Latest / Teachings On This Day On FerventWord / On Sep 18, 2022: Jeremiah 33 God Wants To Give More Revelation
Transcript
- This morning, as we look at Jeremiah Chapter 33, I've titled the Message God wants to give more revelation. God wants to give more revelation here in Chapter 33 of Jeremiah. It's one of those occasions where we learned that sometimes the chapters in the prophetic books are not in chronological order. This is right at the tail end, really of Jeremiah's ministry, right? Before Babylon conquers the city of Jerusalem. And it is the most dire situation the city has ever been in, and at this time Jeremiah is imprisoned. And so you can kind of understand Jeremiah's situation is dark upon dark that he is imprisoned in captivity inside of a city that is under siege. That is destined to be destroyed by Babylon, by the word of the Lord, and by the leading of God. And yet, in the midst of that darkness that Jeremiah is experiencing, he speaks to Jeremiah and he gives the indication. He gives the understanding that God wants to give Jeremiah hope and light. He wants to give Jeremiah Reason and occasion to rejoice. In the things that God will do and for you and I this morning, as we consider these things and kind of come alongside Jeremiah in the journey that he experiences in receiving this message, we are encouraged as well, understanding that God wants to give more. Or revelation that in our lives and in our situations and even when we are perhaps feeling kind of like Jeremiah might have felt, that things are just bleak and dark and beyond hope and there is no reason to have joy or peace. Or any kind of good thoughts towards the future, God says. There's more that I want to show you. There's, there's more that can be revealed. Ask me. Ask me to show you what I can do. Even from this point, even from this dark Ave, this Dark valley that you are in, there's more to be seen and more to be heard from me. And so we're going to walk through Jeremiah chapter. 33 This morning, looking at five points, encouraging us. To ask God for more revelation and that actually is point #1. Ask God for more revelation really centered around verse 3 here in Jeremiah 33. It says ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about. Things to come. Although everything that is happening to Jerusalem and Judah is happening at the hand of God, it's by God's arrangement that Babylon has come against Jerusalem. It is God's judgment upon the nation for their wickedness and rebellion against God. And yet God wants to make sure. That the people know that Jeremiah as well as the people of Jerusalem understand that it is not God saying goodbye, that it is not God writing them off and casting the. Mount that God is still working out good things and good plans and he still has good things in store for them, and they can get some insights. They can get some previews of that if they will just ask. Even in the midst of God revealing things to Jeremiah. He is also inviting him to ask for more, ask for more good things, ask for more insight, more revelation, Jeremiah. And I will tell you remarkable. Secrets again you can understand Jeremiah situation. It's so bleak. There he is in prison. Inside of a city that is under siege, that the siege has lasted for a couple of years and is just about to be finished, Babylon is going to breach the walls and the people are going to be destroyed. And again, this is all at the word of the Lord, that this is a people that God has promised to. Bring destruction to as a result of their sin and rebellion against God. Jeremiah says in verse one was confined in the courtyard of the guard. But the Lord gave him this second message. No matter where we are, no matter how deep and dark and how far down it feels, there is more that God would like to say. There is another message that God would want to speak. There is another opportunity for us to hear from the Lord. And what does God say? Verse two tells us this is. What the Lord said. The Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord, before he even begins to say what he wants to say, he says. Let me remind you about who I am. Let me remind you who it is that we're dealing with and who it is that you're hearing from. I'm the one who made the earth. I am the creator of the heavens and the earth. I am the all powerful, almighty God. I have all power and I know the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end. Outside of time, outside of space, above all things, my name is the Lord. This is the one. And and that's important to understand. Because in those darkest moments, in those most hopeless and most bleak seasons. It can feel even impossible. For God to work in those situations, but here as God begins to speak, he says. Jeremiah, let me remind you who I am. That you'll be able to receive these words and understand I'm able to accomplish them, to complete them, to do greater things than you can imagine. Ask me. And I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things. To come. In difficult circumstances, when times are dark and depression looms, discouragement is just a great weight and burden upon us. It can feel like we know the whole story. It can feel like we have the whole picture and and there's no possible next chapter that it's the end of the book. That there's no possible future from this point. That there's no no turn around the corner to better days or greater things. That there is no opportunity for joy again, no opportunity for peace again. We don't know exactly. You know where Jeremiah was mentally and emotionally at this time. But here the Lord wants him to know. Things he does not know about. Things to come. And so he invites Jeremiah to ask. Jeremiah, I have more to say, and even in this what seems like impossible situation to recover from. You can recover. I have a plan and a purpose for my people. There is a work that I am doing even in the midst of this where it seems like impossible that I am working. From your perspective, Jeremiah, I could understand that. But from my perspective, listen, there's more that you need to know. There's more that I can reveal to you. But I'm not just going to reveal it. I'm not just going to tell you everything. I'm going to invite you to ask. Ask me. And I will tell you remarkable secrets. This invitation to Jeremiah is a great reminder for us of how God relates to us as his people continually. That God, although he pursues us and he is the initiator in our salvation, and really in everything when it when it comes to us, at the same time he does not unload upon us everything that he wants. He does not force us into his will or into his purposes. He reaches out and makes every opportunity, opens every door and then gives every invitation for us to enter in, to be with him, to know him, to walk with him and experience what he has for us. And so he's the one reaching out. Hey, Jeremiah. But then he says ask me. He's showing up at the door, Jeremiah. Asked me to come inside. Not Jeremiah kicked down the door. I'm coming inside, right, but but God is inviting Jeremiah. To ask, he's inviting Jeremiah to incline his heart to the Lord. He's inviting Jeremiah to tune his ear and to deliberately be listening for God to tell him remarkable things that he does not know about things to come. God consistently works this way in the lives. Of his people. And Matthew, Chapter 13, we get a little bit of this insight with the Ministry of Jesus. And it tells us that Jesus always used stories and illustrations when speaking to the crowds. It says in fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the Prophet. I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world. You can understand in the the time that Jesus walked to this earth, there is a lot of people who completely miss out on hearing from God. Because they did not ask. That Jesus was ministering to the people in parables, that is making himself available and accessible, bringing forth the message that it was available to anybody who wanted to hear from God. But but the parable served the purpose of making the the message from God accessible to those who had inclined their hearts to the Lord. And those who weren't inclined to the Lord and and weren't seeking to hear from the Lord, they would hear the story. They would hear, you know, the the the situation that Jesus described in the parable. They would hear the message and and maybe come to some conclusions and have some ideas about what the message meant. But through that parable. Jesus was explaining things that were hidden since the creation of the world. Things that they did not know. Things that were not uncovered naturally. Things that couldn't be calculated or measured. Things that couldn't be worked out with logic alone. There was a spiritual component to the ministry and the message of Jesus that was only accessible to those who. Heard the parable and said. Said what would you show me remarkable things about this truth that you have spoken, about this word that you have brought forth, things that I don't know and can't understand? Lord, would you show me what are you saying? Through this word from the Lord. And those who heard? Those who asked. We're able to receive. Insights from God? Things hidden since the creation of the world, and that wasn't just true in the lifetime of Jesus. But after Jesus has been crucified and resurrected, ascended into heaven, he writes some letters. To churches. They're recorded for us in Revelation chapter two and three, and one of the things that's consistent through all the letters is this invitation, revelation, Chapter 2, verse 7. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. That it's not automatic, it's not a given that those who hear, that, those who have ears, that those who are capable of hearing, that does not mean. That every individual is hearing and understanding what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. That the same message is going out. And just as the parables were given by the Lord and fell upon a crowd, the same parable at the same moment in time fell upon the crowd, and some received hidden secrets. That we're hidden since the foundation of the world. Some heard directly from God in that parable, and others heard a nice story that Jesus told. In a similar way, we can sit down together and spend time in the Scriptures, and it's the same word that falls upon all of us. But not everyone. Hears and understands what the Holy Spirit is saying. We all hear the same words. We all read. The same verses, perhaps? We have our Bible reading schedule, we work our way through the Bible in three years and we can all participate in that. But not all of us necessarily will understand what the spirit is saying to the churches. We need to ask God for more revelation. We need to not just hear good stories, learn good morals. Learn Bible facts and understand Bible trivia, right? Like we we. Need to approach. The word of God in a way where we are asking God for more. God is revealing things to Jeremiah. But at the same time inviting him to ask for more. And this morning, I want to encourage you ask God for more. When it seems hopeless and beyond any kind of good plan or good thing to come from a situation, ask God for more revelation. When it seems glorious, the season that you're in and the things that you're experiencing, ask God for more revelation that there is unlimited opportunity. For us to hear from God and have a greater understanding of him, a greater relationship with him, greater insight into his work and his plan, greater picture of his work on our behalf of the cross. Greater grasp of his word and what it means for us. We often refer to. I often refer to that passage in Isaiah Chapter 55 which describes gods being God being infinitely higher than us. His ways are higher than us as the heavens are above the earth. And what that means in regards to point #1 here is that there's always room for more revelation. Because even if you get to 7 miles high, you know in the sky, even if you get to 10 miles high, even if you get to 100 miles high. Into the sky there is more revelation. You don't have it all understood or figured out. There is much more that God desires to reveal to you and speak to you. As you will seek him, as you will ask and seek and knock and discover that God has much more for your mind, for your heart, for your soul. And for everyone around you. The apostle Paul in First Corinthians chapter 14 encouraged us to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, and I would put this into the same category. Ask God for more Revelation, earnestly desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and used by God for the furtherance of his. Work and his Kingdom, James tells us in James, chapter one, if you lack wisdom to ask. God, who gives? Liberally, without finding faults, and you will have the wisdom from God that you need. If you ask God for wisdom, we are in a perpetual state. Of a desperate need for God. The problem is, sometimes we forget that. And so this morning would you be reminded you need to hear from God. And God has so much to say to you, to speak to you, to work in your life. Ask God for more revelation. No matter how long you've walked with the Lord, no matter how many times you've you know, read through the scriptures. No matter how well you know the Lord, how many times you've been used by the Lord. No matter how dark and bleak the situation is, and hopeless it seems, wherever we find ourselves. We can ask God for more revelation, and it is a. It's unlimited refills that there is. Unmeasured opportunity. Unmeasurable opportunity for God to speak to us. Now, one word of caution with that that doesn't mean that we get to ask about anything that we want to, and God is required then and demanded to reveal to us exactly what we want. Now the asking God for more revelation is encouraged and is needed. We need to do that, but we can't set boundaries and parameters and expect God to fit into that. The example to consider for that is in acts chapter one. After Jesus had resurrected the disciples came to the Lord and said, alright, now has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our Kingdom? Are you going to overthrow Rome right now? And Jesus responded in acts chapter one. That's not for you to know. Ask God for more revelation, but understand there's some things that are not for you to know, and you don't get to have every answer to every question necessarily that you want. But it doesn't mean that God doesn't have more revelation for you because he says to his disciples then. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you'll be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere. And so there's some questions, some things that we ask that God might say. That's not for you to know. But here's what you can know, here's what you can receive. Here's the direction that I can give you, and the Lord has. His infinite resources of revelation, insight, power, working in your life, in your heart and through you. If you will ask. Well, continuing on into verses four and five, we get point #2 to consider this morning, and that is believe what God has already revealed. Believe what God has already. Revealed as we talk about God giving more revelation. And asking God to reveal even more we we need to understand that we need to start from a place where we believe. What God has already brought forth, it's not really reasonable. To disregard what God has already revealed, to ignore and. Not pay attention to what God has already revealed, but then to ask God to reveal more. And so we need to start here with what has God already said, what has he already revealed, and to grasp, hold firmly of that. We learned this point by looking at. The opposite. Here's what the people of Judah were doing in verse four and five. It says for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. You have torn down the houses of this city and even the King's palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the seed ramps and swords of the enemy. You expect to fight the Babylonians, but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them. In my terrible anger I have abandoned them because of. All their wickedness. If this was the first time we were considering. What God has in store for the people of Judah this couple of verses would be quite shocking. Like what? You've already given up on them. They're already as good as dead. You're destroying them in terrible anger. Wow, like this is coming out of the blue, right? But that's not the way that this has played out all throughout the Book of Jeremiah the Prophet Jeremiah. For 40 years was calling the people to repentance, and he wasn't the only prophet. Prophets came before Jeremiah, calling the people to repentance, warning of the judgment that would come if there was not a turn to what God had called them to, a turning back to righteousness and right relationship. With God. This is at the end. This is that final siege, and Babylon is about to breakthrough the wall. And so here God says for hundreds of years I have been calling you to repentance. And now, in these last moments, I've abandoned them because of all their wickedness. The problem here is that the people of Judah do not believe. What God has already revealed. That's the issue. They have heard from God. God has sent forth his word. If you don't mind, flip back a few pages in your Bible to Jeremiah Chapter 25. In Jeremiah Chapter 25, the passage is well known because it is where the Lord outlines the 70 years of captivity that he, his people will experience in Babylon. Well, it tells us in Jeremiah Chapter 25. I'm not actually going to read it, but just kind of reference some of the verses you can kind of follow along. In verse one it tells us that this was the prophecy that was given at the beginning of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, and so that dates the chapter. It dates the event at 6:05 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar took the throne of Babylon and began to. Establish really and kind of further the Babylonian Empire that was rising to power. In verse three, Jeremiah says. I've been prophesying to you guys for 23 years. And you've not listened for the past 23 years, Jeremiah says. I've been bringing forth the word of the Lord, and you guys have been ignoring it. But now the King of Babylon is in power. And so in verse 9 jumping down, he says Babylon will completely destroy you. I'm raising up Babylon. God says I'm appointed King Nebuchadnezzar. He is going to be my agent to come and to bring destruction. And then verse 11, he says this nation, this land, this territory will be a wasteland for 70 years. The Lord brought forth this message from Jeremiah. In 605 BC, after 23 years of prophesying to the people. But then chapter 33 were jumping ahead another 15 years, maybe 18 years. Five, 87586 BC thereabouts. The siege has been going on for a year or so. Babylon is about to breakthrough the walls. By this time, they've already been conquered twice before by Babylon. In between chapter 25. In Chapter 33 and the chronology that happens, Babylon has conquered Jerusalem twice. But here we find the people of Judah. Back in chapter 33. What are they doing? They're tearing apart their houses. So that they can try to reinforce the walls of the city. They are still resisting the word of God. The latest message of Jeremiah, messages of Jeremiah to the people, was surrendered. Avalon, it's past the point of saving the city. If you want to save your life, surrender to Babylon. What are the people doing? They're tearing apart their houses so that they can take those materials from their home and put it against the wall. To try to fortify the. Wall a little bit more. And prevent the word of God from being fulfilled. Babylon from breaking through. So for 23 years Jeremiah prophesied to the nation, then Babylon. Really became the world power. Nebuchadnezzar is on the throne for another 18 years. Jeremiah continued to prophecy. And the people are saying no. I refuse to believe. That God is going to allow Babylon to conquer Jerusalem. I refuse to believe that this is a work of God. I refuse to listen and submit and surrender to God. I'm going to try every means possible, everything I can do within my power to try to stop this from happening. And this is important to consider. You cannot expect to hear from God. While you're still doing everything you can, everything possible to resist what God has already revealed. You're always welcome to ask God, but you you should not expect to hear more revelation from God whenever you. Are ignoring. Dismissing or opposing what God has already said. God says here in verse five of Jeremiah 33 three. I'm sorry Jeremiah 33 five. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness. Don't expect to hear from God while you're holding on to all your wickedness. That that in order for us. To hear from God. God has so much to show us so many good things, to reveal a so much good work that he can do in our future. But but we need to take what God has already said to hearts, and we need to make sure that we are receiving it, believing it, repenting as he calls us to repentance, that that we are allowing God. Previous revelation to impact us, to change the way that we live, so that we're not tearing apart our houses, to try to reinforce a wall that God has declared is coming down. But that we are saying, OK, Lord, this wall is coming down. So let me change my life. Let me change my dreams, my hopes, my goals, what I want. Let me respond to what you have said and base my life upon that. If we do not receive what God has already revealed. Even great and awesome revelation in the future. Will not persuade us. To start believing and start receiving what God has said, Jesus gave a an account in Luke chapter 16. Of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. The poor man, Lazarus begged at the Richmond Gate for his whole life. We entered the story in Luke Chapter 16, where both are now out of this life. They're in eternity. And the rich man sees Lazarus across this great chasm. There, in Abraham's bosom it's described. He sees. Abraham with Lazarus, the rich man is in torment the. Poor man, Lazarus is comforted in the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man calls out and says, can I get a drop of water? Can you send Lazarus over Abraham to just give me a little drop of water? Note nobody can go across. OK, well, can you send him back to my family? I don't want my family to experience the torment that I'm experiencing here. Can you send Lazarus back to my family? In verse 29 of Luke 16, Abraham said Moses and the Prophets have warned them your brothers can read what they wrote. And the rich man replied no father Abraham, but if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God. But Abraham said if they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded, even if someone rises from the dead. The rich man says send them to my brothers because if he rises from the dead. They will believe the revelation. They will believe the word. Of the Lord, if there is this resurrection. And Abraham says, no, that's not the way that our hearts work. Our hearts don't work because of some greater sign that now we believe, if we refuse to believe what's already been revealed. This is why it's so important to. Be checking our hearts and holding ourselves accountable to the word of God. Because if we refuse to believe what God says in his word, if we refuse to believe and receive and allow his word to impact us and change our mind and change our hearts and change our behavior, then we will not believe even. If there is some great supernatural, some miracle, some awe inspiring thing that happens later on. Our hearts grow hard every time we ignore or reject or dismiss the revelation of God. And so we need to keep our heart soft. By believing, receiving, accepting and adopting what God has already. The Lord told Jeremiah. Ask me and I'll tell you remarkable secrets. You do not know about things to come. The word remarkable there speaks of it's a word, picture, really, that speaks of a fortified city. Maybe it was a very apt picture for them right as they're under siege and trying to keep their city fortified but failing. The Lord said there's some things that are locked up in a fortified city that you have no access to. Unless you ask me. You need to ask me. But you must believe the revelation already given. In order to believe those incredible things and greater things that I want to show you. The author of Hebrews in Hebrews Chapter 5 writing about incredible things about the superiority of Jesus over the old covenant in the Old Testament. He says. There's so much more I want to say to you about these things, but I can't 'cause your hearts have grown dull. And you're in that state of needing to hear again, the 1st works. You're not receiving and believing what has already been revealed. So I can't reveal to you the greater things, the deeper things that that the realities that I want to reveal to you because. You have not believed what God has already revealed. Believe what God has already revealed. Keep your heart soft by letting the word of God impact you and change you and call you to repentance and call you into new directions and into steps of faith. Let the revelation that God has already given. Be steadfast in your heart. As you ask God for more. Revelation Pastor Warren Risby says the word translated remarkable pictures and impregnable city protected by high walls and apt image during the Siege of Jerusalem. The idea is that God people don't learn the hidden things of the Lord by. Storming the gates. Through their own strength. But by seeking him through believing prayer. We don't learn what we need to learn from God. Through our intelligence. There are brute force through our determination. We learn it in humility by seeking God, believing what he has said, and asking him for more. Ask God for more revelation he wants. To give more revelation, he has more revelation for you. But we have to start with what? He has already revealed. In first Corinthians chapter 2, the apostle Paul talks about this as well, and he talks about the natural versus spiritual things and. The natural cannot understand the spiritual things, but those who have received the spiritual things then can understand what the spirit is saying. And so there has to be the starting point where we believe. Starting with the gospel that Jesus rice. Being God became man to die upon the cross for us. That he took our place and received our penalty upon the cross. He was crucified and resurrected on the third day. Ascended sits beside the father in heaven, soon to return for his bride, the church soon to return and establish his Kingdom here upon the Earth for 1000 years. Receiving what the Lord has already revealed in Jesus Christ, it starts there. Receiving the gospel believing in Jesus Christ. Receiving his offer of forgiveness in salvation. From there. The sky is the limit. Literally as high as the heavens are above. The earth. That's how much higher gods ways are than your ways. That's how much more revelation God has for you. But if you fall into this state. Of unbelief. The word that God is speaking to you, refusing the correction that God is providing to you, refusing to hear, to listen, to believe what God has revealed. There is no more revelation for you. God is just going to be perpetually calling you back to believe what he has already revealed, so believe what God has previously revealed. Point #3 moving on to verses 6 through 14. Point #3 is that God reveals an astonishingly good future. God reveals to Jeremiah and through Jeremiah a future that is so good it's astonishing. It's unbelievable, but believe it. But it's unbelievable this future that God has in store for this people that has been so wicked and so rebellious and is about to be crushed. In judgment at the hand of God, check out verses 6 through 9. It says. Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me Joy, glory and honor before all the nations of the Earth. The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe. At the peace and prosperity I provide. For them. That last verse really is striking. The whole world is going to look on. And they will tremble with. There are some situations that we look upon this world and we tremble with awe. At how awful it is, how terrible that situation is, you look at, you know, the the war that is going on. You look at the family situations that are happening, you look at, yeah, all of these different events happening around us and it is easy to tremble with awe. And and be struck by how severe and how difficult and how challenging and tragic those things are. But God says the day is coming. Where everyone looking on will tremble with awe over my goodness to the people of Israel. In contrast to that dark, bleak picture we've been looking at here in Jeremiah, where Babylon is camped around the city and about to breach the walls, God says in verse 6. Nevertheless, the time will come. As dark as things look right now, there is a time coming that will be completely different. Radically different. Nevertheless, the time will. God is perpetually setting our eyes toward the future. Perpetually calling us to look. To eternity. And to the fulfillment of the promises that he has provided for us. You need to understand that God does not promise a glorious present. God has not promised to all believers, to all his people a glorious present. God promises to all of his people a glorious future. But a glorious. Present is not God promised to us now. We would all love a glorious present. This life and this moment and every moment and every day. Just glory, glory, glory from the Lord. Oh, that would be. And yes and Amen, we want the. But here's Jeremiah in this. Inside of a city that is besieged amongst a people that has been found to be wicked and needing absolute destruction upon them, in the present distress it looks like there is no future. And in those deep, bleakest and darkest days, God wants his people to know there is still a future. And the present, the moment might not be glorious, and there might be tough days ahead. There might be situations. Some of them are the consequences of sin. Some of them are the consequences of living in a fallen world, a sin filled world. Not necessarily direct judgment, but just well walking in this life. And experiencing the issues and the realities of a fallen world. We can find ourselves in places where it looks like there is no future and we can be quite distraught and upset because the present is not glorious. But we need to remember God's promise. Is a glorious future. Not necessarily, not always a glorious present. We enjoy them. We we rejoice in them, and we celebrate them as they come. You know those glorious presents. But that's not the promise. That's not our hope. Our hope is on the future. The fulfillment of God's word. Well, he lists out a few things here in verses 6 through 8. I'm going to just kind of summarize them on the screen for you. Healing prosperity, true peace, abundance. The screens are all different. I don't know what's going on. That's right, right. Healing, prosperity, true peace, abundance, rebuilding, cleansing, forgiveness. It looks bleak. It looks bad. It looks terrible. But God says. I have all of these things in store. I have all of these things that will be. Taking place for the nation. There's a future. That is astonishingly good. For a people that have been so rebellious against God. That it has required and forced the hand of God to bring judgment upon them. Constance, when I bring all of these things in verse 9. The city will bring me joy and glory and honor. The people of the world will see the good I do, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them. This reminds me of a promise that we have in the New Testament, Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20. As Paul prays for the Ephesians, he prays now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power, to work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. God is able. To do infinitely more than we could even imagine or or think of to even ask him. What he has for us. Is a good future. And it's astonishing when you understand our past, it's astonishing when you understand our present and our heart and our conditions and our minds, it's astonishing. But God has a good future for his people. That he is working us toward, that he is going to accomplish, working all things together for good. Now in the next few verses. The Lord contrasts the present situation of the people versus the future. And verse 10 says this is what the Lord says you have said. This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared. Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah's other towns, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and laughter, the joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides. Will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing Thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing give things to the Lord of Heavens armies, for the Lord is good. His faithful love endures forever, for I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord. The present sounds of Jerusalem are not good sounds. Sounds of English and cries. Sounds of hunger and starvation. Sounds of death and battle. And soon there's going to be no sounds. The city is going to be desolate as the people are LED away captive. That's the present, but the future. There's going to be sounds of joy and laughter in the city. There's going to be the sound of brides and brides bridegrooms joining together in marriage and the celebration. There's going to be joyous songs. The present silence versus the future. Singing God says the future. It's astonishingly bright. There's good things I have in store for you. Then verse 12 and 13, it says this is what the Lord of Heavens army says. This land is now desolate and has no people in animals. Well, once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks. Once again shepherds will count. Their flocks in the towns of the Hill Country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken. You look at Jerusalem and the surrounding region. Now there is no shepherds out tending the flocks. Because the hills are filled with. The Army of Babylon. The hillsides are covered with the tents of Babylon and the. The army that has come against them, there's no shepherds out there mending the. Attending the flocks and counting the herd. But God says one day. It's going to happen. They will. They'll count the flocks. They're going to have. Productive days again. Normal days again. Seems like there will never be a normal day. From the position we're in at the moment. But that day will come. Verse 14. The day will come, says the Lord. What I will do for Israel and Judah, all the good things I've promised them. Jeremiah that day is not right now, but the day will come. This passage was perhaps partially fulfilled. During the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when people were released from Babylon, to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and rebuild the temple. This passage we can look at is spiritually fulfilled in Jesus, where there is that healing and peace and abundance and rebuilding and cleansing and forgiveness that takes place by the Ministry of the Lord to us spiritually. The fulfillment of this is going to be in the Millennium and eternity, when Christ rules and reigns over all. But how does that good future help us now? If I tell you, the rest of your life is going to be miserable, and you're gonna be cold and weary till the day that you die. But there's a good future ahead, a good eternity. How does that help us now? There, there's reason to hope. And there's chance to make an impact. I was thinking about Daniel Chapter 9. In verse two it tells us. In the first year of the reign of Darius I, Daniel learned. From the reading of the word of. The Lord as revealed to Jeremiah the Prophet that Jerusalem must lie desolate for 70 years. Jeremiah never got to see these. Days, God promised. But Daniel? Was impacted by the Ministry of Jeremiah and prepared for the work of the Lord. And so he began to pray. Of what the Lord? Revealed through the prophet Jeremiah that Jeremiah's life made an impact to Daniel. Jewish tradition tells us that Daniel, the one who met King Cyrus when he conquered Babylon, showed him. His word revealed through the prophet Isaiah that by his name. Cyrus is mentioned. That the Jews would be released and allowed to return to Jerusalem. That that Daniel was prepared for that occasion, prepared for that meeting because of the Ministry of Jeremiah. He was ready, he was praying, he was understanding what God was about to do. And understanding our good future gives us great hope and reason to trust God for eternity. But it impacts us right now. Because there's so much opportunity for us to make an impact on others around us. I ran through all of my time in. The first three points, so. I'm just going to tell you what points four and five would have been. Point #4 Jesus is God's greatest revelation, looking at verses 15 through 18 and then point #5. His creation reveals God's guarantee, God essentially says. I've said this from the beginning, I've attached my promises. To my existence and to my creation, and if you can stop the sun from rising, then I will not be able to fulfill my promises. But creation itself testifies. That God is creator, that he is able to fulfill his word. And so this morning, I want to encourage you to trust him. He wants to give you more revelation. Ask him for more revelation. Believe the things that he's already revealed and let those impact your life and grasp hold of that astonishingly good future that God has in store for you. It's incredible. But you could ever ask or think or imagine and you could say, well, I don't. Know I can imagine quite. A bit I can think through quite a lot. Yes, but God can think even more and imagine even more, and he has even more in store for you. God wants to give you more revelation. Receive from him. By asking, but I pray for each one of us that you would help us to ask. To really have hope and trust in you, Lord that we. Would believe you at your word. Lord, that we would receive from you. The things that you want to reveal. The things that you want to show. And Lord, you might have some insights into the future for us, or you might have instruction for the present for us. You might have some words, Lord, that you've called us to share with others around us. You might have some things that you want us to meditate on. You might have some repentance that you're calling us to Lord. There's so much. For you to say to us. May we be continually, perpetually asking and seeking and knocking. And receiving from you. What you have for us? Well, you proclaimed yourself to be that living water that we would never thirst, that we could come to you continually. That there would be this unlimited source. Of nourishment, of refreshment, of truth, of insight, of love, of mercy, of grease and forgiveness. But you are the one that we need the most. And your word brings forth. Everything that we need. In our hearts and our minds from you. So what may we receive from you? May we be seeking to hear from you. And to experience all that you have for us, I pray this in Jesus name.