Friday 23 March 2018
- Bible Book:
- Jeremiah
and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.” (v. 10)
Psalm: Psalm 18:81-96
Background
The sixteenth-century artist, Peter Breughel, painted The Wedding Dance, showing a rather raucous village celebration. The wedding guests all appear to have had plenty to drink and are dancing without any sign of restraint. It must have been a shock to the respectable Dutch Protestants who first saw it. Jeremiah uses his words to paint a similar picture in order to express the joy of God’s victory and Israel’s return to Jerusalem from exile. Just as Jesus uses a wedding banquet as a parable of the kingdom (for example, Luke 14:16-24), and Revelation speaks of “the marriage supper of the lamb” (Revelation 19:9), so Jeremiah pictures a party that celebrates God’s liberation.
Notice that, once again, Jeremiah uses several different metaphors to try and convey the deep reality about which he is writing. God will be like a shepherd to Israel (a familiar biblical picture – think of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd”). The life of Israel will be like a watered garden fertile and flourishing.
It is worth noting that contemporary Christians have diverse approaches to the status of Jerusalem. Today we are challenged by the fact that this one city is a place of pilgrimage for followers of three great religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
To Ponder
- Think of a celebration you have been part of. How might that be a sign of your relationship with God?
- What does the city of Jerusalem mean to you?