Jeremiah 31: 1-9
These lines have been taken from the book of Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah was a son of a priest. The book tells us about Jeremiah’s prophecies foretelling the plan of God towards his people if they don’t give up the idol worshiping evil ways. This particular passage primarily deals with the reassurance that God gives to his people that he will receive them back into a covenant relation with himself. It is stressed that hard and pressing times might seem as never ending and the situation utterly despondent but those who rejoice in the love of God will be favored by his grace.
These people will be brought back in the realm of his spirit and experience his everlasting love. And when we sing of his glory and praise him we must ask him for his support and favor towards his people. And these people will include all the weak and marginalized people. Lord will shower his love on all of them and lead them to joy and happiness. The passage ends on a declaratory note that God is the father of Israel and Ephraim is his firstborn son. This passage also rings with a certain amount of forecasting. These predictions refer to a future gathering of the Israelites from all across the globe. And also figuratively describes the transformation of sinners to Christ, and the plain and safe way in which they are led including all rich and poor, strong and weak. This text comes from the Book of Consolation by Jeremiah and is more or less considered to have a relation with chapters 30-31, and most likely inclusive of chapters 32-33.
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The sources for the book of Jeremiah have had consensus at some levels. It has been observed that the actual prophecies of Jeremiah are in the verse sections and the prose pieces are the feelings of Jeremiah and they have been worked on.
Generically speaking the book falls in the category of prophecy and it is evident from this passage that we see that the lines under observation here are prophetic in nature. The section from which these lines have been taken deals with the God’s promise of restoration and that ranges from chapter 30 to 33.
The main theme of this passage is about the rejuvenation of the people of God. In other words the passage stresses that out of death God brings new life. Thus the passage revolves around the fact that the broken down, beaten down, worn out and defeated nation of God will rise again in eyes of God and be granted the opportunity to rejuvenate and rejoice in his glory. It further outlines the fact that God will not let his people suffer forever and when they pray to him and sing his praise asking him for his favor he will pay heed and deliver them to the lands of water and mirth. Thus it is a story about God’s grace and compassion triumphing over God’s judgment. In one word the theme revolves around restoration.
Thus Jeremiah brings forth the fact that the new covenant and its reality is only a design of the covenant that God will initiate. With this new covenant God will take the physical circumcision to a new level and will circumcise the hearts of his people.
Structurally the passage indicates a chiastic structure. The chiasmus is applied to motifs and phrasal structure in an ABBA format.
One of the most recurring motifs in the passage is that of new life and rejuvenation.
“The people who survive the sword
will find favor in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest to Israel.” (Jeremiah 31: 2. NIV)
It can be seen in the verse above that it deals with new life. God is stressing his promise here that those who survive the day of judgment will find favor in his eyes.
‘I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;’ (Jeremiah 31: 4-5. NIV)
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These above verses further signify the importance of God’s promise that he will let his people rebuilt and let them plant and be fruitful again.
‘Expectant mothers and women in labor;
a great throng will return.’
These lines are best example of the new life motif. The emphasis on rejuvenation runs constant throughout the passage. All the above mentioned verses point out the recurring motif of a new life, rejuvenation.
Another motif that the passage presents forth is that of celebration.
There will be a day when watchmen cry out
on the hills of Ephraim, (Jeremiah 31: 6. NIV)
“Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations. (Jeremiah 31: 7. NIV)
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the LORD our God.’ (Jeremiah 31: 7. NIV)
The passage has dense imagery and most of these are predominantly familial and not political or military. Female images, especially those associated with birth and new life stand out the most prominent. The return to the everyday life of the village, with its familiar tasks and joys, is given special attention; thus highlighting a home coming image in the passage. Further there is a clear distinction in the presentation of God who is seen as a caring, nurturing parent, comforting those who are in distress and concerned for the needs of a battered people.
Water is another strong image that recurs in the passage. Weeping- ‘They will come with weeping;’ — Some think that it had been better translated, they went weeping; for though the verb be the future tense in the Hebrew, yet that tense has often the signification of the perfect tense, as it says,
‘Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them..’ (Psalms 126:5-6 NIV)
There is a weeping for joy, as well as for sorrow, and thus the text corresponds with that, Zechariah 12:10.
‘And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.’. (Zechariah 12:10.
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NIV)
Further the reference to them settling ‘by rivers’ also signifies that the water imagery reflects upon rejuvenation. As now they shall have no want of water as they had when they came out of Egypt, through the wilderness, where they often wanted water. Joy and weeping often go together at such times of homecoming, especially when those involved remember all the friends and loved ones who have died and are not able to return. God will personally lead them back and comfort them with words of consolation.
Characterization of this passage revolve around Lord and People (Israel).
The Lord is addressing the people of Israel.
Keywords in this passage are Lord, says, You, Will, Ephraim. And all these keywords mainly point out two characters- addresser and the addressee, in this God and the people. The
As mentioned earlier the passage refers to a promise. Cross reference to these lines can also be found at other places in the Old Testament as these promises center on Israel’s journey home from exile through the wilderness and on its homecoming as can be seen in the language of Isaiah 35. NIV.
Words shared by the psalms of praise and thanksgiving dominate: sing, shout, proclaim, and praise as in Jeremiah 31:7. The cry is to sing “for” Israel, it is probably a word to the exiles themselves as can also be seen in Isaiah 54:1
‘Sing, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,”
says the LORD.’ (Isaiah 54:1 NIV)
They are understood to be a “remnant”; not all of them will return home as many had been killed in recent events.
Thus the passage is prophetic in nature and emphasizes on the rejuvenation and new life that God will bless his people with.
