Jeremiah 23:5
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.” (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-8
Jeremiah was a bullfrog, but also Jeremiah was a prophet. Jeremiah the prophet was born about 40 years after Isaiah was killed. God called him to ministry before he was even born but officially God called him into service when he was around 17 years old. Jeremiah was the last prophet God sent to preach repentance to the southern kingdom of Judah. Judah never repented and was brutally defeated by Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.
We pick up Jeremiah’s ministry in chapter 23 when Zedekiah is the king of Judah. Zedekiah was the last king of Judah. He only reigned 11 years before Babylon conquered Judah. Jeremiah 23 takes place in the first few years of Zedekiah’s reign. In the midst of preaching doom and destruction that is coming for Judah, there is a reprieve of about eight verses where God gives Jeremiah a prophecy about the coming Messiah.
God begins chapter 23 by telling Jeremiah of a time when all the Jews will be scattered amongst all the nations and then be gathered back to Israel. We have seen this prophecy fulfilled in our lifetimes with the establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948. This was a miraculous event that brought all the Jews from all over the world back to the land of Israel.
In fact, God tells Jeremiah that this miracle will be even greater than the Exodus:
“So then, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ 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.” (Jer 23:7-8).
We should recognize the miracle that has taken place that God said would happen over 2500 years ago. We serve a very big God who is not bound by time and space. He is infinitely wise and these prophecies, if for no other reason, are here so that we recognize the greatness of our Almighty God.
However, like many prophecies, chronology isn’t God’s thing. God then goes on to tell Jeremiah about his coming Messiah who will precede even the initial scattering of the Jews around the world. God tells Jeremiah that his Messiah will be:
- a Branch of David
- a King
- wise
- just
- righteous
Jesus fulfilled all of Jeremiah 23:5 when he came the first time:
“The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 1:2-4).
“Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel’” (John 1:49).
“Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor 1:22-25).
“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:30).
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:25-26).
Today is day number 292. We have studied 292 prophecies about Jesus so far this year. Many days like today we have seen multiple prophecies fulfilled at once. We serve an awesome God who sent Jesus as our Messiah. He left us literally hundreds of reasons to believe and not doubt that our Savior has come for us. Jesus is the son of David, the King of Kings, who is wise, just and full of righteousness. He is Christ our Savior.
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (John 20:27-29).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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