““And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” (Jeremiah 30:8–9, ESV)
At the time Jeremiah wrote this verse, Israel was defeated and subjected to Babylon. We know that following Babylon, Israel came under Persian dominance. 70 years after their exile, the Persians permitted the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the land and the Temple. Yet the nation remained under Persian dominance.
In time, the Greeks defeated Persia and Israel came under their dominance. While there was a brief period of Israeli independence following the Maccabean revolt eventually the Nation came under control of the Roman Empire. Later in 70AD Rome destroyed the Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Jews were dispersed.
The nation of Israel remained a dispersed group of people until May 14, 1948, when the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 separated the area into two states, one Arab and the other Jewish, with Jerusalem as an international city in its center. While the Jews accepted the plan, the Arab s never did. Thus, there has remained contention between Israel and the Arab nations ever since.
When you read the prophecy given to Jeremiah from the Lord we see some key elements. The yoke of their oppressors would be broken. They would no longer be under the oppression of any foreign nation. Moreover, they would be a nation gathered together once again.
One might say that this was fulfilled when the nation was reestablished in 1948. Yet, there are some things that are yet to occur for Israel. One is the complete fulfillment of the land promised.
“For I am with you to save you, declares the Lord; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.” (Jeremiah 30:11, ESV)
On October 7, 2023 Hamas executed an attack on Israel. The attack took the lives of at least 1,219 people and led to the taking of 251 hostages. This act of war was not perpetrated on the Israeli Defense Force, but on the people of Israel, making this a heinous act of aggression against the people. Throughout their history, Israel has been under attack or the threat of attack. Yet there is a promise for Israel, a guarantee of a future.
“For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’” (Jeremiah 30:17, ESV)
There is day to come when the nation of Israel will experience the blessing of peace. It will be a time when their enemies are completely destroyed and they will be oppressed no more. It is a day when they shall have the promise of the land fulfilled. A day when they, as a nation, will finally come recognize Jesus as their Messiah and He shall reign on earth for a thousand years.
Renewing the Heart 