During the Dispensation of Law, when Israelites sinned, God would punish them. (See my previous blog entry.)
Because the Israelites sinned against God again and again, God punished them. Jerusalem collapsed in BC 587 and the Israelites were exiled under the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah was the prophet who saw all these events. He was an emotional man, and had the painful task of warning, instructing and consoling the Israelites during this historical lowest point.
Jer 21:5-7 - God's Punishment. "I will fight against you with all my might, my anger, my wrath, and my fury...I will let all of you be captured by king Nebuchadnezzar and by your enemies, who want to kill you...will not spare any of you or show mercy or pity to any of you..."
Jer 29:10 - The Restoration. "When 70 years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place..."
Jer 32:38-42 - The Consolation. "And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always for their own good... Just as I brought all this calamity on this people, so I am going to bring them all the good that I am promising them..."
The Israelites returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple around 520 BC.
Fortunately we are now in the Dispensation of Grace. We are lucky. We do not need to go through this cycle of sin and punishment anymore. Because, by grace, Christ has borne all our punishment by dying on the cross for us. Give Thanks (Jer 33:11).
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