Jeremiah 33:1-3

D. The Promise of God Jeremiah 33:1-26

Shortly after he had received the comforting revelation of the preceding chapter, Jeremiah received yet another word from the Lord. At the time, Jeremiah was still imprisoned in the court of the guard (cf. Jeremiah 32:2). The genuineness of this passage has been questioned. But Hall is surely correct when he argues: The situation, the language of the passage, and the comparison with other phrases of Jeremiah combine to refute the critical liberal claim that this is not genuine Jeremianic prophecy.[289] The chapter contains promises which apply first to the people and kingdom in general (Jeremiah 33:4-13) and then to the royal and priestly offices in particular (Jeremiah 33:14-26).

[289] Hall, op. cit., p. 284.

1. An introductory word (Jeremiah 33:1-3)

TRANSLATION

(1) And the word of God came unto Jeremiah a second time while he was yet imprisoned in the court of the guard, saying, (2) Thus says the LORD who is the Creator of it, the Former of it so that He has established it, The LORD is His name: (3) Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and I will declare to you great and unsearchable things that you do not know.

COMMENTS

The first three verses of chapter 33 are in the nature of a bridge between the preceding and the present chapter. The verses contain a declaration, an invitation and a promise.
The God who speaks to Jeremiah in the court of the guard declares Himself to be the Lord, Yahweh. The use of the Tetragrammaton (the four Hebrew consonants which form the name of God par excellence) is significant in this passage. The name seems to have the meaning He Who Is and consequently denotes God as the Eternal, Self-existent One. The name Yahweh is also the covenant name of God and as such denotes God as the keeper of covenant promises, as the merciful benefactor of His people. Being eternal, God can look beyond the present difficulty and darkness to the bright and hopeful future when He in His mercy will restore Israel to Canaan.

God not only observes the future, he creates it. Thus God declares Himself to be the Maker of it and the Former of it. That He may establish (or accomplish) it. Commentators have puzzled over the significance of the objective pronouns in Jeremiah 33:2. What does God create, form, establish or accomplish? Whether it here refers to the universe or to the plan about to be revealed, the basic idea is the same: God has the power to fulfill His promises. Whatever God determines to do, He is able to bring to a successful conclusion. God's very name, Yahweh, is a pledge that He will keep His word to His people (Jeremiah 31:35; Jeremiah 32:18).

In the opening words of Jeremiah 33:3 God invites His prophet or perhaps the nation as a whole to call unto Me. What a wonderful invitation! Jeremiah had prayed, inquiring as to the meaning of an act which God had required him to perform (Jeremiah 32:16-25). Here God places His stamp of approval on that prayer and encourages His prophet to approach the Lord more frequently with such requests. The prayer that grows out of perplexity often is labeled as doubt and is therefore discouraged. But here the God of all wisdom encourages the searching out of the mysteries of life through prayer. Furthermore, God under girds His invitation with a gracious promise: I will answer you! prayer is more effective than perhaps anyone realizes. Prayer is the key that opens the door to a new understanding of the power and purpose of God. The earnest petitioner will find his mind enlightened regarding the great and hidden things of life (Jeremiah 33:3).