Comments on Jeremiah 31 This chapter speaks of the gathering and restoration of Israel to occur at some later date relative to when Jeremiah was writing (v. 1-26). It also speaks of the establishment of a new covenant (v. 27-40). This chapter is the complete opposite of the other three chosen for this lesson. Those three are dealing with the wicked, and therefore cursed, condition of contemporary Israel in general and Judah in specific. This chapter is just the opposite, speaking of Israel at some future time talking about how righteous, and therefore blessed, it will be. v1-6 Gathering of Israel predicted. At some future time (v. 1) the remnant of Israel (v. 2) will be greeted by the Lord and taken back with great love (v. 3) causing them to rejoice (v. 4). Then, Israel will once again be a fruitful vineyard (v. 5) and they will herald Zion and the Lord (v. 6). v5 The reference to a fruitful vineyard has reference to both Israel being figuratively spiritually fruitful as well as being literally physically blessed with the bounty of the land. v7-9 Israel is gathered in and taken back with tenderness and great care. The Lord summons Israel to rejoice (v. 7) because He is going to gather them all from the furthest reaches of the earth (v. 8). The remnant that returns will be humble and repentant and the Lord will guide them in their return to Him because He is their father and they are as His firstborn (v. 10). v10-14 Gathered Israel will be righteous and therefore covenant blessed. The Lord who formerly scattered Israel will now be a shepherd to them (v. 10). He will take Israel back from the oppressors He assigned them to (v. 11). Israel will return to the Lord to enjoy the many blessings of the covenant (v. 12) and they will rejoice where they formerly lamented (v. 13). v11 As Israel and Judah have had many oppressors over time the reference to them is left ambiguous. v12 suggests the theme of Millennial Eden, cp. Isa. 51:3. v15-20 recounts the mourning of Israel for their former wickedness and their repentant state when they are ultimately gathered. The voice of lamenting is cast in the voice of Rachel wife of Jacob as though she were lamenting the loss of her own children (v. 15). The Lord tells Rachel to be comforted as all of her labors are not in vain as they will ultimately return from exile (v. 16). They are not utterly annihilated and will return to the Promised Land (v. 17). The Lord has heard Ephraim's mourning (v. 18) and notes their repentance (v. 19) and He will therefore remember him, have mercy on him, and take him back (v. 20). v15 is not based upon some historical fact but rather is poetical. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin (cf. 35:16-22) which occurred previous to the incidents surrounding Joseph's faked death and going into Egypt and so forth. So, there is not any specific historical reference here to draw from where Rachel was mourning the loss of a son. This passage is perhaps most famous for its appearance in _Moby Dick_. v21-22 The Lord summons Israel back to Him. He tells them to set up guideposts and highways to return back to the Promised Land (v. 21). He asks them rhetorically, "How long will you wander about randomly?" For He has arranged a new thing, the woman is to pursue the man (v. 22). v22 The imagery here is to contrast the summons to walk a straight path in v. 21 with their present scattered wanderings. The new thing is that Israel is now to pursue Him as is described in the confession of v. 18-19. v23-24 The Lord predicts that at some future date Jerusalem will again be called Zion (v. 23) and that Judah will inhabit her in a blessed condition (v. 24). v27-34 The Lord predicts the time is coming when He will be just as careful to raise up men and cattle among Israel as He was at formerly cutting them off (v. 27-28). No more will the sinful traditions of fathers lead the children astray, rather the sinner will be brought to justice himself (v. 29-30). The time will come when the Lord will create a new covenant with Israel and Judah (v. 31), unlike the old one at Sinai which they broke even though the Lord accepted them (v. 32). With this new covenant He will inscribe it upon their hearts and souls (v. 33), and there will be no need to admonish anyone to heed the Lord as they will all heed Him and He will forgive their sins (v. 34). v35-37 The Lord makes an authority statement concerning the establishment of physical laws (v. 35) and then states clearly that just as these physical laws are immutable, so is His covenant with Abraham et al. (v. 36). To emphasize the impossibility of His forgetting Israel He says that only if the impossible is made possible could he forget them (v. 37). A statement such as this is intended to reinforce the surety of the surrounding predictions of the restoration of Israel. If we consider the situation of Judah and Israel contemporary to when Jeremiah is penning such statements by the Lord, thy must have seemed fantastically optimistic. Israel is completely shattered as a nation, Judah has just been smashed and exiled to Babylon, and the Lord has told them they aren't returning from exile any time soon. That is a depressing scene and the Lord continues to rail on Judah for listening to false prophets. Yet, despite all of this, the Lord will remember His covenants with Abraham and spare a righteous remnant and put them on the land He promised to him. He just won't be doing it anytime soon (contemporary to the pronouncement). v38-40 At this time of the new covenant Israel will fully inhabit the Promised Land and never be thrown out of it again. Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.