Friday 23 December 2011
"On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will break the yoke from off his neck, and I will burst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant of him." (v. 8)
Background
Jeremiah was a Jewish prophet in the 7th century BC, who livedthrough turbulent times in the history of the nation, whicheventually led to the destruction and captivity of Israel by theNeo-Babylonians in 586 BC. His prophecies portray these troubles asresulting from the way that Israel has departed from the ways ofthe Lord: "I brought you into a plentiful land ... But when youentered you defiled my land" (
In chapter 30, however, Jeremiah has words of comfort for thepeople of Israel. After all their trials "the days are surelycoming, says the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of mypeople" (Jeremiah 30:3). In this passage Jeremiahforetells liberation from captivity for the Jewish nation (referredto as 'Jacob'): "I will break the yoke from off his neck and I willburst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant ofhim". Just as in the prophecy from Numbers 24 in the readingfor
Jesus characterised his ministry as bringing liberation to those incaptivity in the sermon he preached in Nazareth, after reading thewords of Isaiah (Luke 4:16-21). This seems to be the dawn of anew age similar to that which Jeremiah was expecting for hispeople, though Jesus did not link it to the destruction of othernations as Jeremiah's words do in this passage.
To Ponder
What parts of the world today stand in need ofthe liberation from oppression Jeremiah prophesies?
How did the age begun in the life, death andresurrection of Jesus Christ fit with the new era to which Jeremiahlooked forward?