We have meditated on God’s Word from Jeremiah chapter 32, reminding us to fear God and trust in Him as there is nothing too hard for the LORD, either to carry out His judgment or His salvation. Today we shall continue to meditate on God’s Word from Jeremiah 33, reminding us to call unto the LORD in all things according to His will and promise, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (33:3).
To Call in Hebrew qaraʾ has some meanings among others (The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew):
1. Call, summon, commission, appoint, invite someone,
1 Samuel 3:4 That the LORD called (qaraʾ) Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
2. Call (on), pray (to) the LORD for help,
Jonah 1:6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call(qaraʾ) upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
3. At times as an act of adoration, i.e. give praise (to), worship the LORD, call (on), invoke the name of a deity for assistance,
Genesis 13:4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called(qaraʾ) on the name of the LORD.
Psalm 66:17 I cried(qaraʾ) unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
CALL UNTO THE LORD
The LORD, the self-existent, eternal, almighty and faithful God, encouraged His servant Jeremiah, who was in prison, to pray to Him wholeheartedly, fervently, and urgently in adoration, “Call (qôrêʾ) unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” The LORD promised to answer Jeremiah’s prayer and to show him great and mighty things:
1. The LORD would bring health, cure, peace and truth to His people (v 6).
2. The LORD would cause the captivity of Judah and Israel to return and would build them (v 7).
3. The LORD would cleanse them from all their iniquity, and pardon all their iniquities (v 8).
4. They would fear and tremble for all the goodness and prosperity that God procures unto it (v 9).
5. They would praise the LORD of hosts, for He is good, for his mercy endures forever (v 11).
6. The LORD would perform that good thing which He has promised unto His people (v 14).
7. The LORD would cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land (v 15): This promise was partly fulfilled at the Lord Jesus’ first Advent and will be completely fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes again.
8. They will be saved and dwell safely, and His people would be called The LORD our righteousness (v 16). This promise will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes to save and restore Israel.
9. David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel (v 17). This promise will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus comes to be King of kings forever.
10. The LORD’S people Israel will serve Him as priests (v 18) when the Lord Jesus comes again. The Lord has made His Church (believing Jews and Gentiles) His priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices such as prayers, praises, thanksgivings, worship, sanctified bodies as a holy and living sacrifice, and so on (Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5,9; Rev 1:6).
11. The LORD’S covenant will be an everlasting covenant (vv 20-26).
OUR PROPER ATTITUDES
1. Trust in God’s sovereignty, providence, power and promise. Nothing is too hard for the LORD, so He is able to show us great and mighty things, which we do not know (Jeremiah 32:27; 33:3).
2. God’s Word has been fulfilled and will be fulfilled. The Lord Jesus did come to die for our sins and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25), and He is the Righteousness for believing Jews and Gentiles and will be the Righteousness for all Israel when He comes again visibly (Jer 33:15-16; Romans 11:25-27). All God’s promises and prophecies will be surely fulfilled.
3. Seek and pray to the Lord wholeheartedly, urgently, and fervently in adoration in all things as the LORD is able to do great and mighty things which we do not know. The Lord “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20) when we pray according to His will (1 John 5:14).
4. Give thanks and praise to the Lord for His grace, mercy, and answers to our prayers (Psalm 136).
5. Worship the LORD and serve Him faithfully as a holy and living sacrifice until He comes (Matthew 25:21,23; Romans 12:1).
May the Lord help us to trust in Him and His Word, seek Him first and pray to Him according to His will, trusting that He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Amen. HN.
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