Jeremiah 33: Call to Me and I Will Answer
God invites Jeremiah to call on him, promising healing, cleansing, and a righteous Branch from David whose throne is as sure as day and night.
Jeremiah 33 (WEB)
1 Moreover Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying,
2 Thus says Yahweh who does it, Yahweh who forms it to establish it; Yahweh is his name:
3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don’t know.
4 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down to make a defense against the mounds and against the sword;
5 while men come to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have killed in my anger and in my wrath, and for all whose wickedness I have hidden my face from this city:
6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and truth.
7 I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, by which they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, by which they have sinned against me, and by which they have transgressed against me.
9 This city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do to them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure to it.
10 Thus says Yahweh: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, about which you say, It is waste, without man and without animal, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal,
11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, Give thanks to Yahweh of Armies, for Yahweh is good, for his loving kindness endures forever; who bring thanksgiving into Yahweh’s house. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, says Yahweh.
12 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without animal, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him who numbers them, says Yahweh.
14 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name by which she shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness.
17 For thus says Yahweh: David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
18 neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn meal offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
19 Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus says Yahweh: If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so that there shall not be day and night in their season;
21 then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
22 As the army of the sky can’t be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so I will multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites who minister to me.
23 Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
24 Don’t consider what this people has spoken, saying, The two families which Yahweh chose, he has cast them off? thus do they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25 Thus says Yahweh: If my covenant of day and night fails, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
26 then I will also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.
Jeremiah 33 (KJV)
1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
4 For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;
5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.
6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
10 Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.
12 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the Lord.
14 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.
17 For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
19 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
23 Moreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25 Thus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
Jeremiah 33 (ASV)
1 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying,
2 Thus saith Jehovah that doeth it, Jehovah that formeth it to establish it; Jehovah is his name:
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.
4 For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down to make a defence against the mounds and against the sword;
5 while men come to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my wrath, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city:
6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal unto them abundance of peace and truth.
7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
9 And this city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure unto it.
10 Thus saith Jehovah: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, whereof ye say, It is waste, without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast,
11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that say, Give thanks to Jehovah of hosts, for Jehovah is good, for his lovingkindness endureth for ever; and of them that bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of Jehovah. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, saith Jehovah.
12 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
13 In the cities of the hill-country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him that numbereth them, saith Jehovah.
14 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby she shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness.
17 For thus saith Jehovah: David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt-offerings, and to burn meal-offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
19 And the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus saith Jehovah: If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so that there shall not be day and night in their season;
21 then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
23 And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying,
24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which Jehovah did choose, he hath cast them off? thus do they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
25 Thus saith Jehovah: If my covenant of day and night stand not, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
26 then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.
Summary
Still shut up in the court of the guard, Jeremiah receives God's word a second time, opening with a gracious invitation: call to me, and I will answer, and show you great and hidden things you do not know. Though the city's houses are being torn down for the siege and filled with the bodies of the slain, God promises to bring health and healing, to reveal abundance of peace and truth, to restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel, and to cleanse and pardon them from all their iniquity. The ruined and desolate land will again ring with the voice of joy and gladness, the voice of bride and bridegroom, and the songs of those giving thanks that the Lord is good and his loving kindness endures forever. Then God renews the promise of the Davidic line: in those days he will cause a righteous Branch to grow up to David, who will execute justice and righteousness, and Jerusalem will be called "Yahweh our righteousness." As surely as the covenant of day and night cannot be broken, so God's covenant with David and the priesthood will stand. Christians see this Branch fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the righteous King in whom we ourselves are made righteous.
Key Themes
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who forms and establishes, who invites his servant to call on him and promises healing, cleansing, and unbreakable covenant faithfulness.
- Jeremiah — The imprisoned prophet invited to call on God and receive great and hidden things he does not yet know.
- The righteous Branch — The promised descendant of David who will execute justice and righteousness, named "Yahweh our righteousness," fulfilled in Christ.
Key Verse
Jeremiah 33:3 (WEB)
Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don’t know.
Lessons Learned
- God invites his people to call on him and promises to answer and reveal what they could not know.
- God's power to cleanse and pardon is greater than the sin and ruin around us.
- Where there is desolation, God can restore joy, gladness, and thanksgiving.
- God's covenant promise of a righteous King is as certain as the rhythm of day and night.
- God invites us to call on him. "Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know" (Jeremiah 33:3, WEB).
- God pardons completely. "I will cleanse them from all their iniquity… and I will pardon all their iniquities" (Jeremiah 33:8, WEB). His forgiveness reaches every sin.
- God restores joy to ruined places. He promises again "the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" (Jeremiah 33:11, WEB).
- God's covenant is unbreakable. A "Branch of righteousness" will grow up to David (Jeremiah 33:15, WEB), as sure as God's covenant of day and night.
- What does God's invitation in verse 3 reveal about his willingness to be sought?
- How striking is it that God promises healing and joy while the city is being torn apart?
- What does it mean that God promises to "cleanse" and "pardon" his people from all their iniquity?
- Who is the "righteous Branch," and how is this promise fulfilled in Jesus (see Romans 3:21-22)?
- What "great and hidden things" might God want to show you as you call on him in prayer?
- God actively invites Jeremiah to call on him, promising to answer and reveal great, unsearchable things (33:3). Far from being distant, God urges his people to seek him in prayer and pledges to respond. It is an open door to a relationship of asking and hearing.
- The contrast is striking: amid siege, demolition, and death, God speaks of bringing "health and cure" and "abundance of peace and truth" (33:5-6). God's promises are not naive about the ruin; they declare his power to restore in spite of it.
- Cleansing and pardon mean God removes both the defilement and the guilt of sin (33:8). The promise reaches "all their iniquity," leaving nothing unforgiven. Help the group see how this anticipates the full cleansing accomplished in Christ.
- The righteous Branch is the promised descendant of David who brings justice and is called "Yahweh our righteousness" (33:15-16). The New Testament identifies this King as Jesus, in whom God's own righteousness is given to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22).
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to bring a real need or question to God in prayer, trusting his invitation to answer. As leader, encourage expectant, honest prayer rather than seeking a formula.