AUGUST 30 – Reading 242

by Chris Rainey | August 30

“GREAT AND HIDDEN SUCCESS”
(Ezekiel 29:1-16; Jeremiah 33:1-34:22)

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. – Jeremiah 33:3

“To be an American is to move on, as if we could outrun change. To attach oneself to place is to surrender to it, and suffer with it.” – Kathleen Norris, The Cloister Walk

Jeremiah 33:3 is well known to many Christians. The context out of which it emerges is not so well known. King Zedekiah of Judah has appealed to Egypt for support against the Babylonians against the advice of Jeremiah, whose consistent message was that the Babylonians would destroy the city of Jerusalem and take Judah into exile just as Israel had experienced over a century earlier under the Assyrians.. This was not a message most of the leadership of the nation of Judah wanted to hear, so in response, King Zedekiah imprisoned Jeremiah beneath the royal palace. This is where God would tell him to buy the land in Anathoth (yesterday’s reading), and then Jeremiah is told to call on God, and God will answer with great and hidden things, which likely refer to God’s plans for Israel despite their present dire circumstances. Yes, they will go into exile. The exile will last for 70 years before the international world order changes again and a more benevolent power arises (Persia) that will allow them to return and rebuild. During these future events, God will “bring health to Jerusalem” (33:6), restore and cleanse Judah and Israel (33:7-8), raise up a messianic branch from David’s line (33:15), remember his covenant with Israel and Judah even though the people think they have been rejected (33:24), and ultimately replace the old covenant with a new one that will be internal, intense, and intimate (31:31-34). These “great and hidden things” now revealed would give the people and their descendants the hope they need to live through the consequences of their sins and wait patiently for their restoration.

As for Jeremiah, he was able to remain in Judah for a while, but was eventually forcibly taken to Egypt, where he died, displaced from his people and their land. It seems in the end, the great and hidden things God revealed to Jeremiah weren’t so much for his personal benefit as they were for the benefit of the nation. Jeremiah’s reward wasn’t “success.” It was knowing God!

Application
We are hard pressed to see signs of success in Jeremiah’s ministry. He was unable to persuade the political leaders, did not attract a large following, was imprisoned for a time, and died in exile. 

Reflection
Based on Jeremiah’s life, what is success in ministry?

Closing Prayer…
Father God, Thank you for revealing to us Jeremiah’s “success.” Remind us that faithfulness, not worldly accomplishment, defines true success. Help us trust your hidden plans and patiently await your restoration of this world. May our lives always reflect your unwavering dedication. Amen.