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God’s Restoring Love Jeremiah 30: 1- 24
A. Introduction Luke 15: 11 – 24 There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate. “ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.
I am sure as I told the story, you already knew that that was the parable of the Prodigal Son. We are very familiar with this parable. I have chosen this parable this morning because I want us to look at the father. This morning we are going to look at God’s restoring love. In the parable of the Prodigal Son we can see how the father was waiting for his son to come back. The father’s love for the lost son restored the lost son to his formal status.
In Jeremiah chapter 30 we can see how God’s love is going to restore the nation and people of Israel.
B. Condition of Israel before restoration The scripture reading today is from Jeremiah 30: 18 – 22. But I would like us to look at the whole of chapter 30 to see how God was going to restore Israel. Before we look at how God restored Israel, let us examine the condition of Israel before her restoration.
V3 tells us that the people of Israel were in exiles. They were not in their own country. They were not in their own home ground. They were in strange land.
V 10 says that they were in distant land, i.e. they were far from Zion their home country. In Psalm 137:1 we can read of the emotions of these Israelites in the strange land. Psalm 137:1 reads “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.”
V 8 gives us a picture that the Israelites were not free. They were being enslaved by their enemies, the foreigners. The Israelites were under captivity.
V 5 and v 10 tell us that they live in fear. They had no peace and security. God had to assure them that he will restore peace and security to them.
What Israel experienced was what the prodigal son experienced. The prodigal son was in a distant place; he was in a strange country. The prodigal son was down and out. He had no means to lift himself out of misery. But praise be to God, God is kind and merciful. He knows our condition and He has provided a way of escape for us. In Romans 5:8 the Bible tells us that But God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us. This is the gospel; this is the good news. Many of us have heard this good news and many of us have received salvation and we are enjoying God’s restoring love to us. But there are still many who have not heard this good news. There are still many who are unable to lift themselves out of their miseries. Can we do something about it?
C. How did God restore Israel? From verses 17 to 22 we can see a list of promises of God. Let’s look at what God has promised Israel? V 17 health will be restored V 17 wounds will be healed V 18 restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tent V18 city will be rebuilt on her ruins V 18 The palace will stand in its proper place V 19 God will add to their number V 19 God will bring honor to them V21 government reestablished – they will have their own ruler. No foreigners are going to rule over them. V22 God’s covenant with Israel renewed
D. What are the expected responses? V 9 serve the Lord their God In Joshua 24: 14 – 15 we read “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your fore fathers worshiped beyond the River in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the rivers or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Serving God is a commitment from our part. We have to make a decision whom we shall serve. Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and mammon. Today God is also asking us to decide whom do we want to serve. If we are to serve God in the verses we just heard, we are told to serve God will all faithfulness. Remember the illustration used by untie Patty. The stamp that was stuck to the envelope until it reaches the destination. There should be stickability in the service of God.
In Deuteronomy 28:47 we are asked to serve the Lord joyfully and gladly.
Story: - A man who had been the superintendent of a city rescue mission for forty years was asked why he had spent his life working with dirty, unkempt, profane, drunken derelicts. He said, “All I’m doing is giving back to others a little of the love God has shown me”
As a young man, he himself had been a drunkard who went into a mission for a bowl of chili. There he heard the preacher say that Christ could save sinner, and he stumbled forward to accept the Lord Jesus as his Savior. Though his brain was addled by drink, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders, and that day he became a changed person. A little later, seeking God’s will for his life, he felt the Lord calling him to go back to the gutter and reach the people still wallowing there. The power of redeeming love enabled him to carry on his ministry for forty years.
The question we want to ask ourselves is “Have we experience this power of God’s love?” If we have what are we doing with it? When God has touched us, we want to serve Him. We do not shy away from being involved in God’s service. It might not be anything glamorous but because we want to pay back our debt to God. We will want to be part of God’s army to help build the kingdom of God. There are many things we can do. The simple task of making sure that every Sunday there is enough hot water for brothers and sisters to make coffee or tea or even cold cordial for the young people is a task that is necessary in the ministry. Serving God is not just standing up here preach a sermon or two. Serving God is also making sure that there is toilet roll in the toilet, hymnbooks and Bibles are placed in the pockets; taking time off to visit the sick; to help baby-sit.
V 19 songs of thanksgiving and sound of rejoicing
In the book of Chronicles there is a thrilling narrative concerning a battle won through praise. Jehoshaphat was told that a great multitude was coming against him from across the sea. He fully realized the difficulty of the situation and went to the Lord with his trouble. His was a humble prayer. He prayed “We have no might against this great company..neither know we what to do. But our eyes are upon you.” Not upon the greatness of the difficulty but upon God. It was a crucial test, but the Lord did not leave Jehoshaphat in doubt as to His will. He made it known through one of the young men who spoke these word of the Lord: “The battle is not yours but God’s… you shall not need to fight…. Fear not, be not dismayed.”
Fear is a deadly enemy. Let us remember, when we are tempted to tremble, that “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Then, Jehoshaphat appointed singers who should go forth before the army singing, “Praise the Lord, for his mercy endures forever.” They did this even though there was no visible sign of the promised salvation of the Lord. Right in the very face of battle against an army mighty in number, they sang “Praise the Lord!” The inspired record says: “When they began to sing and to praise , the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab and Mout Seir…. And they were smitten.” Two of the allied opposing armies began to fight the third, and when they had demolished them, they turned upon each other until the valley was filled with dead bodies and “none escaped” They had more than victory, for we read, “Jehoshaphat and his people…. Were three days in gathering of the spoils, it was so much.” They were much richer at the end than at the beginning. They had added good which they had never dreamed of possessing.
There were two songs in Jehoshaphat’s great battle: the song of praise before; the song of deliverance afterwards. We also should have two songs; a song in the valley of blessing praising God for the fulfillment of all that He has promised. But it is more precious to have the song of praise before – praising Him without sight or feeling while we see Him set ambushments against the enemy and complete the victory.
Songs of thanksgiving and sound of rejoicing should be our natural response. Just like the words in Hymn 572 When we have experienced God’s love we want to pass it on.
These are the words of Hymn 572 “ It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it; you spread his love to everyone you want to pass it on. What a wondrous time is spring when all the trees are budding; the birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming. That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it; you want to sing, it’s fresh like spring you want to pass it on. I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I’ve found; you can depend on him it matters not where you’re bound. I’ll shout it from the mountaintop; I want my world to know; the Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on. “
Psalm 145:7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. So next time when we come to the part of the service called Praise and Worship, let us truly want to praise God and worship him. Let us also learn to give thanks to Him even before we see any solutions or answers to our prayers.
V 22 Acknowledge that Christ is Lord of my life.
This means that we are willing to surrender our lives to Christ. We are willing to say Lord Jesus you are now the boss of my life. I am going to do what you have asked me to do.
E. Conclusion
There was a young boy who lived in New England seaport and loved to watch the boars come in from their daily catch. One day he decided to build a little sailboat all of his own. He worked for weeks, making sure each detail was just right. Finally the big day arrived. He went down to the wharf and proudly put his boat into the water. As he triumphantly observed his new sailboat, he noticed that the wind had suddenly changed, and the tiny boat was being swept out of sight. The little boy was heartbroken. Every day for a month he went back to see if his boat had been washed up on shore.
Finally, one day in the market he saw his boat in a store window. He excitedly ran into the store and told the owner that it was his boat. The shopkeeper only responded by saying that the boat would cost him two dollars. After pleading with the shopkeeper to no avail, the boy finally pulled out the money and gave it to the shopkeeper. As the boy was leaving the store, he said, “Little boat, you are twice mine. You are mine because I made you, and now you are mine because I bought you.”
In the same way, we are twice God’s Our Father in heaven both created us and paid a great price for us. With the blood of His Son, we have been redeemed and reunited with God.
Jesus Christ gave His life to get us back, yet so often we show such little gratitude for what He has done for us. |
