Rutashubanyuma
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 24, 2010
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Jeremiah 21:1-23:8
Joy in the friendship of Jesus
As you stay close to Jesus, his joy flows into you and your joy is complete. As Professor Gordon Fee writes, ‘Unmitigated, untrammelled joy is – or at least should be – the distinctive mark of the believer in Christ Jesus.’ The ‘righteous Branch’ which Jeremiah speaks about in this passage (23:5) is going to be the source of complete joy.
The Lord says to his people through Jeremiah, ‘I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death’ (21:8).
He calls them to ‘administer justice’ (v.12). He says, ‘Attend to matters of justice. Set things right between people. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Don’t take advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the widows. Stop the murdering!’ (22:3, MSG).
The kings should have acted like Josiah: ‘“He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord’ (v.16).
Here we see God’s concerns, both then and now. He is concerned about justice; about the poor and the homeless; about widows and orphans; about victims of injustice. How we treat the marginalised in our society matters to God.
The people of God were under his judgment for failing in these areas. They had become an ‘evil regime’ (21:14, MSG). They were about to go into exile. Yet, in the midst of these prophecies of doom and exile, there was a ray of hope.
‘“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness”’ (23:5–6).
Through the lens of the New Testament we see how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy about the ‘righteous Branch’ (23:5, see also Isaiah 11, Ezekiel 17 and Jeremiah 33:15 onwards). He was descended from David, King of the Jews, a Saviour, The Lord Our Righteousness.
Jesus is the one in whom we find complete joy. He is the ‘righteous Branch’ (v.5) out of which every other branch should come. The ‘righteous Branch’ is linked to a vine (Ezekiel 17). Jesus said, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener’ (John 15:1), ‘I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete’ (v.11).
Lord, thank you for the joy that comes from being close to Jesus. Help me each day to stay close to the ‘righteous Branch’ so that the joy of Jesus may be in me and my joy may be complete.
Sent from my SM-A715F using JamiiForums mobile app
Joy in the friendship of Jesus
As you stay close to Jesus, his joy flows into you and your joy is complete. As Professor Gordon Fee writes, ‘Unmitigated, untrammelled joy is – or at least should be – the distinctive mark of the believer in Christ Jesus.’ The ‘righteous Branch’ which Jeremiah speaks about in this passage (23:5) is going to be the source of complete joy.
The Lord says to his people through Jeremiah, ‘I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death’ (21:8).
He calls them to ‘administer justice’ (v.12). He says, ‘Attend to matters of justice. Set things right between people. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Don’t take advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the widows. Stop the murdering!’ (22:3, MSG).
The kings should have acted like Josiah: ‘“He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord’ (v.16).
Here we see God’s concerns, both then and now. He is concerned about justice; about the poor and the homeless; about widows and orphans; about victims of injustice. How we treat the marginalised in our society matters to God.
The people of God were under his judgment for failing in these areas. They had become an ‘evil regime’ (21:14, MSG). They were about to go into exile. Yet, in the midst of these prophecies of doom and exile, there was a ray of hope.
‘“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness”’ (23:5–6).
Through the lens of the New Testament we see how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy about the ‘righteous Branch’ (23:5, see also Isaiah 11, Ezekiel 17 and Jeremiah 33:15 onwards). He was descended from David, King of the Jews, a Saviour, The Lord Our Righteousness.
Jesus is the one in whom we find complete joy. He is the ‘righteous Branch’ (v.5) out of which every other branch should come. The ‘righteous Branch’ is linked to a vine (Ezekiel 17). Jesus said, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener’ (John 15:1), ‘I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete’ (v.11).
Lord, thank you for the joy that comes from being close to Jesus. Help me each day to stay close to the ‘righteous Branch’ so that the joy of Jesus may be in me and my joy may be complete.
Sent from my SM-A715F using JamiiForums mobile app