The God of Restoration 2
Notes
Transcript
As we continue on in with Chapter 30, keep in mind the sinfulness of the nation of Israel as a whole they had fallen into grievous sin, and turned their backs on God. Child sacrifices, religious insincerity, dishonesty, adultery, injustice, tyranny against the helpless, and slander. These were not the occasional sin they had become the norm for the majority of the people. We must remember there are consequences for sin. We live in a world that is last and broken, full of sin and sinful people. Why do we think that we are any different than the nation of Israel in Jeremiah’s time. God’s plan of redemption has never changed, even before Jesus was born God’s plan was in place. A way for people to e reconciled back to God. To understand God’s promises of hope and restoration, we must understand there is a price to be paid, there does come punishment for those He loves.
Today we are going to be going through verses 12-17. As we dive into the text we will see that verses 12-15 describes the hopeless situation the nation is in. We see the imagery of injury and sickness used to describe their condition because of their sin. The text then moves to the miraculous healing, which only God can do. There is only one cure for the sickness and disease of sin, and that is Christ. Matthew 8:17
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
12 “For thus says the Lord: Your hurt is incurable, and your wound is grievous.
The ESV translation uses hurt but other translations use the word wound or injury, for the first part of the verse. God again points out the seriousness of the nations sin. He relates it to an injury a wound. It is an incurable wound, well if that is the case what is the point. Well the point is that our sins are incurable to us. It shows how serious sin really is, all sin. I think sometimes we try to sugarcoat our sin and make it out to be less serious than it really is. I’m not really that bad of a person. What we must remember is that to God all sin is an a front to His character, His is holy and perfect, sin is sin, and it is the wound or disease that has infected mankind. Think of it this way what happens when you leave a wound, a serious wound untreated, it can cause us to die. What happens when you leave sin untreated it causes us to die (the wages of sin is death). Left untreated it spreads throughout our entire body, just as an infection from an untreated wound.
13 There is none to uphold your cause, no medicine for your wound, no healing for you.
Here we see a mixed metaphor of Isreal as a defendant deserted in a lawsuit or trial. There is no one on Earth left to plead their case. Who can they turn to. There sin was so self-incriminating God’s judgment was final. He then moves back to the incurable wound. there is no help, there is no healing. Their grievous sins were to much, they could not stand on their own. Highlighting the seriousness of sin.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you; for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy, the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant.
Some translations use allies instead of lovers. the nation had turned its back on God and relied on earthly allies to help them, and now when things get rough they are no where to be found. This is a way for us to also realize who our true friends are, see who sticks around when things get hard. As Christians there is one who will never leave us, and that is God Himself. We must put our trust in the Lord, yes we can rely on people to a point, but ultimately we should put our trust in Him.
God was treating the nation as an enemy because they had turned their backs on Him. God’s purpose for His punishment was not only punitive, but it was redemptive as well.
15 Why do you cry out over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant, I have done these things to you.
We see God’s anticipation of their complaining about their punishment. They were being punished because of their great guilt and many sins. They had no right to complain, they had no excuse. Their punishment was brought on by themselves, for violating God’s law and turning away from Him. Today we live in a no fault society, it is always someone else fault. (Social media class action for kids). God makes it clear we have to face the consequences for our actions. We need to stop coddling people and let them face what they have coming to them, with that said we should be busy speaking a warning of truth to them. And be there to point them to Christ.
16 Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured, and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall be plundered, and all who prey on you I will make a prey.
Here is the promise of redemption and restoration for the nation. God will repay those who have done wrong. These nations that God used to carry out His Divine punishment would also face judgment for their sins.
17 For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
Remember the incurable wound, the injury that could not be healed. There is no contradiction in the text, because what is impossible for man is possible for God. Our sins are incurable in and of ourselves, we cannot save ourselves. God and God alone is the one who can save, He can cure our incurable disease of sin.
God will not allow the nations He used to punish Israel to take credit for their victories as though God was not able to save His own people.
The God of Restoration
The God of Restoration
Sin is like a disease that has no cure, that is it is incurable by human hands. God is the only one who has the cure for our disease. We are all in desperate need of a Savior, and God has provided for that need through Christ. We must face the consequences of our actions, but in Christ we don’t have to face eternal punishment.