenant that God will establish with the houses of Israel and Judah will fundamentally differ from the covenant He made with their ancestors, referring to the Mosaic covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-32). The blessings of the Mosaic covenant were contingent upon Israel’s obedience; however, they tragically failed to uphold their end of the agreement, breaking the covenant (Jeremiah 31:32). Consequently, God brought curses upon the people.
The transformative aspect of the new covenant lies in God's promise to place His teaching within them and inscribe it upon their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Israel's failure under the old covenant wasn’t due to any inherent flaw in the law itself, but rather to the condition of their hearts. The law merely revealed their sinfulness and their inability to adhere to its demands, exposing their desperate need for renewed hearts. God promises a new relationship with Him, so profound and dynamic that His law wouldn't need to be written on stone tablets; it would be etched onto their very hearts.
The church today participates in the benefits of this new covenant. The author of Hebrews directly quotes this passage from Jeremiah, emphasizing its fulfillment in Christ (Hebrews 8:7-13). During the Last Supper, Jesus offered the cup to His disciples, declaring, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20). The cup symbolized His blood, shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, God can declare, "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). In the Communion ceremony, Christians partake of the cup "in remembrance" of Christ and the new covenant established through His atoning death (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).
While we, as believers, currently live under the new covenant, a day is coming when the people of Israel will also embrace their Messiah, Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 31:31). From their perspective, the full provisions of this covenant are yet to be realized, awaiting fulfillment upon Jesus' return. When He comes to reign on David’s throne in His millennial kingdom, their hearts will turn toward Him (Romans 11:25-27).
An Unbreakable Covenant and a New Jerusalem (Jeremiah 31:35-40)
The Lord, who established the sun, moon, and stars, guarantees the permanence of His covenant. Only if their established order can be undone will Israel's descendants cease to be a nation before Him (Jeremiah 31:35-36). This highlights the unilateral nature of the covenant, depending solely on God's faithfulness, making it unbreakable. This section also speaks of the establishment of a new Jerusalem, which will serve as the throne of Christ during His millennial reign (Jeremiah 31:38-40). This reinforces the idea of a future, restored Israel at the heart of God's kingdom.
Jeremiah 31 offers a powerful message of hope, restoration, and God's unwavering love for His people. It speaks not only of a future physical restoration of Israel but also of a deeper, spiritual transformation through the new covenant, a covenant in which God's law is written on the heart, and forgiveness is freely offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This chapter continues to inspire and encourage believers today, reminding us of God's faithfulness and the enduring hope we have in Him.