36 “Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’:  37-38  Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place,  and I will make them dwell in safety.  And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40-41  I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them.  And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

42-44 “For thus says the Lord: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It's a desolation without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’  Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 32:36-44 (English Standard Version)

God had told Jeremiah to buy some land in Jerusalem. Why did that puzzle Jeremiah, and those who saw him sign the deed of purchase? (vs 36)

God had clearly said the city was doomed to destruction. But what was the amazing promise God then made to the people? (vs 37-38)

He promised to bring them back from the places they'd been exiled to and to settle them safely again in the land, and to restore His friendship with them! That's what God is still able to do for those who have drifted from their relationship with Jesus. What else did He promise to do? (vs 39)

He promised to make their hearts new so that their relationship with Him would be genuine. But there's more. What was His promise in vs 40-41?

He would make a covenant with them that would last forever! They would be a people He would never reject. Over 600 years later another of God's messengers wrote to some Jewish Christians and said: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for God has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” (Hebrews 13:5) So in vs 42-44 the Lord assured Jeremiah and the people that Jerusalem would be restored to them, and inhabited by them again.

Did all this happen or is it still in the future? I would say it has been a progressive fulfilment. It began when the Jews returned to their land in the days of people like Ezra and Nehemiah, whose stories we have in the Old Testament, but that certainly didn't fill the whole picture. The words 'everlasting covenant' and the hearts God would give them speak of something much deeper.

In the New Testament we read of a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a godly man who was waiting for 'the time when God would take away Israel’s sorrow.' The Holy Spirit had told him he wouldn't die before he saw the Messiah promised by God. The Spirit led him into the temple as Mary and Joseph were bringing Jesus to do what the law required, and he took the baby in his arms and thanked God saying: “Now, Lord, you can let your servant die in peace as you said. With my own eyes I've seen your salvation, which you prepared before all people. A light for the non-Jewish people to see, and an honour for your people, the Israelites.” Luke 2:25-32)

The new covenant came about through Jesus Christ and He opened the way into the new Jerusalem. God's people have come to it from all over the world, their hearts made new with a true and lasting reverence for God. And His promise to them is “they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”