GOD WILL RAISE UP A RIGHTEOUS BRANCH

Passage: Jeremiah 22:24-23:8

Key verse: 23:5,6

NIV

24 “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin[a](A) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring(B) on my right hand, I would still pull you off. 25 I will deliver(C) you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.[b] 26 I will hurl(D) you and the mother(E) who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. 27 You will never come back to the land you long to return(F) to.”

28 Is this man Jehoiachin(G) a despised, broken pot,(H)
    an object no one wants?
Why will he and his children be hurled(I) out,
    cast into a land(J) they do not know?
29 O land,(K) land, land,
    hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
“Record this man as if childless,(L)
    a man who will not prosper(M) in his lifetime,
for none of his offspring(N) will prosper,
    none will sit on the throne(O) of David
    or rule anymore in Judah.”

The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds(P) who are destroying and scattering(Q) the sheep of my pasture!”(R) declares the Lord. 2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds(S) who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock(T) and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil(U) you have done,” declares the Lord. 3 “I myself will gather the remnant(V) of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture,(W) where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds(X) over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid(Y) or terrified, nor will any be missing,(Z)” declares the Lord.

5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for David[c] a righteous Branch,(AA)
a King(AB) who will reign(AC) wisely
    and do what is just and right(AD) in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.(AE)
This is the name(AF) by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.(AG)

7 “So then, the days are coming,”(AH) declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’(AI) 8 but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”(AJ)

Footnotes
  1. Jeremiah 22:24 Hebrew Koniah, a variant of Jehoiachin; also in verse 28
  2. Jeremiah 22:25 Or Chaldeans
  3. Jeremiah 23:5 Or up from David’s line
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

24 (A)“As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were (B)the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off 25 and (C)give you (D)into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 (E)I will hurl you and (F)the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.”

28 Is this man (G)Coniah a despised, broken pot,
    a (H)vessel no one cares for?
Why are he and his children hurled and cast
    into a (I)land that they do not know?
29 (J)O land, land, land,
    hear the word of the Lord!
30 Thus says the Lord:
“Write this man down as (K)childless,
    a man who shall not succeed in his days,
(L)for none of his offspring shall succeed
    (M)in sitting on the throne of David
    and ruling again in Judah.”

The Righteous Branch

23 (N)“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning (O)the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. (P)Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3 (Q)Then I will gather the remnant of my flock (R)out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, (S)and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 (T)I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

5 (U)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous (V)Branch, and (W)he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and (X)Israel will (Y)dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: (Z)‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

7 (AA)“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he[a] had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

Footnotes
  1. Jeremiah 23:8 Septuagint; Hebrew I
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

God had no use for King Jehoiachin. The Lord said that, even if Jehoiachin was useful to him, he would still rid himself of him. He would deliver Jehoiachin into the hands of his enemies. Even his mother would be judged just as harshly. They would both be taken to a country not their own, and there they would die.

Then Jeremiah turned to the priests and other spiritual leaders of the nation. They were supposed to be shepherds of God’s flock. They should have been helping those under their care to grow in faith in God. They should have been pointing the way to God. Instead, what they were doing was destroying and scattering the sheep of the Lord’s pasture. Because they didn’t bestow care on God’s flock, the Lord would bestow punishment on them. They would be supplanted as shepherds for the Lord by others the Lord would raise up as he brought his people back from exile.

And in that day, the Lord would raise up from the line of David a righteous Branch. He would be a wise and just king. This king is Jesus. He is our Lord and our Righteous Savior.

Prayer: Father, thank you for Jesus, who you raised up as the Righteous Branch to save your people. Help us as a nation to turn to him and be saved.

One Word: God has raised up a Righteous Branch