Finding Grace in the Wilderness
“Thus says the LORD, "The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness-- Israel, when it went to find its rest” (Jeremiah 31:2)
Do you experience peace and rest these days as you live in this world that is like wilderness? This world is like a desert in which the Israelites walked for 40 years to go into a promised land that is the land of Canaan in order to enjoy rest (Heb. 4:8). In the Israelites’ perspective, there was no food and no water in the desert (Num.21:5). And it was the place in where they showed their unbelief because they weren’t satisfied with God had given them. Thus, they grumbled against Moses and God and committed sins against Him. But at the same time, in God’s perspective, the wilderness was the place in where God showed His miracles to them. God spited the rocks in the wilderness and gave the Israelites abundant drink like the ocean depths (Ps. 78:15). And God opened the heaven to give them a heaven food that was Manna. You see, the wilderness was the place in where God manifest His power and His glory. When the Israelites tempted God in the desert because of their intense craving hearts (Ps. 106:14), God was compassionate to them and was grace to them even after His anger was burning against them (Num. 32:10). Now, you and I are living in this desert world. And whenever I think about the desert like world that we are living in, it reminds me Hymn 474 that says in this world there are much distress and anxiety as well as sins and death. Is that what we are experiencing in this world? That’s why we shed tears and experience sorrow. But guess what? We also experience God’s grace in this desert kind of world. And that grace is “REST.”
When we look at the today passage, especially verse 2, we can see that God is speaking to the Israelites through prophet Jeremiah that He would punish (discipline) the Israelites through the Babylonians and they would kill many of them through the sword. But those who would survive, God promised to them that they would find it’s rest (v.2). How did God give them rest? He did so by giving them His promises. That’s why the Israelites were able to enjoy rest even in the midst of their mourning and sorrow (v.13) when they were in the wilderness that is Babylonia. Then, what were God’s promises to the Israelites that gave them rest? There were 3 promises:
First, God promised to the Israelites that He would continue to draw them with His lovingkindness, an everlasting love.
Look at Jeremiah 31:3 - “The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” You see, God loved the Israelites with His everlasting love, He draw them out of Egypt, led them in the desert for 40 years and brought them into the promised land of Canaan. The same God promised to the Israelites in time of prophet Jeremiah that He would draw the remnant Israelites who were captivated by the Babylonians out of Babylonia with His lovingkindness (v.3). And He promised them that He would gather them from the remote parts of the earth (v.8) and would bring them back to Jerusalem. That was why the Israelites had courage to cry out to God saying “O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel” (v.7). And God heard their cry out, and thus He promised them to ransom them and redeem them (v.11) and lead them on a straight path in which they would not stumble (v.9). When the Israelites cried out to God saying “Bring me back that I may be restored” (v.18), God heard their cry out and promised them that He would bring them back to Jerusalem and “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people” (v.1).
Our Lord the Shepherd leads forth His own people like sheep and guides us in the wilderness like a flock (Ps. 78:52). He already delivered us out of the kingdom of Satan and is leading us in this wilderness beside quiet waters and make us to lie down in green pastures (Ps. 23:2). You see, our God promises to us in Psalms 48:14 that “He will guide us until death.” Thus, we hold unto His promise that our God forever and ever (Ps. 48:14) who loves us with His everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) will lead us and draw us with His lovingkindness (v.3) and thus we will indeed His eternal rest.
Second, God promised to the Israelites that He will build them and they would be rebuilt.
Look at Jeremiah 31:4a - "Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! …”. When God said that He would build the Israelites, He didn’t only mean rebuilding Jerusalem and Judah. More that that, God meant to rebuild the Israelites themselves. How do we know this? We know by looking at God calling the Israelites “O virgin of Israel’ (v.4). How can they be called “virgin” after committing spiritual adultery so many times? It was because was going to forgive their sins and would remember them no more (v.34). Isn’t this God’s grace and love? He promised to rebuild the Israelites to be virgin again who only love the Lord. God promised to rebuild them to be faithful daughter of God (v.22). Also God promised them to restore their fortunes as well (v.23). Isn’t this God’s grace and love?
Our Lord, the Head of the Church, promises us that He will build His church (Mt. 16:18). And even now, He is fulfilling that promise to us. His goal is to make us His “radiant church” (Eph. 5:27). You see, the Lord wants “to present us to Himself as the radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but only holy and blameless” (v.27). So when the Groom Jesus comes back, He wants the Church, His bride, to be ready and attend “the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). You see, God wants to plant us in Heaven. And He wants us to enjoy His everlasting rest in Heaven.
Third, God promised to the Israelites that they would go up to Zion and shout for joy.
Look at Jeremiah 31:6 and 12a - “For there will be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call out, 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the LORD our God.' … They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion … .”God promised to the Israelites that He would redeem them (v.11) and would enable them to go up to Zion (v.6) and sing aloud and praise with gladness (v.7). You see, God promised them that He would turn their mourning into joy and would comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow (v.13). And God promised them that He would satisfy their souls with abundance (v.14), satisfy the faint and would refresh the weary (v.25) so that they could go up to Zion and praise Him. Since God promised to make them to be like a well-watered garden and they would sorrow no more (v.12), the Israelites was able to praise God.
Our God turns our mourning into dance. He turns our sorrow into joy. And thus He enables us to go to Him and praise Him with our hearts. In fact, He makes our souls like the well-watered garden so that we can praise Him with gladness and joy. Shouldn’t we praise Him with gladness and joy?
When we look at Jeremiah 31:17, this is what the Scripture says to us: “So there is hope for your future," declares the LORD. "Your children will return to their own land.”. What is hope of our future? Isn’t it to meet our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes back? For sure when He comes back, He will lead us to Heaven and will enable us to enjoy perfect rest all the days of our life. And we will praise Him and worship Him with perfect joy and gladness. May that blessing be upon you!
As I praise God for who He is and what He has done in my life,
James Kim