A VISION OF THE FUTURE

AIM FOR CHANGE

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL:

REVIEW God's written promise to restore the people and the land of Israel and Judah as of old; IMAGINE and EXPRESS  the feelings of safety in the community that has great promise for that future; and PLAN a way to invite people who are not part of the covenant community to become members of the church and Sunday School. 

FOCAL VERSES JEREMIAH 30:1-3; 18-22

KEEP IN MIND

"For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they are shall posses it" (Jeremiah 30:3). 

AT-A-GLANCE

1. The Prophet Called to Write the Vision (Jeremiah 30:1-2)

2. A Future of Restoration (v. 3)

3. A Future with a Kingdom (v. 18)

4. A Future with Joy and Renewed Covenant (vv. 19-22)

IN FOCUS STORY

Shirley cried softly as she packed the last of the kitchen items. Four months ago Fred, her husband of three years, had told her that he had fallen in love with one of his co-workers and wanted a divorce. After Fred moved out, Shirley had struggled emotionally and financially. Now, she could not afford to pay the rent with her part-time salary. Shirley had repeatedly called Fred and tried to get him to go to marriage counseling, but he refused. He told her, "It's over. You need to accept that and move on with your life."  When she and Fred had married, he had accepted a position with a firm that required them to move more than six hundred miles from her friends and family. She was too embarrassed to call her sister and tell her that Fred had left her. As she closed the last box of dishes, she wondered what was going to happen to her and how she would manage without her husband. In the midst of her sufferings Shirley realized she was not alone. God has present and had a plan for her life. 

Jesus Christ has promised never to leave us alone. In spite of the darkness around, He is ever present. In today's lesson, we will see that although Israel and Judah had been punished for their sins, God had every intention of redeeming and restoring them. 

THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES

 Judah.  Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Dead Sea, Judah lies in southern Palestine. Following the death of King Solomon, the united kingdom of Israel split into two. Two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, remained loyal to King Rehoboam and became the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The other ten tribes followed King Jeroboam and are generally referred to as the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Judah's capital city and central place of worship was the city Jerusalem. Prior to its destruction by the Babylonians in 587 B.C., Judah was ruled by a succession of nineteen kings, all from the line David.

Jeremiah. Jeremiah is know as the weeping prophet, so much so that there is a entire book of the Bible dedicated to his sorrow: the book of Lamentations. Most of the anguish the experienced was due to the sinful nature of the Israelites and their rejection of God. Subsequently, this also led to their captivity. But, Jeremiah also experienced grief because both he and his message were rejected by the people. 

Jeremiah's ministry stretched from 626 B.C. to some time after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., which places him after Zephaniah and a contemporary with Ezekiel, and Habakkuk in history. A very popular and often quoted Scripture is derived from God calling Jeremiah to be God's prophet: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (from Jeremiah 1:5, NIV). 

BACKGROUND

In the book that bears his name, Jeremiah was clearly operating as a prophet. Throughout the book, Jeremiah declared the sins of the people (including idolatry) and God''s judgement against them. On cannot fail to see the prophet's sadness and sympathy as he denounced Judah's ungodly behavior and the impending doom it would bring about. Present-day Christians should be just as sad when we see unchecked sin abound. While Jeremiah frequently issued harsh denunciations, the prophet's love for the  people was evident. His prophecies, however, fell on deaf ears. The people of Judah were using the temple as a good luck charm. They mistakenly believed that no real harm could befall the city that housed the magnificent temple of Jerusalem. They ignored the fact that Shiloh, which was Israel's central place had fallen to the Philistines as punishment for the wickedness of Israel. This was proof that God recognized the difference between hypocritical ritual and true religion. The nation of Judah failed to heed the words of Jeremiah and would not repent or turn away from its wickedness. 

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1. How did God instruct Jeremiah to communicate with the people (Jeremiah 30:2)?

2. Where did God tell Jeremiah the city of Jerusalem would be rebuilt (v. 18)?

3. What were some of the signs of restoration that would accompany God's people (vv. 18-20). 

DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. What we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, what are some of the promises God has given us about our future?

2. How do you imagine the captives reading these promises felt about their future? How much do you think it prompted them to reflect on their past sins?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

We need only walk down the street of any major urban city to see ruin and decay. Once-prosperous cities and towns are full of abandoned and boarded-up buildings. There are no signs of thriving business, and entire neighborhoods are blighted and empty. The people who remain in these areas sometimes look as forlorn as the property surrounding them. These are all signs of hopelessness. Through Jesus Christ, there is hope for the restoration and renewal of the communities and the people who live in them. We must be as diligent as Jeremiah in sharing the Word that God not only loves but also cares for His people and that He has a plan for their future. 

MAKE IT HAPPEN

Consider ministries that are helping to rebuild and restore communities that have been devastated by crime, poverty, or natural disaster. Pray and ask God to show you where there is time in your busy schedule to demonstrate His love through you. Next, ask Him to give you a tender and understanding heart. 

(Except from the The Apostolic Light Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc.)