Jeremiah 31:1-14
The passage begins, “At that time,” declares the Lord, ………………………...” And then, what comes to us is an abundance of extremely great news. Well.. actually it is written to Israel – a people who have been exiled for their apostasy. I am hesitant to apply what God has specifically said (card blanche) to Israel to myself or the church yet I do find great inspiration in what Jeremiah reveals about God’s heart.
In her song Flicker, Rosi Golan has a line; “Well my heart’s in two places and I’m feelin like a
a candle; burnin at both ends till it flickers….” I think God is in a similar predicament. At one end, the candle burns in anger…..
Behold, the sweeping tempest of His wrath has gone forth and it will not be turned back until He has accomplished the intent of His heart (30:23,24).
Then, on the other end, the passion of God is burning….
The Lord appeared to Him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you shall take up your tambourines, and go forth to the dances of the merrymakers“.
The fundamental problem God is addressing is the drawing of man back to Himself – a holy and righteous Being, while man is determined to squander every kind gesture of God’s and spurn every loving correction. In this book God reveals that the core issue is the condition of man’s heart. Jeremiah 17:9 lays it out well. “The heart is deceitful above all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” The great news is, God understands it and has remedied it by way of new hearts and a new covenant!
We might wonder, reading a letter containing good news to someone else, what is that we have to dance about. But we need to keep in mind that the “At that time” this passage begins with, refers to a glorious day when Israel receives her new heart and is finally capable of responding to God’s love. In God’s stunning grace He opened the door to us gentiles to “that time” in advance of Israel. He opened His heart to us, sending His own Son whose work enabled us to become the dwelling place of God. God’s presence in Christ makes the heart new. This stunning good news gives us permission to dance now!
God’s candle is not going to burn from both ends, flicker – then die out. His love is a fire that cannot be extinguished. I want to lay down any reluctance I have to dance in celebration to this extraordinarily amazing status we have before Him as adopted and beloved children. Any conflicting predictament between God’s wrath and His love has been resolved at Calvary. His wrath was absorbed there in the person of Christ.
Father, we pray that we will increasingly see the light that radiates from the intense fires of Your love. Even if we have never even shuffled our feet, we pray that we too might dare to dance by faith on the unquestionable merit of what you have done for us. Amen.