For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Jer. 23
God’s declaration regarding the Righteous Branch for David is a prophecy of Jesus. I have never given much thought to the name God specifies, though. “This is the name He will be called: The LORD is Our Righteousness.” (Jer. 23:6b). The name tells us exactly what Jesus’ purpose was. He took on our sin so that He could be our righteousness. How awesome is that?!
Jer. 24
Interesting how those who obediently surrendered their lives to the Babylonians were the ones God swore to protect. Those, on the other hand, who tried to keep what they had or to escape God, He swore to destroy. It’s just as Jesus later said. “Whoever tries to make his life secure, will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Lk. 17:33). And God’s promise to those who surrender to Him is good indeed. He will keep and protect them, plant them in His presence, and give them a heart to know Him. “They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart.” (Jer. 24:7b). That is surely worth losing everything for!
Jer. 25
I have said it before and I will say it again – God is not just the God of Israel. He is the God of the whole world. Though He set Israel apart for some very specific purposes, His plan for them is His plan for everyone else as well. The entire world is subject to God’s righteous standard. Thus, anyone in the world who falls short of His standard will drink the cup of His wrath. However, just as God’s righteousness and wrath apply to the entire world, so, too, does His mercy and grace. So His promise to redeem those who humble themselves before Him, surrender their lives to Him, and claim Him as their righteousness also applies to the entire world. There is no escape from God except in God.