Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"The LORD bless you, O home of justice"
Text: Jeremiah 31:23
AN OLD PRONOUNCEMENT OF BLESSING
It was customary for the people of ancient Israel to greet each other in the name of God. Words of blessing would come forth from the righteous to wish people well.
But there came a time when this customary blessing was hardly ever used. The worship of idols had affected the nation badly. Few were the blessings received from the LORD.
The LORD had promised to bless the Returnees. The nation of renewed Israel may look forward to using the old customary blessings once again!
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘They shall
again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities,
when I bring back their captivity: ‘The LORD bless you, O home
of justice, and mountain of holiness!””
Jeremiah 31:23
1. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel”
a) The formal titles of God were employed.
i) The LORD of hosts.
ii) The God of Israel.
b) These titles were employed for good reasons:
i) To establish authority.
ii) To give assurance.
iii) For added emphasis.
2. “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities,
when I bring back their captivity”
a) God promised that He would bring back His people from captivity.
b) The very language of the Returnees would be affected and positively.
c) The locale:
i) The land of Judah.
ii) The cities of Judah.
3. “The LORD bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!”
a) Judah would become:
i) A home of justice.
ii) It would become a mountain of holiness.
b) The LORD bless you.
i) This would not just be a polite greeting.
ii) This would be a pronouncement of a blessing.
c) And because the LORD’s name is invoked with faith by holy people.
i) The pronouncement would not be mere words.
ii) The LORD would bless His people.