eschatology, Justice, Healing and Thankfulness (Jer.30)

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who are celebrating today!  And to stay on that theme, I must say, we should be very thankful that God will take care of the evil in this world... in His timing.  As well, God has provided a way to take care of the evil that is within ourselves.  He's got this all figured out - with great purpose!  Right now, we are to love our enemy, even though they seem to get "away with murder"...

(Matthew 4:43-45)  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous..."

It just doesn't seem fair!  But we are living in the Age of Grace.  And if we really wanted fairness, then we'd all be in really big trouble...

(Psalm 14:2-3)  The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

So, as Christians, we are saved by grace, therefore we need to exercise grace toward others.  We are told to imitate Jesus - when He came to earth the first time - with a ministry of love...

(John 13:34)  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

(John 3:17)  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

But have no fear!  There will come the time of great punishment on all the earth.  This is a time not meant for us (the Church).  We will be raptured.  It is a time of judgment meant for all the unbelieving.  It is a time meant for the Israelites to realize that Jesus WAS and IS their Messiah whom they rejected the first time.  And the ones becoming believers during this time will cry out to be saved...

(Jeremiah 30:4)  Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

 (Jeremiah 30:12-16)  “For thus says the Lord, ‘Your wound is incurable and your injury is serious.
13 ‘There is no one to plead your cause;  no healing for your sore, no recovery for you.
14 ‘All your lovers have forgotten you, they do not seek you;  for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the punishment of a cruel one, because your iniquity is great and your sins are numerous.
15 ‘Why do you cry out over your injury?  Your pain is incurable.  Because your iniquity is great and your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you.
16 ‘Therefore all who devour you will be devoured;  and all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity;  and those who plunder you will be for plunder, and all who prey upon you I will give for prey...'

5            (Jeremiah 30:5-7)  “For thus says the Lord,

‘I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace.
6 ‘Ask now, and see if a male can give birth.  Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?  And why have all faces turned pale?
7 ‘Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it;  and it is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved from it.

21 (Jeremiah 30:21-24)  ‘Their leader shall be one of them, and their ruler shall come forth from their midst;  and I will bring him near and he shall approach Me;  for who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the Lord.
22 ‘You shall be My people, and I will be your God.’”

23 Behold, the tempest of the Lord!  Wrath has gone forth, a sweeping tempest;  it will burst on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has performed and until He has accomplished the intent of His heart;  in the latter days you will understand this.

The Israelites will recognize the signs (the judgments) and know that their Messiah will be returning.  So as the people who become Christians during the Tribulation cry out for Jesus, we know that He will come again - this time to "fight" and judge all sinners...

10 (Jeremiah 30:10-11)  ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel;  for behold, I will save you from afar and your offspring from the land of their captivity.  And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, and no one will make him afraid.
11 ‘For I am with you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to save you; for I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, only I will not destroy you completely.  But I will chasten you justly and will by no means leave you unpunished.’

(Jeremiah 30:3)   For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.’”

In the Millennium, Jesus ("David" - being the rightful descendant of king David, as well as being God) will sit on the throne and heal the land, physically and spiritually...

(Jeremiah 30:8)  ‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. 9 But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them...'

 (Jeremiah 30:17)  ‘For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying:  “It is Zion; no one cares for her.”’

18 (Jeremiah 30:18-20)  “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwelling places;  and the city will be rebuilt on its ruin, and the palace will stand on its rightful place.
19 ‘From them will proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who celebrate;  and I will multiply them and they will not be diminished;  I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.
20 ‘Their children also will be as formerly, and their congregation shall be established before Me;  and I will punish all their oppressors.

Today's takeaway:  it was said (above) in verses 12-15 that their wounds and pain are incurable!  And then they are asked why they cry out over their injury.  It is because of their great and numerous sins that they suffer!  It would be like having a broken leg and complaining about it, but not doing anything about it... except maybe having an X-ray taken - which would only show a person that they had a broken leg.  The Law is like the X-ray.  It reveals where we are broken.  But the X-ray (living by the Law) will not save us.  I am so very thankful that eternal salvation is possible.  All we need to do is go to Jesus to be healed and restored - completely...

(1 Peter 2:21-25)  For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.