www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Scripture and Patristic Writings Jeremiah 23:5-6

Hello, I would like help understanding the meaning of
these scriptures, specifically Jer 23:6 as fulfilled
by Jesus Christ.

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Jeremiah 23:5-6
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5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD,
"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;

A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.[1]

Footnotes

1. 23:6 Hebrew YHWH Tsidkenu
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I would like help on the Hebrew in verse 6, is there
any reason to state that "in His days" can be a long
duration? i.e. from Jesus' time until the end of time
(the 2nd coming)?

Is the Hebrew in vs 6 "will be saved" correctly
translated in the future tense? So that if the first
part of verse 6 denotes a long duration of time until
the end of the age (the 2nd coming) then Judah "will
be saved" at the end of time?

Next, how should I interpret this phrase in vs 6 "And
Israel will dwell safely". Is this to mean that from
the arrival of the Messiah Israel will dwell safely or
at the completion of "in His days", the long duration,
in the World to Come, Israel will dwell safely?

Is this Israel the First Israel (the Jews and the
nation Israel) or the New Israel (the Church)?

For me to use Jer 23:5-6 to point to Jesus with a
Jewish recipient I should have answers to and
anticipate any objections.

Thank you for your help.

BradM

BradM�

I can give you a little assistance by opening up a few words for you.

The term �day here is not used in a way of a date. It is an undetermined bit of time which means more like we use the word �now�. Foe example - the word �to-day� means - to be aware of this moment now. �If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts� has the meaning �If you hear his voice at any - this moment now - harden not your hearts.�

It is a moment of awareness. It can be thought of as any moment in which you hear the voice of God.

Similarly the term �hour� - as in �it is not yet my hour� or �this is the hour of darkness� is also an indeterminate amount of time. It is not 60 seconds. It designates a short interval - something that has a beginning and an end to it.

It does one well to interpret the Hebrew language from an experiential stance. The - experience - is the important thing. English is a language of - things - while Hebrew is a language of experiences.

As one further example - it is always - �today� - this moment now.

In Genesis, �Day� is used to indicate something brought to your knowing. Into �daylight� as it were.

Righteousness. In the West we may tend to think of righteousness in connection with being - right or wrong. We are either right about something or wrong about something. In the Hebrew it has more to do with - wisdom. You can think of it as being in touch with reality. In the West a judge tends to have to be �right� according to the laws even if the law itself is unjust (witness the laws regarding abortion) while the use in this verse indicates a judge who has wisdom.

The Branch of David - is a reference to the image of a land (forest) burned to the ground. You can imagine it would be just a vista of burned stumps. As you scan you eyes over this devastation that has taken place months before - you spy a tiny green shoot that has sprouted from one of the burned stumps. New life. There is a play on words here. The branch of the tree (new life) is also the genealogical tree of the House of David.

Judah is the Southern Kingdom - which in the history of Israel remained faithful to the Temple and has the line of David as its kings. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) split away - and the North and South often warred against each other. The image in this verse is with Judah having the Branch as its king - Judah would be a peace and not threaten the North (Israel) with war.

All in all no date or span of time is indicated. The event is not important as to when or how long - it is the reality - the existential experience as it were - which is important. It is an event which may be had - at any moment.

In these verses, the prophet is telling the Jews of his time that the recent devastation (or coming devastation) is a purgation - from which what remains (the remnant) be it small or huge - is the means of new life.

The images here appeal to Hebrew history . Judah is the tribe which had been providentially appointed the line of kingship (through the divination of the prophet Samuel) and Jesse (father of David) was the head of that tribe in Samuels time. David is the branch of Jesse (youngest son). Israel (the break away tribes who confederated in the North) did not have the Temple. David�s line had the Temple, the city of Peace (Jerusalem) and such.

What the prophet is saying is �as it has happened in the past - so it will happen in the future�. In other words we can know what God will do by what God has already done.

It is first and foremost a prophecy of understanding how God works - by taking a look at how God has already worked in history. It is not a �direct� prophesy of a coming messiah (that is not the prophets main intent) - but by knowing what the prophet is pointing to as the historical actions of God within the history of the Hebrews - one can see that within it is also an indication of an eventual messiah - the completion or perfection of the action.

The prophet applies it to the current woes of Israel and Judah - but it is taken for granted that its working out in history has a moment of completion and perfection in a messiah. No date or time is given for the messiah. The prophets intent is to hearten those of his own time who are going through God�s purge of the nation.

I recommend �Understanding The Old Testament� by Bernhard W. Anderson and Prentice-Hall publishing for a very readable history which will put very much into proper context and perspective. It is a paradox but one never understand the divine actions in scripture better than when one make sound effort to understand its human side. One does not get to a solid and real divinity of Christ without going through his human nature.

Cheers.
-ray

Thanks Ray, I bought the book on Amazon. Thanks for the recomendation. I will read what you wrote again a few more times because I thought these verses in Jeremiah were a direct prophecy of the Messiah. Do you have the book "The Messiah in the Old Testament" by Walter Kaiser? I am reading it now but I have not reached the prophets yet.

Brad