Category: Books

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The Gospel and the Heart

The prayer is simple, that you would ‘hear’. By hear, I am not speaking of the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through your ears. I am talking about spiritual hearing. On the surface, this prayer ‘to hear’ seems simple. This is not as easy as it sounds. In a culture over-saturated with messages it seems that the art of hearing has been lost. We have forgotten how to hear. See, when we want to truly hear, when we want to understand a story, we cannot just passively observe it. We have to enter deeply into it, wrestle with it. This is the only way in to really understand. Ernest Hemingway once advised, “when people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” In this passage Jesus is talking. I ask you to hear his words here in the gospel of Matthew. When Jesus talks, you need to hear, you need to understand. If you are not really hearing it is very easy to miss the obvious.

The introductory words “on that day” tells us that we are to connect this parable with that which has preceded it, namely Jesus’ encounter with the religious leaders. In the gospel of Matthew it was the religious that had the hardest hearts, and in turn will not hear nor understand Jesus. This brings the question; Why is it that people, not only religious people, but many people reject – don’t ‘hear’ Jesus? I think this parable provides an explanation as to why so many do not respond to his gospel.[1] As we step into this encounter, this scene, we note that;

1. Specifically, this parable is addressed to all people: This is the only one of the five major sermons in Matthew’s gospel that we find Jesus addressing, not to the disciples (in the broad sense[2]), but to the crowds. Here, Jesus is broadcasting the truth to all. But,
2. Generally, we see that parables are not meant to be understood by all people: Parables[3] are proverbs, they are allegory used by a teacher to deliver deep truths. Now, obviously parables do not carry their meaning on the surface. Parables require that the hearer dive deep into an interactive process of understanding. When it comes to a parable, you can’t just passively listen, you need to hear and understand.

You do not need to be a farmer to understand the illustration used in this parable. Obviously this parable, the parable of the sower, is not advice on how to plant seed.[4] There is always a deeper meaning in the parables. For those who hear, parables are explosive – they have the power to make people angry, and yet give others incredible hope.[5] In order to really hear what Jesus is saying, we must allow the parable to question us.[6] We must examine our own hearts and wrestle with the central question that is veiled within this parable. The question that challenges us as hearers to ask ourselves: What kind of soil are you?[7]

The 3 Unfruitful Soils

Hard Heart (4, 19)

4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

In ancient times when people traveled mostly by foot, paths ran around and through unfenced fields.[8] Over time the foot trodden paths would become too hard to receive seed. And this seed that sat on the surface of the path became easy food for scavengers. In verse 19, Jesus explains that the imagery of a bird snatching the seed is an allegory for the work of the evil one. But let’s make sure we are clear. The activity of the enemy here works together with, but does not excuse, those who have rejected the message.

In other words, the evil one is able to snatch away the seed because it has been rejected by the hearer. What Jesus is saying is that some people hear the gospel, but like hardened paths, they do not let the gospel penetrate their hearts, and as they ignore it, the devil comes and snatches it away. It’s almost like the “hearer knows that there is some spiritual truth here intended for his profit, but does not find out what it means, does not act on it, and soon finds that what he heard is lost.[9]

In the parable it is clear that the seed cannot germinate unless it goes deep, unless it lodges underneath the surface. My fear is that there are many people in American Christianity that have contact with God’s word on a regular basis – you come to church, maybe you have read some Christian books – but the gospel has never made a personal penetration into your heart.

Let me ask a question – have you ever come under the power of the gospel deep in your heart? Has there ever been a time in your life when the word of God began to dawn on you and you began to see things as you have never seen them before? Has there ever been a time when hearing God’s word, you felt that you finally woke up from a deep sleep? Has there ever been a time when you suddenly realized that the gospel shows you your deepest needs and at the same time meets them. Perhaps, you are not allowing the gospel to move beyond the surface. It is one thing to mentally grasp the gospel, but it is quite another thing to experience the gospel in such a way that it fundamentally changes us and becomes our source of identity and security. We need to let the gospel master us by opening ourselves up to its changing power through a relationship with the risen Christ. When the gospel spreads its roots in our hearts we are truly transformed. Perhaps you have a hard heart.

Shallow Heart (5-6, 20-21)

5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.

20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

In the rocky ground of Palestine, limestone bedrock rested close to the surface, right under the soil, and prevented plants from digging their roots deep enough to reach the water sources. The results could be deceiving because such soil would warm rapidly with the rock, and the seed would sprout quickly. But, because the plant had no deep root system to pull in moisture, the unrelenting heat would cause the plant to dry and wilt away.[10] In rocky soil the plants wither before they can grow.[11] When Jesus explains the parable in verses 20 and 21 it is interesting to note the hearer immediately responds with joy, and then immediately falls away when things get tough. So, the initial response is not deep or lasting. The external pressures, troubles, and persecution are like the harsh conditions beating on a rootless plant.

Maybe there are times when you receive the word with joy! Your spiritual and emotional vigor springs up. But soon fades away. Perhaps you get this feeling from attending a conference, a concert, or a retreat. It’s what we might call the “church camp experience.” There is nothing necessarily wrong with these experiences – but the problem is that the experience itself is never the source of true spiritual life, the gospel is. We meet God as we encounter the beauty of what Christ has done for us, in becoming the forsaken man of sorrows so that we could have a joy unmitigated by our circumstances. Some really struggle with this. You move from experience to experience. You have been on top of the mountain, and when you come down to the valley the emotion fades away. As in the parable, the roots are not deep enough to stand the circumstances of life. You can’t take the heat. As soon as trouble comes in your life, as soon as you experience suffering, as soon as the emotional high fades away, as soon as you begin to loose important things – your faithfulness withers. In other words, you want the gifts and not the giver. You want immediate help not a savior. Functionally, “Christ is a service provider”[12], and as soon as he no longer provides what you want, or you think you need, he is no longer important. You truly never worship Christ, only the things he provided. How do you know this is you? Let me ask you a question, as soon as you lose the things you love, the real things you worship, does your faith wither?

Does your faith wither when you get outside of your Christian bubble? Would your faith wither if your high paying job is taken away? Would your trust in God wither if your house burnt down? Does your trust in God wither when you and your spouse and you are going through a rough patch? Perhaps you have a shallow heart.

Occupied Heart (7, 22)

7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

This soil right here is the hardest  to recognize. There is nothing wrong with the soil here. You could even argue that there is nothing wrong with the plant, “the problem is that [the soil] is already occupied and there is no room for a new”[13] growth. This is why Jesus uses the word “choke” in his explanation of the parable. The picture is of plants crowding together. In occupied soil “seeds find intense competition for nourishment. The thorny plants are much stronger than the tender seedling. They choked out and prevent them from getting the nourishment they need.[14]

Jesus explains that both anxiety and wealth[15], “the cares of this world” are the thorns that choke out genuine gospel faith. Ultimately, this person never permits the message of the gospel to dig in deep and conform their lives: life has too many other commitments that slowly choke it out. Now I want you to notice something particularly dangerous concerning this soil.  In this third soil it is hard to tell what is really going on. In this soil the plants have roots, right? They stick around. Notice that Jesus uses the word “deceit” in verse 22. This seems to imply an added warning that these “thorns” are so subtle that one may not be aware of the choking that is going on.

When you examine your life do you see much fruit? If you were honest with your church family, would you would say that Christ shares control with other things in your life. Friends, this is where I feel that many of us can be. Some of you feel choked by other desires. You have a divided heart. Other things are choking the work of the gospel out of your heart. You don’t see yourself progressing in your faith. You don’t see yourself growing in unusual ways. You don’t see others being changed through you. Perhaps, you have an occupied heart.

Consider the First Three Soils

“The first seed never started, the second seed started well but did not survive, and the third seed may have survived but produced nothing. The main point is this; none of them are of any use to the farmer.”[16] The parable of the soils is a warning – to all who hear. There are many people ‘in church’ who think they understand, who think they ‘hear’, but don’t. This is very disconcerting. Make sure you hear. The point of the parable of the soil is to deliver the truth that while the gospel is broadcast to all, different people will respond in different ways; “not all seed that is sown is productive.”[17] Essentially, the fate of the seed, is dependent on the type of soil it lands on. This is why in different people, “the same seed produces no crop, some crop, or much crop according to the soils character.”[18] Before we get to the last soil, I want to ponder why you might be one of the first three soils.

What is the Problem with the First Three Soils?

In verse 9 Jesus proclaims to the crowds, “he who has ears let him hear.” You know, it is easy to nod at Jesus words. Acknowledge what he has said. But he is calling for something much greater. He is calling for incredible perception. In the parable, Jesus has essentially shown us two hearers.[19]

1.  Those who have truly heard, and understood: This is the person who has welcomed the gospel message and has responded – is being transformed and is continually producing fruit. There is also,
2.  Those who have not truly heard, nor understood: some people respond to the gospel with rejection, some respond with superficial interest, and some respond with mixed motivations.

So Jesus recognizes that there are different kinds of hearts as there are different types of soil. And the gospel is sown though not everyone will believe. Perhaps this helps us understand the motive behind the disciples question in verse 10. They come to Jesus and ask, “Why do you speak to them [the crowds] in parables?” Jesus, you missed your chance! Jesus simply responds that understanding “has been given” to you. In other words, God is the acting subject in granting, giving the hearers understanding.[20] Remember, right before we reach this parable in Matthew 11:25 and following, Jesus declares that God has:

“Hidden…things from the wise and revealed them to little children…All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

But this does not release the responsibility of the hearers. As Jesus assumes with the crowd, we must acknowledge that all hear with different levels of interest and commitment. In order to hear, we need to hear in faith – trusting in Jesus as a child would trust the words of his earthly father. My guess is that you are like me. At different times and in different situations you find that you have a different level of interest, commitment, and receptivity to the gospel. The allusion Jesus makes to Isaiah 6:9-10 furthers the point.[21]

“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”

The people will not hear, they will not perceive, unless they turn and repent. In this Isaiah passage the people have willingly rejected God’s word over and over. As judgment God gave them over to their own hard hearts – therefore, they could no longer understand or perceive.[22] The root problem in Israel, and in many of us, is an unwillingness to receive and apply the gospel message to the heart.[23] The result is that every time we reject God’s word, we in a sense harden ourselves to its goodness. “When anyone uses the spiritual truth he has, that truth grows. By contrast, if he does not use it, he finds that it vanishes away little by little.”[24] As in verse 15, ignoring god’s word results in one becoming dull or sluggish.

The good news it that this is a message for all people – the crowd, the Christian and non-Christian. It’s a message we need to hear over and over. And like a persistent sower, God will continually broadcast the gospel. So, what type of soil are you? See, there will never come a time when our hearts will be completely conformed to loving and worshiping God – at least on this side of heaven. Even though we as believers have been given a new heart, and our thoughts and desires have changed, we will still struggle with the remnants of our old nature, just as Paul confessed in Romans 7. For now we see in a mirror dimly.[25] There is a deep battle going on in every one of us – “the battle for the motives of the heart.”[26] In biblical language the heart is the real or essential you. Your heart is the core of everything you are.[27]

1. Your understanding and beliefs
2. Your longings and desires
3. Your determination to take action

So the heart is the root of every human being. Everything we do is shaped and controlled by what our hearts desire. The bible tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things. So, our greatest problem is not our circumstances or others, but our own hearts. In other words, we should never think that we have “spiritually arrived”. Rather, God calls us to a life of constant working the soil, constant growth, and constant confession and repentance – tilling the soil of the heart. Keeping your heart receptive to the gospel is a lot like gardening. How do we do this?

1. Allow God’s Word to Diagnose Your Hard Heart. God has given us a tool to use as we seek to understand our hearts, namely, his word. Remember Hebrews 4:12-13; The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. As we read, pray, meditate on, study, and hear preaching of the word we will continue to get glimpses of our true selves.
2. Pull the Weeds of Sin Immediately from Your Heart. We need to make a conscious effort to weed the sin out in our lives. Removing sin is hard work – and the work is never done. Every day of neglect makes the task harder. I am not talking about simply changing behavior. Jesus often uses the imagery of “tree’s and their fruit.”[28] The point is that the type of fruit that emerges tells you the type of tree. You discover that a desire is sinful when it produces bad fruit in your life.

Now, let me change focus here for a second. It is possible that some of you might be thinking, “if I could just direct my thinking toward God, learn to desire him, and then choose him, I’d be okay…right? Well, yes and no.”[29] Certainly, you and I can take pragmatic steps like the ones I have just talked about. But there is a deeper truth that is revealed in this parable. We cannot accomplish heart change on our own. Consider again the imagery of the parable.

The productivity of the seed is the primary concern of the farmer. The fruit produced is for the farmer. It’s the farmer’s fruit to use as he sees fit. Famers sow seed only in order for it to bear fruit; without this result there is no use for the plant.[30] Before sowing the seed, the preparation of the soil is considered the major determining factor in the success of the harvest.”[31] When it comes to soil, the sowers[32] till it, water it, fertilize it, and do all in their power to increase its potential for productivity. This, friends, is the good news of the gospel.

1. If you heart is hard and you feel that you have no hope. God is the good farmer who can till the soil and soften the hardness of your heart.
2. If your heart is shallow and you wonder why you don’t care. God is the farmer who can break through the bedrock of your heart so that the roots of the gospel can begin to grow deep.
3. If your heart is occupied, crowded by the things of this world, God is the good farmer who can come and find the weeds that are choking out the gospel – and pull them out.

Only God can grant you to hear and perceive. Only God can open your heart to receive the word of the gospel. Only God can work in and through you for fruitful soil.

The Fruitful Soil

Receptive Heart (8, 23)

8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.

What is beautiful about the Greek language here is that we are told that the seed keeps producing because it is in good soil. It’s said that most crops in Palestine average about a tenfold yield.[33] In other words, a thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold crop is extraordinary. When we get to Jesus explanation of this soil, we see that the word “understanding” is decisive, it implies receptivity, response, transformation. This person not only hears the gospel, but understands it. See, good soil is the heart that receives the seed of the gospel, cultivates it in the heart, which in turn produces fruit in life.[34]

When the seemingly gentle seed lands in fertile soil it spreads and eventually the entire field of the heart has been transformed. In other words, when the gospel is planted in a fertile heart – everything changes. This is the good news of the gospel! As we see in the parable of the sower, there is still hope. This gospel is being broadcast over the fields of the earth, and when the harvest is ripe (just as the very next parable tells us), Christ will come and consummate his kingdom – separating the wheat and the tares. “He who has ears, let him hear.”

Allow me to ask one more question. When a seedling sprouts, the soil being good soil, the roots starting to deepen into the earth, where does that seedling first turn when breaking the surface of the soil? It turns toward the sun. It gathers nourishment from the sun. Even when other plants grow and cast a shadow over the growing seedling, it will turn and seek out the sun, never settling for the darkness. This is the way we respond in faith.

1. If your heart is hard towards the gospel and you have never really had a time of breakthrough, I warn and encourage you turn towards the Son.
2. If your heart is shallow and you find yourself unable to endure when things get tough, I warn and encourage you turn towards the Son.
3. If your heart is occupied by the cares of this world and you see no fruit in your life, I warn and encourage you, turn towards the Son.

Continue reading “The Parable of the Soils – Matthew 13:1-23” →

With Zach Hawkins. Click here to download the PDF.

The Place of Jeremiah in Salvation History

Jeremiah was called by God (627 BCE) to speak to the people of Jerusalem during a revival under King Josiah (628 BCE[1]). The revival died along with King Josiah in a battle against the Egyptians. After his death, Josiah’s sons ruled as the collapse of the kingdom occurred. Because of Judah’s constant rebellion against being a vassal for Babylon, many Israelites were deported, including contemporary prophet Ezekiel, which  many thought was the sum total of Jeremiah’s prophecies of doom. Unfortunately, they were incorrect. In 589, Jeremiah continued as a prophet through Jerusalem’s fall to the Babylonians.  It’s important to note that while the Babylonians believed that deportation was a well-executed way of quelling further rebellion, God was using that deportation to preserve a remnant for Himself. Also important is the notion of remnant in Jeremiah. Most may interpret this as God protecting the faithful, not allowing them to be subject to suffering and pain. This is not true. Just because God is preserving a remnant does not mean that they will not experience a great deal of suffering and pain as they literally go to live in a foreign land under foreign rule.

The message of hope here is not that as faithful followers, “remnants,” or “good Christians” won’t experience suffering. Rather, the message of hope here is that God’s promises can never be broken. The hope is that no matter what happens to either the remnant or the remaining people in Judah, God’s promise to Abraham, Moses, and David will be delivered upon. As for Jeremiah, during his career his task was to hammer home the message that Jerusalem’s eminent fall was not due to any lack on God’s part but was due entirely to their unfaithfulness to God, specifically turning from him by listening to false prophets rather than true ones.[2] Yet, even in the midst of prophesying judgment there was also hope. Jeremiah foretold a return from exile and an everlasting covenant in which God’s people would at last embrace the covenant in their hearts, finally fulfilling their calling to bring light to the world. To put it simply: “Jeremiah tells the story that promises renewed salvation after judgment and names this as the new covenant…which leads to fulfillment in God’s act of salvation through Christ.”[3]

The Background to Jeremiah

The book of Jeremiah is set during the politically tumultuous times following the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Babylonians. Judah passed quickly through rapid cycles of independence, and subjection, first in Egypt and now in Babylon. The nation’s independence was at an end.[4] Jeremiah personally witnessed “the Babylonian invasion which culminated in the capture of Jerusalem, the destruction of Solomon’s temple and the forced exile of many Judeans into Babylon.”[5]

“Because Jeremiah is unlike any other Old Testament prophet, and because his writings are so inextricably bound up with his life and thought[6], the student of this prophecy must consider in depth the inner life and characteristics of this man of God.”[7] Jeremiah was born into a family of priestly lineage in Anathoth, about 2 or 3 miles from Jerusalem. He was called to be a prophet and served for over 40 years[8]. At the time of his call he was a youth[9] and still dependent on his parents. He became a priest and lived in an area allotted to the tribe of Benjamin, so he was possibly a descendant of Abiathar, high priest during David’s reign. Although he had a priestly lineage, his family would eventually oppose him[10] for reasons not identified in the text. Perhaps it was because he was not afraid to criticize what he saw happening in Jerusalem[11]. Many authors have called Jeremiah the “weeping prophet.”[12] In some sense Jeremiah had to identify with God in order to fully comprehend his ministry. In his own suffering Jeremiah reflected the suffering of God. However, the emphasis on his weeping may be misleading if that is the only picture given – considering his determination, dedication, ad longsuffering, Jeremiah would also be noted as a visionary follower of God. Consider what he endured:

“Jeremiah often withstood the political and religious establishment of the day…he would suffer for it. He was persecuted for his message; whipped and put in stocks by a temple overseer[13]; accused of treason, sedition, and desertion[14]; plotted against[15]; imprisoned in a cistern[16]; and held under arrest in the courtyard of the guard.[17]…The prophet gives the expression of feeling abandoned by God or prays that God will take vengeance on his enemies, or he questions the goodness and constancy of God in the face of his suffering.”[18]

Jeremiah is single and barren and cannot get married. This is not because of his convictions or preferences, but because his life is a Sign-Act that functions as a parallel to the way of Israel. Judah, like Jeremiah, will face the barrenness of the land.[19] The emotional burden of this dual role on Jeremiah is extreme and leads to a lament in which he curses his birth.[20] The death he thus seeks corresponds to the “death” that Judah itself must endure; and the continuation of prophet and message into the second half of the book is a token of life beyond that death for the people.^[21]

As one interprets this book, realize that the life of the prophet only becomes an aspect of the theology of the book. The word of the Lord is the primary focus, not a profile of the prophet. The aim is to hear the message of the book and how the life of the prophet fuels that message. It would be unwise to make parallels between Jeremiah and modern day Christians as the sole purpose of the book of Jeremiah. These prophets are not to be regarded as models for living, as if that is the purpose of chronicling their lives. No, instead, their lives and ministries should be viewed with an eye toward the plans of a Holy God, working amongst his chosen people, to enact His unshakable will. The claim of Jeremiah is not, “Be like Jeremiah!” Rather it’s, “Listen to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah!”

The Composition of Jeremiah

Determining the authorship of the book of Jeremiah is complicated. However, these complications do not make it impossible for the actual content of the book to be Jeremiah’s words.[22] “It seems quite likely that in the generations after the prophets’ death his materials were collected and edited into their final form.”[23] The book reports that Baruch wrote down some of Jeremiah’s messages[24]. Therefore, it is quite possible that he wrote down the various types of “words of Jeremiah”[25] at Jeremiah’s dictation. One thing is certain; the book of Jeremiah contains more information on the prophet than any other Old Testament prophetic book.

There are a variety of literary types in Jeremiah. “It includes autobiography[26], long poetic discourses[27], reports of oral sermons[28], reports of sermons delivered in written form[29], historical narratives[30], messages to individuals[31], and messages denouncing foreign nations[32].”[33] The material in Jeremiah is not in chronological sequence and the inner logic of its arrangement not easily discernable. However, there are smaller collections of books within the book that reflect somewhat of a thematic arrangement which can be identified by introductory statements. Concerning a literary structure of the book, it can be outlined as followed[34].

1. Introduction (1:1–19)
2. Israel’s Covenantal Adultery (2:1–6:30)
3. False Religion and an Idolatrous People (7:1–10:25)
4. Jeremiah’s Struggles with God and Judah (11:1–20:18)
a. Concerning the drought (14:1-15:4)
5. Jeremiah’s Confrontations (21:1–29:32)
b. Concerning the royal house of Judah (21:11-22:30)
6. Restoration for Judah and Israel (30:1–33:26)
7. God Judges Judah (34:1–45:5)
8. God’s Judgment on the Nations (46:1–51:64)
c. Concerning Babylon and the Babylonians (50:1-51:64)
9. Conclusion: The Fall of Jerusalem (52:1–34)

Again, the book of Jeremiah is an anthology of writings drawn from an entire lifetime of prophetic ministry. The narrative sections scattered throughout the book are loosely structured around the main events of Jeremiah’s life in ministry, which themselves were shaped by Judah’s decline, fall, and exile in Babylon. I think Paul House is correct when he argues:

“It may be helpful to think of the book of Jeremiah as a notebook or scrapbook of things written by the prophet about his ministry. Jeremiah includes enough “news clippings” to piece together the story of his life, but just as important are the prophetic poems he wrote to address the spiritual needs of his generation and to express the emotions of his own suffering soul. Viewed as a story, the book of Jeremiah has a unifying plot conflict: will God’s people listen to God’s warnings and repent of their sin, or will they reject the message of God’s prophet and be destroyed? The city of Jerusalem also has a strong unifying presence in the book.”[35]

The Key Theological Themes in Jeremiah

“Jeremiah exhibits many great themes that stress God’s judgment on covenant infidelity and worldwide sin, as well as God’s determination to restore an international people for himself through the establishing of a new covenant.”[36] Most likely Jeremiah was read by persons awaiting the end of Judah’s exile and the return of God’s people to the land. Understanding this helps us read the book better. It is very clear in the text that the author desired to leave behind a record of the chaotic times in which they lived, God’s message for those times, and God’s message for the future of Israel and the nations.

The Righteous Living God

Jeremiah presents God alone as the living God and that he alone made the world. All other so-called gods are merely worthless, powerless idols.[37] This Creator God called his chosen people to a special relationship[38], gave them his holy word, and promised to bless their temple with his name and presence.[39] Jeremiah makes it clear that God rules the present and the future[40], protects his chosen ones[41], and saves those who turn to him[42]. Jeremiah proclaims that God is absolutely trustworthy; he keeps his promises. Therefore, Jeremiah assures readers that when people repent and turn to God, his grace triumphs over sin and judgment. It is important to note that the tremendous emphasis on the sins and wickedness of Israel serves to draw attention to the holiness of God.

The Problem of Humanity

Jeremiah’s view of human beings is severely realistic. All throughout this book Jerusalem and Judah are shown to be spiritually enslaved to the stupidity of their sin. Jeremiah proclaims that the human heart is sick and beyond curing by anyone but God[43]. The human heart is described as a rock hard object, permanently engraved with sin.[44] “In stead of worshiping their God “they have turned to broken cisterns, sold themselves to be abused slaves, committed adultery, and entrusted themselves to idols that cannot deliver.”[45] [46]. Israel went after other gods[47], defiled the temple by their unwillingness to repent[48], and oppressed one another[49].

The Call to Repentance

Israel and the nations have sinned against God[50] [51], and God will not allow human sin to continue without justice. Jeremiah warns that punishment is coming. In fact, he calls the people over 100 times to “turn around” or “repent.” This involves turning from one’s own way back to the paths of God’s moral and conventional norms.[52] Jeremiah promises that when people turn from their sins and return to God they will receive forgiveness and healing. Jeremiah proclaims that God will renew a humble and repenting people, and he mourns their lack of repentance and thankfulness for God’s mercy[53]. God comforts him with the knowledge that repentance and renewal would eventually come.[54] With this hope Jeremiah continues to call the community to be constantly renewed through repentance.[55] However, “in his sermons Jeremiah warns against false confidence in God’s covenant with Israel. The Lord’s choice of Zion did not mean that the city was inviolable if the nation did not heed his commands.”[56]

The Sinai Covenant

God had made a covenant with Israel which was a binding relational agreement between the two parties, “based on deeds done by God and promises made by God, which Israel accepted by faith in God, for the purpose of living for God as his unique people in the world.”[57] This covenant was rooted in God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob[58] and was based on God’s redemption of Israel from slavery in Egypt.[59] Again, “the two most important factors influencing Jeremiah’s thinking are the Exodus from Egypt[60] and the covenant given to Moses at Sinai.[61] In this respect Jeremiah was a typical Hebrew prophet who calls the people back to obedience to the Sinai covenant.[62][63]” It included standards of living[64] that the people who were called to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”[65] should uphold as they trusted God and lived for him. It included faith-based sacrifices[66] and prayers[67] to deal with the people’s sins. It included clear accountability to God in the form of blessing and cursing.[68]

The Messiah and the New Covenant[69]

As one reads through Jeremiah it becomes evident that God’s judgment is not the final word.[70] Jeremiah foretells of a time when God will “gather the remnant” of Israel and raise up “for David a righteous Branch” who will reign over the faithful ones.[71] When he comes, this King will be “our righteousness”.[72] The good news in those future days is that God would “make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah”.[73] Thus, all the new covenant partners will be believers who are forgiven and empowered by God; he will “remember their sin no more”.[74] Hebrews 8:8–12 quotes Jeremiah 31:31–34 as evidence that the new covenant has come through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The coming of Jesus the Messiah fulfills God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets of a new faithful people of God in continuity with the old people of God. This is God’s remedy for the sick heart[75], putting his law directly on the heart of the new community[76] so they would intrinsically know and be obedient to the law.[77] Again, this is different from the old covenant for a few reasons:

1. The new covenant will be unbreakable[78]
2. The members of the new covenant community will be regenerate, have the law written on their hearts.[79]
3. The new covenant will not operate according to natural line of birth and descent, but through spiritual birth.[80]

God is going to ensure that his people be a people after his own heart. He will ensure through Jesus Christ[81] that the Law will be written internally, not just adhered to externally. The New Covenant was inaugurated by Jesus, but will be consummated in the end times.