Jeremiah 33, More Promise of Restoration and the Righteous Branch

The Expositor’s Commentary says, “This chapter concludes the Book of Consolation (chs. 30-33). The remainder of Jeremiah deals with Jerusalem’s final siege and destruction and with the ultimate results of the prophecies against the nations. It also contains additional promises of future blessing. The theme of ch. 33 is the restoration of Jerusalem and the reestablishment of its worship. The date and occasion are the same as in ch. 32. Once more the Lord gives Judah light in her darkest hours.”

^33:1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of Yahweh came to him a second time: ² “This is what Yahweh says, he who made the earth, Yahweh who formed it and established it— Yahweh is his name: ³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ ⁴ For this is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword ⁵ in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

⁶ “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. ⁷ I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. ⁸ I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹ Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

¹⁰ “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more ¹¹ the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of Yahweh, saying,

“Give thanks to Yahweh Almighty, for Yahweh is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says Yahweh.

¹² “This is what Yahweh Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. ¹³ In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says Yahweh.

¹⁴ “‘The days are coming,’ declares Yahweh, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.¹⁵ “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: Yahweh Our Righteousness.’

¹⁷ For this is what Yahweh says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, ¹⁸ nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”

The siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians is in progress, but God wants to reiterate that this destruction and deportation will be followed by a restoration of Israel and Judah, both nations, back to the land. The signs of restoration and prosperity in the land will be the joyful sounds of wedding ceremonies, the joyful voices of those who bring their offerings to the Temple, the abundance of pastures for resting sheep, and abundant sheep. But this restoration takes on a Messianic age character with the promise of a Davidic king, the branch from the root of David, the Messiah, ruling over both kingdoms (Israel and Judah) and a perpetual priesthood ministering in the Temple.

When, after 70 years in exile, Israel began to return to the land, there was no Davidic king ruling and until the Temple was rebuilt there was no priestly ministration. Then, of course, when Messiah came he did not rule as Israel’s king but was crucified. Israel was once again, with her Temple, destroyed and scattered and it was not until 1948 that she was brought again to her land. Even now, though, there is no Davidic king and no priesthood to minister in the Temple because there is no Temple. This full restoration is still awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah: ²⁰ “This is what Yahweh says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, ²¹ then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. ²² I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

²³ The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah: ²⁴ “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘Yahweh has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. ²⁵ This is what Yahweh says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, ²⁶ then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’” (Jeremiah 33)

Some addendums are added to Jeremiah’s prophecy, assurances that Yahweh will maintain the Davidic kingship and the Aaronic priesthood. Yahweh even promises to multiply the descendants of David and the Levites, and that He will never reject His people. In the millennial kingdom this full restoration will be fulfilled.

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Discussion Questions:

1. Why in the darkest of times (like the siege of Jerusalem) does God ask us to call to Him to show us remarkable things?
2. What signs of God’s restoration and prosperity in your life would you want to see?
3. Why do you think God would be promising Israel something at this time that was only going to be fulfilled at a far future time?