“This is what the Lord says - the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name us the Lord: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’”- Jeremiah 33:2-3 NIV
Jeremiah was a prophet whom God spoke thru in Old Testament times. Being a prophet allows verse 3 to make sense. The Lord will use Jeremiah to speak to the people great and unknowable things that they do not know. In other words, Jeremiah will prophesy over Israel and reveal future events, typically as a warning for them to stop acting in a certain way turn back to God.
In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord spoke thru the prophet these words: “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” [NLT] This verse alone is revealing in that God says He is Lord over ALL the peoples of the world, not just the Israelites. Perhaps a foreshadowing of the Gentiles being grafted into God’s family found in Romans 11:17. *
God, speaking thru Jeremiah, is once again establishing His preeminence over all creation. Surely the One who created every living thing, in addition to the firmament on which we stand, can do anything He feels necessary to validate His promises and care for His children. Knowing the future can be a blessing or a curse, depending on which side of the ledger you happen to be on.
In the case of Jeremiah 33, God is predicting the restoration of Jerusalem, on the heels of Chapter 32, where He predicts the destruction of the same. Knowing the children of Israel hold a special place in God’s heart, we can always count on the fact that His unconditional love will take Israel back after they have failed to follow His lead. Restoration always seems to follow destruction. The destruction is the consequence garnered from their disobedience; restoration is what grows out of their repentance.
While it is true that we can ask anything in Jesus name, that is the time we need to humble ourselves, set aside our own will, lose our worrisome attitude, and become determined once again to obey the Lord. That is exactly what Israel had to do for themselves to complete the spiritual restoration in their collective hearts. The physical restoration of Jerusalem itself shall come in conjunction with their own personal restoration.
Our next post will conclude our extensive Prayer Project. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
* “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” [NLT]
No comments:
Post a Comment