THE frequent use of God’s name in Jeremiah’s prophecy has been remarked upon; in most instances it is “the LORD” (or Jehovah), His name of covenant relationship with Israel (Ex. 3:15) but “Jehovah of hosts”—with all power at His command to carry out His will in connection with His people,—and “Jehovah the God of Israel”—presenting Himself as the true object of Israel’s worship in contrast with the false gods of the nations—appear a number of times in this book. In our last chapter, there is “Jehovah the God of all flesh’’, and in that next preceding, He declares that He will be the “God of all the families of Israel”; the first proclaims Him the only true God of all mankind, overriding all national and racial boundaries while the second is a forward look into Israel’s glorious future when restored to His favor.
Chapter 33 brings before us another significant name or title of God (verse 2). “Jehovah the doer of it; Jehovah that formeth it to establish it; Jehovah is His name” (N. Tr.); this gave to Jeremiah the confidence that God, even in the very distressing circumstances of that hour, was overruling all things for the future blessing of Israel. The setting aside of Israel and Judah was a necessity that would not and could not interfere with the high purposes of God; rather was it, in the light of eternity, working to that end, that the true state of the people might be known, and judged and confessed before Him.
Jeremiah was “yet shut up in prison”, and that was for God’s glory and His servant’s blessing; it was not the time for God to display His power; rather did it seem as though He were defeated when the people who bore His name were, after 863 years in the land He gave them, carried away as captives of the young kingdom of Babylonia. But God is never defeated; not all the power of Satan or the wicked plans of men have kept Him from His purposes, nor ever shall.
Perhaps the reader has passed, or is even now passing, through circumstances as trying as Jeremiah’s, and no relief has seemed to come in answer to much beseeching prayer. He did not realize, nor are we ourselves apt to take it in, that by means of these very circumstances, God draws His children nearer to Himself, deepening His work in the soul for our eternal blessing, and, it may be also, for greater usefulness here below. In such ways, what is contrary to the purposes of God is made to work for the blessing of His own and thus redounds to His glory. We may with profit read the cheering words of Rom. 8:16-30 and another portion written for the suffering saints in 1 Pet. 5:10.
The end of the war between the Jews and the Chaldeans was to be, in its effect, God’s judgment upon the wicked (verse 5), but it was only Jeremiah that was altogether in the secret of this, because he walked with God.
Verses 10 and 12 describe the appearance of Judah’s land and Jerusalem when the Chaldean or Babylonian army should have completed its work. The Babylonians were, for the most part, descendants of the ancient. Chaldeans, and are often called Chaldeans, though Chaldea, as a nation, had long ceased to exist. The land of Israel has never yielded its best since God’s earthly people fell into sin, and since their crowning sill of putting their Messiah to death, it has fallen into a low state indeed, from which the schemes of Jews and Gentiles since the Great War have not raised it; nor can they be realized until the new Israel occupies its soil.
This will not be without the return of the-Messiah; the Branch of righteousness (verse 15) holds the key to the blessing of Israel and of the whole world. It is impossible to understand the Scriptures without seeing Christ’s place in the Word of God. He, David’s Son and David’s Lord, the God-Man, shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land (or, upon the earth). In those days shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety (verse 16). Verse 17 passes by the centuries from God’s giving up Judah as “Lo-ammi” (Hosea 1) until He takes them up again in sovereign mercy (See Rom. 9:25, 26).
The chapter closes with a double assurance that the promise of God shall not fail. Israel is in view here, of course, but it is a precious reflection for every believer in the Lord Jesus that God’s Word concerning those who trust in Him can not fail. He has given His Word, and faith believes it, awaits with certainty its fulfilment, though present circumstances be altogether contrary.
ML-02/10/1935