July 19, 2025 - Jeremiah 22-27

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (23:5).  The prophets keep coming back, over and over, to the One in whom Israel must ultimately hope, her messiah.  The kings have not saved her.  National treaties and alliances have not saved her.  Her wealth has failed her.  She has no good deeds that are sufficient to save her.  And, certainly, her idols will benefit her none at all.  Bu the Branch, the righteous Branch, who will come from the stump of Jesse, a descendant of David!  In him is her hope.  And though they will go into exile for 70 years (ch. 25), if they will look to the promises of their Messiah and follow after the Lord, they will yet be blessed.  A couple days ago, I received an email from one of our missionaries who told of a young man, fresh from the mosque, who was told the story of Christ and received him by faith as Savior.  After so many years of trying to work his way into the good graces of God, how refreshing and exciting it must have been for him to hear the gospel clearly.  Like Israel, like us, so for this young man, his hope is not in his own works of righteousness but in those of Another!

My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:

all other ground is sinking sand;

all other ground is sinking sand.   -- Edward Mote (1834)