THE GOD WHO RESTORES
1. Jeremiah 31:25 offers a beautiful thought.
2. The setting in which it occurs makes it even more meaningful.
a. The broader historical context of the ministry of Jeremiah
b. The more immediate literary context of these chapters (v. 23-24)
3. The restoring work of God is the recurring theme in this section of Jeremiah.
a. Jer. 30:18
b. Jer. 31:17-18
c. Jer. 32:44
d. Jer. 33:7-8, 10-11
e. Jer. 33:25-26
4. Two important facts about God’s restoring work are illustrated throughout this part of the book of Jeremiah.
a. Restoration is a blessing.
i. Like the healing of a wound, 30:17
ii. Like a city built again, 31:4-5
iii. Like a father gathering his children, 31:9
iv. Like a watered garden, 31:12
v. Like a highway with guideposts leading home, 31:21
b. Restoration is based on covenant.
i. Everlasting love and continued faithfulness, 31:2-3
ii. Forgiven sin and knowledge of God, 31:31-34
iii. A fear of God that will not turn away, 32:38-41
5. These events prepare us to appreciate what God has done for us in Christ.
a. Heb. 9:15
b. 1 Cor. 11:25
What happened then also enables us to understand a process that must always be at work within the church of God.
a. A concept the Corinthians had to consider
i. 1 Cor. 4:17
ii. 1 Cor. 7:17
iii. 1 Cor. 14:33
Respect for the concept restores
Where relationships have been strained
Where moral standards have been confused
Where practices in the church have been unsound
1. Restoration is the pursuit of a beautiful ideal.