Great and Unsearchable Things

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

As Japanese people were reconstructing the cities that were destroyed by tsunami and earthquake, I heard the news that they found $78 million in cash.  And guess what they did with that money?  They returned all of that money to the owners, showing their honesty to the whole world.  This news make me to reflect on myself and the other Christians as whole.  Are we honest?  Don’t we need to reconstruct ourselves in terms of our character?  Not only that we need to reconstruct our character, we need to reconstruct our churches as well.  Our churches need to be reconstructed, be restored and be revived.  Not only honesty but truthfulness, faithfulness and humility need to be restored as well.  The gospel of Jesus Christ must be restored and our relationship with God must be restored. 

When we look at today passage, Jeremiah 33:3, God promised to the Israelites through prophet Jeremiah that if they cried out to God, He would answer them and tell them great and unsearchable things they did not experienced yet.  Here, the great and unsearchable things are God’s disciplinary action to the Israelites through the Babylonians and God’s gracious work of restoration for them.  What are God’s promises of restoration to the Israelites? 

First, God promised the Israelites to heal them and let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

Look Jeremiah 33:6 – “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”  God told the Israelites through prophet Jeremiah that even though they tried to fight with the Babylonians, it would be useless because many people would die (vv.4-5).  The reason was because God would hide His face from them because of all their wickedness (v.5).  As a result, many Israelites would die and the remnant would be captivated by the Babylonians.  Because God smote them, the Israelites would be hurt deeply.  But Israel God is God who heals them (Exod. 15:26).  “He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds” (Hos. 6:1).  This God promised to the Israelites that “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds” (30:17).  And He “will let them enjoy abundant peace and security”(33:6).

Our God is the Lord who heals us.  He promises us to heal us, bind up our wounds.  And then He will give us abundant peace and security.  May God enable you to enjoy His blessing of healing.

Second, God promised to the Israelites to bring them back from captivity and will rebuild them.

Look Jeremiah 33:7 - “I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before.”  God promised them that they would bring them back from captivity and would gather them from all the nations and would bring them back to the place from which He carried them into exile (29:14).  The reason is because God is compassionate God (42:12).  That was why God promised them that they would restore them to their land.  And they would rebuild them as they were before (33:7).  God promised them “Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more 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 the Lord, saying, ‘Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever” (vv.10-11).  Look verses 12-13 - “In this place, desolate and without men or animals--in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.  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,”.

Our God is compassionate God.  And the Lord is good; His love endures forever.  He promises to us that He will be compassionate to us.  And He promises to us that He will free us from our bondage.  Moreover, He promises that He will enable us to go up to His house and praise and worship Him with thanksgiving and joy in our hearts.  And He promises to us that He will give us rest.  May God enable you to enjoy His blessing of returning and rebuilding.

Third, God promised to the Israelites to cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against God.

Look Jeremiah 33:8 - “I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.”  God promised to the Israelites that after He disciplined them through the Babylonians, He would cleanse all of their sin.  This means that God would not hide His face any longer to the Israelites (v.5).  You see, God wanted to heal their inner sins more than their outer wounds.  How does He do that?  He does so by disciplining them through the Babylonians.  When the Israelites were disciplined by the Lord through the Babylonians, they repented after they strayed (31:19).  You see, God wanted to restore His relationship with the Israelites.  That’s why He cleansed their sins and remembered them no more.

Our God is forgiving God.  In order to forgive our sins, God sent His one and only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross.  Thus, those who believe Jesus and what He has done on the cross, God cleanse their sins and forgive them.  May God enable you to enjoy His forgiveness.

God is giving promises to us that He will heal us, He will make us to return and rebuild us and He will forgive all our sin.  May His blessing be upon you.

As I hold unto God’s promises,

James Kim