“Serving the Lord with Gladness, Part Three”
Jeremiah 31

May 22, 2005
by C.W. Powell

“18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock un-accustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.
19 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.
20 Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: there-fore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
21 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.
22 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.
23 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. 24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.
25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.
26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.” (Jer 31:18-26 AV)

We have seen in the past two messages on this great chapter of Jeremiah 31 that God intended in days of Mes-siah to bring great blessings to His people. These promises were to those who would see the city of Jerusalem destroyed, the temple razed, and the people scattered, murdered, and burned in the fires. Only a remnant es-caped, but God blessed them and comforted them in their souls with the promise of the Redeemer. We know that this passage has some application to the days of Nehemiah and Ezra when the temple was rebuilt and the city restored, but this was not a complete fulfillment.

Many of the promises in this chapter were not fulfilled in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, but awaited the com-ing of the Lord Jesus and this chapter is quoted by the apostles as being fulfilled in His days. I cited those ref-erences in a previous sermon.

Some of the promises will only be fulfilled in Heaven, in the souls of those who are gathered there, for this is the end and purpose of creation, that man enjoy the presence and joy of God forever. Jesus said, “If I go away, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.”

I. God promised to take away their sins. What was promised to them has been fulfilled to us and to them in Jesus Christ our Lord.

A. Please note following promises:

1. Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2. Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
3. Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
4. Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

B. This mercy is founded upon eternal election. See verse.20.

1. This election was not about anything in Ephraim: “Is he a pleasant child?”
2. Vs. 20 speaks of the covenant: “for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still.”

a) The covenant was against Ephraim, because Ephraim is sinful. What to do about sin?
b) But God understands the difficulty: “I do remember him.” Not even the sins of Ephraim can overcome the covenant; because the wrath against Ephraim is taken into the bosom of Jesus Christ.
c) Note these passages:

(1) 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
(2) 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the un-just, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

d) This mercy originates in God alone and does not depend upon anything in you or in me. We are called to receive and believe. As He says in John 1

“10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Joh 1:10-13 AV)

II. The response of Ephraim to this grace: vs. 18-20

A. Repentance is the result of grace and not the cause of it.
B. God chastens his sons, that we be conformed to Christ. There were those in Ephraim who had benefited from the judgments upon Israel. “Turn thou me, and I shall be turned.”
C. “I turned; I repented; I was instructed; I smote upon my thigh.”etc.

1. Do you think that instruction in the school of Christ is easy? Do you think that it will come without pain?
2. I was ashamed and confounded. Men are never ashamed of their sins unless they are turned by God. They will secretly rejoice in them. Heartfelt repentance is the work of God alone. Only He can circumcise the heart.
3. “Confounded” “blushed” I realized by dishonor and my complete shame. Where did blushing go? There are some things that are called shameful in the Bible:

a) nakedness. It is a shame for people to go around without their clothes on.
b) Foolishness is a shame
c) Idolatry is a shame. Illustration: putting on sunscreen and cancer.
d) Shame even to speak of the abominations of idols.

4. This ought to settle the question of free will. Men will never be ashamed of their sins and idolatry
5. “Reproach of youth” They saw the folly of their ways. “Youth” is used as a meaphor, because youth is often a time of folly and excess, for desires far outweigh judgment and discretion.

III. This promise has been fully and completely marked out by God for His People. Vs. 21,22

A. Set your heart toward the highway. Make certain you know where you are going. The highway has been marked out.

1. Israel will go back the way they came. They will return.
2. So will we. We go back the way we came. We were lost in the first Adam, and we are saved in the Last Adam. By man came death, by the new Man came everlasting life.
3. Set you affections on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affections on Jesus Christ. Set your heart on the highway!!!

B. Do not disbelieve.

1. Don’t wander all around seeking remedy for sins. It is in Christ alone.
2. It will be done apart from the strength of man. A woman shall encompass a man. Man will be surrounded and overcome, as a city is taken by siege. The victory will not come by the strength of man, but man’s strength will be overcome and thrown down
3. In fact, I believe that this is fulfilled in the incarnation of Christ in the Virgin Mary; the last Man was encompassed by a woman, enclosed in her body. Mary herself said:

“46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from gen-eration to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remem-brance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.” (Lu 1:46-55 AV)

Mary knew that her child was not the offspring of a man.

IV. This is the message that satisfies the weary soul, and brings the Sabbath of rest: vs. 25,26.

A. Jeremiah’s soul is satisfied with the pleasant prospects of the people of God.
B. The refreshments promised in this life are of the soul and spirit, not necessarily of the body.
C. The contemplation of the true rest of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the restoration of fellow-ship with God and the true nature of the kingdom of God is pleasant to all the saints.

Amen and Amen.

May God bless you.