Bible Study: Jeremiah 30:1-24

In today's lesson, God commands Jeremiah to record all the sermons and prophecies that God has given him.

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Jeremiah Chapter 30

Lessons from the text

Verse by Verse Commentary

The Validity of Scripture
Have you ever wondered who wrote the Bible?  The answer may seem obvious; Jeremiah wrote Jeremiah, John wrote the Gospel of John.  But who really wrote the Bible?  Was it all man’s ideas?  Are these historical records of events that happened?

This chapter of Jeremiah reveals that the Bible is more than just a record.  God commanded that it be written.  Why would He do that?

God wants humanity to have a trustworthy way to know Him.  After all, your pastor or parents may know God, but can they show you the heart of your Creator?

The Bible gives us unique insight into the mind behind the words.  Who God is, what He does, and how He views us are all things we learn from reading the Scriptures.  We know that we can trust what the Bible says about God because God commanded it to be written.

Now, as the sovereign Ruler of the universe, do you think God would make sure His book is written correctly?  Of course!  Jeremiah penned the words of the Book of Jeremiah according to what God wanted to be written.  He did not include the name of his best friend or his favorite color.  While Jeremiah wrote the words, the words were not his own.  They were the stories given Him by the true author of the Bible, God.

II Timothy 3:16 supports this, saying that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.”  In the end, we know that we can trust the Bible because it is not man’s opinion but a literal work of God.

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1-3  God commands Jeremiah to write all the prophecies that He has given him.  These are to be a witness to the future that God’s words are being fulfilled.  This also points the fact that the Bible was written by men commanded by God to do so.  See also I Pet. 1:19-21.

4-5  Contrary to the prophecies of peace spoken by false prophets (Jer. 6:14, 8:11), the Jews have experienced great hardships at the hand of Babylon.

6  God is saying that the men of Judah are acting like women in childbirth.  Since they are men and not women, they are behaving in a manner contrary to their design.  God clearly warned of the consequences for idolatry.  If they had listened to His prophets, they would not have been surprised or upset at the Babylonian conquest.  Instead of behaving like God’s children, they are behaving like the heathen who is shocked at the judgment of God.

7-10  God now switches to a time when the trouble that comes on the Jews will warrant extreme agony.  This “Jacob’s Trouble” will be unlike anything that has beforetime happened.  Nonetheless, God in His greatness will deliver the Jews from the trouble.  At that time they will no longer have to serve any earthly authority but will instead be ruled by God.  This then points to the end times when Christ will reign from Jerusalem (Isa. 24:23).

11a  At the time that Israel is delivered from all persecution, the other nations will be ended.  This is rightly interpreted using Isaiah 2:2 and Isaiah 60:11-12; the nations will cease to rule over themselves but will instead be subordinate to Christ and the Jews.  Their way of life and religions will end.

11b-13  God promises to deliver the Jews but only after they have been purged through divine punishment.  God cannot bless sin.  Therefore, before He can bless the Jews He must enforce the consequences of their idolatry.  Once they have paid the price, then they will have everlasting peace.  Noteworthy is that for the Gentile, this everlasting peace is attainted through Christ; instead of having to bear punishment on the earth to be acceptable according to a covenant, Christ paid the penalty for humanity so that one may freely gain everlasting peace in God’s kingdom (Col. 2:8-12).  The difference is that the Jew is already in a covenant relationship with God through Abraham, while the Gentile must enter into a covenant by accepting Christ as Savior.

14-15  The idols Israel has worshipped are unable to help them in their time of need.  This includes the political and economic systems.  The point is that if one sins against God, no one but God can spare from the judgment against sin.  After all the warnings God has sent through His written and preached word, the sinner should not be surprised when judgment comes.

16  While Israel will be delivered, those who draw Israel away from God into sin will be utterly destroyed.  Even when Israel sins, nations should not take advantage of the lack of divine presence by raiding and oppressing the Jews.  Despite their sinful condition, they are still God’s people.

17-18  God promises to restore Israel.  Because God's name has been mocked by the nations because of the desolation of the Jewish cities, God will make sure that all nations recognize that He is the one who drove them out of their lands and He is the one who will bring them back.

19  The people rejoice with great thanksgiving at this marvelous work of God.  After they return, they will once again begin to grow in population and stature.

20  This restoration will be complete, returning Israel under the security of the covenant with God.

21  During the Babylonian captivity, rulers and governors were appointed to watch over the Jews.  God promises that in the future they will once again be ruled by their own people according to their own laws.

22  To complete the restoration, God repeats the initial promise He gave when He first entered into a covenant relationship with the Jews (Lev. 26:12).  This implies that as it was in the beginning, so it will be in the end.

23-24  Opposed to the promise of restoration to those in a covenant relationship with God, the wicked have the promise of a continual burden from the Lord against their sins.  This is referring strictly to judgment in this life, as the anger go forth in the "latter days."

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Thank you for your faithfulness in studying God’s word.
Please comment below to share what you learned from today's lesson.

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