Jeremiah 31:22
“How long will you go here and there,
O faithless daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—
A woman will encompass a man.” (NASB1995)
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 31:16-26
Let’s look at other translations of this verse:
“How long will you wander,
unfaithful Daughter Israel?
The Lord will create a new thing on earth—
the woman will return to the man.” (NIV)
“How long will you wander,
my wayward daughter?
For the Lord will cause something new to happen—
Israel will embrace her God.” (NLT)
“How long will you vacillate,
you who were once like an unfaithful daughter?
For I, the Lord, promise to bring about something new on the earth,
something as unique as a woman protecting a man!’” (NET)
At first glance, the phrase “A woman will encompass a man” would appear to be a prophecy of the Virgin Birth. However, when we read these other translations, that seems less the case. Many scholars have used this verse as a prophecy of the Messiah arriving on earth through natural childbirth. However, this doesn’t seem to be what this verse is indicating.
Interestingly, Jeremiah 31:22 mirrors Isaiah 43:
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise” (Isa 43:18-21).
So I think it’s wise to focus on the phrase that is repeated in these two passages where God says, “I am doing a new thing!” Like many other prophecies in Jeremiah, this seems to point to the end times when Israel will be fully restored. At that time, Israel will come back to God as the NLT translation indicates:
“For the Lord will cause something new to happen—
Israel will embrace her God” (Jer 31:22, NLT).
The woman is representing Israel – the bride of Christ. The man is representing Jesus as the groom. Israel will come to Christ and we have heard this prophecy before. The next few verses in Jeremiah 31 speak about God blessing Israel and restoring her fortunes. The weary will be satisfied and those that languish will be refreshed. Isaiah 43 speaks about God providing water to drink which is what we read in Revelation:
“He [who was seated on the throne] said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children’” (Rev 21:6-7).
We see time and time again God telling us that a time is coming when all things will be made new. In the meantime, we must keep on keeping on. Life on earth can be really hard. It’s our duty to shine the light of Jesus on this dark world no matter what life may bring. We are to persevere:
“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For,
‘In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay’” (Heb 10:36-37).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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