A Daring Faith

MEMORY VERSE: “Hear the Word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattereth Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his f lock.” —Jeremiah 31:10

JEREMIAH 32:2, 6, 7, 9-17

JEREMIAH was one of the heroes of faith of Old Testament times. In the New Testament we are informed that all those Ancient Worthies endured and suffered “that they might obtain a better resurrection.” (Heb. 11:35) They did not understand the plan of God with the clarity with which it is now our privilege to understand it, but they were inspired by the messianic promises, and they looked forward to the coming of that great One of promise who they believed would deliver the Israelites from their enemies, and who would bless all the families of the earth.—Gen. 12:3

“Faith is the substance of things hope for,” wrote Paul, “the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) While many believe that God exists, the vital consideration is to have faith in what he says. God had made known to Jeremiah that the Israelites would be held captives in Babylon for seventy years, and that thereafter they would be permitted to return to their own land. Jeremiah believed this, and he demonstrated his faith by buying a parcel of land from his uncle, that his family might have a share in the land when the people would return.

This was great faith, for at the time Jerusalem was about to be destroyed, and the leaders of the nation had already been taken into captivity. At that time Jeremiah himself was a prisoner, in the custody of Judah’s last king, Zedekiah, who later was also taken to Babylon. There was no visible evidence that the Jews would ever return from Babylon. All Jeremiah had as a basis for his faith was the Word of God, but this he believed implicitly.

While the purchase of land from his uncle is emphasized in this lesson as an exhibition of Jeremiah’s faith, actually his whole life of service as a prophet of God was one of faith. The people rejected his message and persecuted him. There were false prophets in Israel who endeavored to discredit what he said. His written message was burned by the king. He was imprisoned in a dungeon, yet withal he maintained his faith and his zeal for doing the Lord’s will.

In the beginning Jeremiah sought to decline the commission given to him by the Lord, explaining that he was too young. But then the Lord reassured him, and encouraged him not to be afraid of the faces of his enemies. At one time he decided that he would no longer declare the Word of the Lord, but found that it was shut up in his bones like a burning fire, and he had to proclaim it.

Jeremiah had learned through his years of service that there was nothing too hard for the Lord. (Jer. 32:17) Knowing this, his faith was strong, and he was always willing to demonstrate his faith by his works. His life of faith is a wonderful example at the present time for us who believe in the promises of God, promises which assure us that the kingdom of Christ will shortly be fully established in the earth, bringing to all mankind the blessings of peace, joy, health, and life everlasting.

Our memory text is a revealing one. The context indicates that it does not refer to the return of the Jews from Babylon at the close of’ the seventy years of captivity, but to a gathering and return of from all the countries whither the Lord has scattered them. In Jeremiah 31:8 the Lord declares, “Behold, I will bring them from the north country [countries north of Palestine], and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together a great company shall return thither.”

We believe that this prophecy has been in course of fulfillment for many years. The people of Israel now in Palestine, and those still going there, are indeed from all the coasts of the earth, a large number of them from the “north.” In this also we see the faithfulness of God in the fulfillment of his promises to restore his people to their land during the transition period between the old world of Satan and the new world which will be ruled by the kingdom of Christ.

Developments in Israel should give us assurance that despite the fear and chaos in the world around us Christ’s kingdom is near, and that the blessings of that kingdom’ will soon reach the people.

QUESTIONS

What is faith, and how did Jeremiah demonstrate his faith?

What is the prophetic meaning of our memory verse?

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