The Apple of His Eye

What was captivity like? Captivity meant, it seemed, loss of personhood. Loss of being heard! Loss of being seen! Loss of legal representation! Loss of protection under the law! All these losses if dwelt on, could overwhelm their hearts and minds with sadness. God told His people not to be afraid or dismayed, He promised to be with them and help them.

Can you imagine being forced to leave your homeland? While serving Jesus in Nashville, we had people in the congregation from the nations of Venezuela, Argentina, Columbia, Costa Rico, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Egypt and Iraq. Most living among us due to hardships in their homelands. Even so, most tried to maintain aspects of the previous life which they once enjoyed.

God asked Jeremiah to write to the captives in Babylon “to give to them hope and a future.”

“The Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ‘Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord. And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.” Jeremiah 30:1-3

Jeremiah recorded God’s promises so that when they came to pass, he and others could take note of God’s faithfulness. One very special promise to them from God was, “Israel and Judah” will return together and form one nation.

“Now these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah. ‘For thus says the Lord: we have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:4-7

God was doing something new. Men with labor pains! God calls it the time of Jacob's trouble. In this context, Jacob’s trouble refers to his tribulation before his rebirth. They might have been asking themselves, “When will this ever end?” “How long God until you get us out of here? The answer is that the pain would last until a new life is born. God says, “Let patience have her perfect work.” (James 1:4) Jesus said, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” (John 16:21) God allows pain until the joy of new life comes forth.

The partial deliverance at Babylon’s downfall prefigures the final, complete deliverance of Israel, literal and spiritual, at the downfall of the mystical Babylon (Revelation 18:1-19:21).

“For it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from your neck, and will burst your bonds; foreigners shall no more enslave them.” Jeremiah 30:8

God says to us, “I break your yoke! I burst your bonds! Egypt let you go! Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and Europe will let you go! YOU ARE MY PEOPLE!

“But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their King, whom I will raise up for them.” Jeremiah 30:9

Instead of serving strangers they will serve the Lord. No king of David’s seed has held the scepter since the captivity. After the exile, Zerubbabel, though of David’s line, never claimed the title of “king.” The Son of David, Jesus Messiah, must therefore be meant.” (Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary)

“Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid.” Jeremiah 30:10

Jeremiah’s new theme is restoration. Previously, God warned them of dreadful events. Now, He says to them not to fear. Don’t be dismayed! I will save you from afar. You may not see the restoration, but the promise shall be fulfilled to your seed. They shall return, have rest and be quiet. No one shall make them afraid.

“For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice and will not let you go altogether unpunished.” Jeremiah 30:11

These trials are not our final destiny. The Lord is with us to save us. Seasons of refinement are temporary. I’m glad that our Lord limits length and severity of trials. He placed limits on Satan’s attacks on Job. Jesus told the saints in Smyrna, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10) Tribulations end! Celebrations begin!

Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.” 2 Timothy 4:17

Paul’s ministry continued by the grace of God despite a great deal of opposition..

“For thus says the Lord: your affliction is incurable your wound is severe. There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up; you have no healing medicines. All your lovers have forgotten you; they do not seek you; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased. Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.” Jeremiah 30:12-15

The Lord chastised them severely in accordance with what their sins deserved. He also planned to be their healer. Hosea 6:1-2 says, “Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.” The third day alludes to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day. Jesus had not yet come at the time of Jeremiah’s writings, so in the passage above from his book the people in Babylon feel there is no one who can heal them. Their lovers who forgot them is a reference to their former allies who turned out to be fair weather friends.

At first, it seemed that they were left on the roadside to die. Where was the Good Samaritan to bind up their wounds and apply medicines?

Jesus Christ is symbolized in the Good Samaritan. He seems like an alien to them, but no, He is their Advocate. 1 John 2:1 says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

“Therefore, all those who devour you shall be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall become plunder, and all who prey upon you I will make a prey.” Jeremiah 30:16

Wait! God is going to come to their rescue! He is going to rise up like a mighty lion and roar at their enemies. Those who preyed on them will become His prey.

Moses told Israel, “If you truly obey His voice [God’s Angel] and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.” (Exodus 23:22)

“For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord, because they called you an outcast saying: ‘This is Zion; no one seeks her.’” Jeremiah 30:17

1 Peter 2:24 says, “He [Jesus] Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for our sins. Sin condemned every human being to an eternal hell. Jesus died on the cross and resurrected from the dead to save us from everlasting pain. This is the greatest healing of all. This was the healing that Israel needed desperately. All their efforts to keep the Law of Moses failed. So, Jesus made a new covenant with Israel and with all who believe in Him. He said, in Matthew 26:26-28, “As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’”

“Thus says the Lord: behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents and have mercy on his dwelling places; the city shall be built upon its own mound, and the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before Me; and I will punish all who oppress them. Their nobles shall be from among them, and their governor shall come from their midst; then I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach Me; for who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me? says the Lord. You shall be My people, and I will be your God.” Jeremiah 30:18-22

Israel’s restoration is an outcome of God’s forgiveness and grace. God would bring them back. The Lord is great at saving people from the brink of destruction. I know. I am one of them. God replaced Israel’s tents with a city on a hill complete with a palace. God’s plan for Israel included filling their hearts with thanksgiving and merriment. Rather than the Israelites being absorbed and dissolved in foreign lands, God would preserve and multiply them. God promised to punish the foreign leaders who oppressed them. Their future leaders would be from their own people. Their lives and God’s life would be happily intertwined. God had always wanted to be close to them. It took a lot of pain on both sides to eliminate the distance.

Peter, a descendent of Israel, wrote in 1 Peter 1:7, “So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

“Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind; it will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will consider it.” Jeremiah 30:23-24

This whirlwind of fury is an expression of God’s love for His people. Like a mother bear robbed of her cubs, He humbles those who took them captive. He is jealous for His people.

Yes, God chastised Israel. He refined them because He loved them. Deuteronomy 32:10 says, “He [God] found him [Israel] in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.” Both Israel and we who believe in Him are the apple of God’s eye. The Lord says in Zechariah 2:8, “He who touches you touches the apple of His eye.” After the tribulation came celebration. In Nehemiah 8:1-10, they enjoyed God and His Word. Not long after that, God appeared among them in human flesh. Emmanuel – God with us!