“For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.” Jeremiah 29:10
Just as God pronounced His judgment against Israel because of here incessant unbelief and rebellion, so He promised a new beginning, a reason and certainty to hope. The key to understanding His dealings with the nation is found in His words, the revelation of His heart to the nation. Though, because of His righteousness and justice, He worked to allow the people to be overrun by the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, and taken into captivity, so He works to bring them again into the land of promise. Why did He do this? God knows the measure of His working, that which will be necessary to change the heart and mind of a people, to bring them to the point where He can again bless them. The seventy years in captivity was not only a just judgment on the people for their rejection of God, but the necessary time for them to again desire God, His ways, and His blessing. He brought them to the point in that period of time where they were willing to again believe, return, and obey Him. This same principle can be seen to some extent in His dealings with Israel in Egypt, in the days when they were oppressed four hundred years. It would take a long time, and a slow but deepening work of the Spirit, to bring the people to the place where they would be willing to leave Egypt, and to launch out wholly trusting God according to His word. The great works which God did through Moses, according to his words, was for the purpose of not only delivering the people from Pharaoh’s domination, but to instruct them in the ways of God, their Redeemer, Savior, and wondrous Provider. God alone knows the measure of His dealings to bring men and nations to the point where they will truly believe in Him, and not in the resources and ways of men. How does He do this? What is His method?
The great value and purpose of God raising up the prophets of old, both what we call the major and minor prophets, was to have a mechanism, a means of giving forth HIS WORD to the people. From the creation of the world, the method by which He has chosen to accomplish His will, and reveal Himself to men, is His spoken word. The principle of how He uses that word, is very clear and powerful. He speaks and He accomplishes His word. He fulfills that which He declares. With regard to creation, He spoke, and it was done. With respect to men He speaks, and accomplishes His work in His way, for His glory, on earth as it is in heaven. So, He raised up the prophets of old to declare to both Israel and to the Gentile nations, that He is not only God, the creator and sustainer of all life, but the sole Redeemer through Jesus Christ, who can forgive and cleanse from sin, saving the sinner. How can we apply this fact, and principle, even this basis for faith, to our worship of Him, and service to Him?
Even when Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonian army, God spoke to Jeremiah concerning a new day, a new beginning, which He would bring about after the captivity. In that “Word” was not only a promise, but the basis for hope, the certainty that the Sovereign God of history, would bring about His perfect will in His time. The question would be: Who would believe, and trust Him? It is the same for believers today. Although we do not have the Old Testament prophets to declare the word of God to us, we do have His written word, even the very words and testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the words of the Son of God, men are called to know God by obedient faith.
Dear Father, Show forth Thy power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.