Jeremiah 30 Devotional

A Ruler Brought Near to God

“Their leader will be one of their own, and their ruler will arise from their midst. And I will bring him near, and he will approach Me, for who would dare on his own to approach Me?” declares the LORD.”Jeremiah 30:21 (BSB)

God tells Jeremiah to write in a book that he will bring Israel and Judah home (30:2-3). First comes a day of terror, the time of Jacob's distress, and yet he will be saved out of it (30:7). God does not pretend the wound is small. He calls it incurable, with no one to plead the case, struck by his own hand because of their many sins (30:12-15). Then he promises to heal it anyway, because others have written Zion off as an outcast no one cares for (30:17).

The high point is a quieter promise. Israel's ruler will rise from among their own people, and God will bring him near so that he can approach. Who would dare do that on his own (30:21)? Drawing near to a holy God is not something anyone simply decides to do. Hebrews says believers can now enter God's presence with confidence through Jesus, the great priest over God's house (Hebrews 10:19-22). The one who could approach has opened the way for you to follow.

To think about: What keeps you at a distance from God, and how does knowing Jesus has opened the way change how you come to him today?