July 17, 2019 - Suggested Reading Jeremiah 33 for July 21st message on Amos 1 thru 3:2 in our worship service at 10:00AM

“Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation.”

Jeremiah 33:24 (NIV) 

Jeremiah’s message to the southern kingdom of Judah is the same message that Amos brought to the northern kingdom of Israel – “God is going to destroy your nation”. In our organizational division of the bible we put Jeremiah in the “Major Prophets” and Amos in the “Minor Prophets”, not because of the nature of the message but because of the length of the writing. Mixed into Jeremiah’s message of impending destruction is the message of future restoration, and for the ‘weeping prophet’ Jeremiah as he mourned over the impending destruction of his nation, these Words of hope must have been a wonderful solace to his soul. In this chapter as Jeremiah sits in prison for speaking God’s Words, God speaks to him about the future beyond the future. Yes the immediate future holds destruction, but what does the future beyond the future hold? Just read verses 8 through 13 again - what a wonderful promise, not only for the southern kingdom of Judah but also for the northern kingdom of Israel. Verses 14 through 18 give us God’s method for this restoration, He will bring forth Christ Jesus, our King and our Priest, to deliver his people and bring restoration to both nations. Verses 19 through 21 speak of the inability of anyone to stop or thwart God’s purposes for His people through His covenant with Christ Jesus, and then verse 22 reiterates the promise of God that a huge host of people will be in Christ Jesus through faith. God’s work will be misunderstood- people will say that the LORD has rejected Israel and Judah- people say that even today, and they have been saying it for thousands of years. Friend the future is destruction, but do not misunderstand God’s work, for the future beyond the future is a glorious restoration!

There is a wonderful personal application in this truth if we wish to receive it - my future will be pain and death, but because of Christ Jesus and His work and His life within me, my future beyond the future will be glorious restoration! Praise His holy Name!