1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

During the time that Zedekiah had Jeremiah confined to prison, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah a "second time." There are many times in our lives when God has messages for us if we will but listen. Some of the most valuable things God teaches us are during times of difficulty.

This "word" from God is a word of comfort and encouragement. It is also a call to Jeremiah and all the believers to believe in God and CALL UPON Him in prayer.

Do you believe in God? Do you believe He is the One Who formed the universe with His might Word? Do you believe He formed it to "establish" it and to keep it? Do you believe that God formed YOU? Do you believe He formed you to keep you and help you in your life?

Then "CALL UPON" Him! God has already shown "great and mighty things" to you and me.
He has created the universe.
He has created man and given him free will.
When man exercised his free will for sin, God offered salvation.
God started a chain of events including people throughout history that brought the climax of His salvation in Jesus Christ.
He used Noah to save from the flood.
He used Abraham to begin the line of Hebrews.
He used Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses to preserve those Hebrews.
God saw the nation turn to idols, and put them in slavery to turn their hearts back to Him.
Working miraculously through the sins of mankind, God provided the Lord Jesus Christ as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8)

God HAS DONE "great and mighty things." And God WILL DO "great and mighty things" in our lives also!

But God's working of "great and mighty things" in our lives requires TRUST and BELIEF in Him, and CALLING upon Him in that trust and belief.

4 For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; 5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city. 6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

The Babylonians coming to conquer Israel represent the consequences of sin. You and I cannot escape the consequences of sin. Truly, the "wages" of sin is DEATH! (Romans 6:23) Both spiritual death (separation from closeness to God) and physical death are results of our sin.

We are as helpless as the Hebrews against the Babylonians when it comes to fighting against the consequences of sin. God declared their plight, and God declares the plight of all men struggling with sin.

But God has a plan to "return" people from the consequences of sin if they will TRUST and CALL UPON Him. Just as God was sending the Babylonians against Judah, He has also sent DEATH against sinners. But God has offered a "return" through Jesus Christ. For even though the "wages of sin is death..," God grants "the GIFT of God" which is "eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23).

7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. 8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. 9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

If they would BELIEVE and CALL UPON Him, God would soon RETURN their captivity. Once again they would realize the joy of their own land. Once again they would realize the joy of being close to God. Their sins would be forgiven. And all the earth would know by this that God performs His WORD!

If you will BELIEVE and CALL UPON Christ, there is a NEW DAY COMING!! A day when all sin will be washed away. A day when we will walk and talk with God in the place called heaven. A day when we will shout and sing praises to His Name for the "great and mighty things" which He has shown us. And that "day" will be an ETERNAL DAY!!

With the realization that God DID as He SAID for Israel, we can rejoice TODAY if we believe and call upon Him! Life, even with all its difficulties, is made so much sweeter when we walk in faith and call upon Christ for help!

10 Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, 11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD. 12 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the LORD. 14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

The Babylonians left Judah and Jerusalem "desolate!" They destroyed EVERTHING! But God had a plan to RETURN those who believed and called upon Him. And God DID return them!

They built again the "waste" places.
They built again a temple to worship God.
They sang again in the streets.

And it will happen again! When Christ comes to rule in the millenium, Judah and Jerusalem will be the "center" of the world. The saints of God will "reign" with Him for 1,000 years in peace and prosperity (Revelation 20:6).

Sin has its consequences, proclaimed and decreed by Almighty God. But that same God declares REDEMPTION to those who BELIEVE and CALL UPON Him!

15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

The "Branch of righteousness" refers to the "seed of David" which is Jesus Christ (See Isaiah 11:1). God had promised a PERSON to be born from the "line of David" Who would be MESSIAH. ((See Isaiah 7:14, 9:6 and 2Samuel 7:11-14))

Jeremiah knows Who this MESSIAH is! He calls Him "The LORD our righteousness," meaning He will be GOD IN FLESH! (See also Isaiah 43:11)

This has been God's plan from the beginning of creation. HE HIMSELF came to be embodied in a man. The Almighty, Holy God of eternity took on flesh and overpowered sin, living in PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS! HE HIMSELF allowed the crucifiction in order to become OUR salvation!

That is why the devil can't win! That is why sin cannot defeat those who BELIEVE and CALL UPON Christ for salvation!

Though sin has its consequences, and we endure much trouble because of our own sin and the sins of others in this world; yet God has provided an END which miraculously and wondrously RELEASES those who BELIEVE and CALL UPON Him for salvation!

God will Himself INHABIT those who believe and call upon Him!! And the power of GOD HIMSELF will drive all sin from our being! AIN'T GOD GOOD!! What a WONDERFUL proclamation Jeremiah has delivered to you and me!

19 And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, 20 Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; 21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. 23 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. 25 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

Here is God's COVENANT with those who will BELIEVE and CALL UPON Him. His covenant is as sure as "night" and "day." Man cannot BREAK that!

His covenant is as sure as the one He made with David to bring MESSIAH through his family. Man COULD NOT and CANNOT break that!

God wants EVERY soul to be a part of this covenant!

"For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the Name of the LORD shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

And I pray that you will humbly come before God, confessing to be a sinner without hope, and CALL UPON Him to "show you great and mighty things, which thou knowest not!"

THE greatest thing God wants to show you is His great mercy and salvation through Jesus Christ!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.