Skip to main content
Jeremiah 50:1-10

Turn Your Heart Towards Home

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • April 26, 2026

This is the final message from the book of Jeremiah. In many ways, it’s the grand finale. This is a message written to the exiles in Babylon. These words were sent to encourage the exiles. God wanted them to know how this story ends.

But the words of Jeremiah were also a call to revival there in Babylon. God had already declared that these who were exiled into Babylon would be the ones in whom revival would come to Israel.

  • Sermon Notes
  • Transcription
  • Scripture
  • Spanish Translation

Turn Your Heart Toward Home
Jeremiah 50:1-10

April 25-26, 2026 

     This is the final message from the book of Jeremiah. In many ways, it’s the grand finale. This is a message written to the exiles in Babylon. At this point, the warnings of Jeremiah had all come to pass.

     Before the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah called Israel to repentance and revival. They had turned their back on God and pursued the gods of the nations around them, gods that appealed to their fleshly nature.

     Over and over, Jeremiah warned them that this would end in disaster for the nation of Israel and for them personally. And that’s exactly what happened. The city was destroyed, the temple was burned to the ground, and the majority of the people were marched off in chains to Babylon where they would remain in exile for 70 years.

     These last chapters in Jeremiah were originally written as a separate scroll. He wrote this message and gave it to Seraiah, the quartermaster, and instructed him to bring the scroll with him into exile in Babylon. When he arrived, Seraiah was instructed to gather the people of Israel together and read to them the words written by Jeremiah on this scroll; words from the heart of God Himself.

     These words were sent to encourage the exiles. God wanted them to know how this story ends. It’s a prophetic word describing the downfall of Babylon itself. You can imagine how encouraging it would be to hear that the empire that destroyed everything you ever held dear would one day itself be destroyed.

     But the words of Jeremiah were also a call to revival there in Babylon. God had already declared that these who were exiled into Babylon would be the ones in whom revival would come to Israel.

     Yes, they were exiled to Babylon because Israel had turned their back on God. Yes, they went out weeping because of their wayward hearts. But God was not finished. He sent them there with purpose. In the crucible of Babylon, far from the familiar comforts of home and temple, their hearts would be softened.

Jeremiah 24:6-7, “I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. And I will give them a heart to know me, for I am the Lord; and they will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with their whole heart.”

The exiles lost everything tangible: land, homes, livelihoods, even the visible symbols of God’s presence in the temple. But it was about their response to the tragedy, their response to what they endured, that would transform their hearts.

Revival comes when we return to God with all our heart—no half-measures, no divided affections. He called the exiles ‘good figs,’ like first-ripe fruit, symbolizing the sweet, desirable outcome of a life yielded to God—prosperity of soul, even in the storms and troubles of life.

These last chapters in Jeremiah were read to the exiles there in Babylon. Over and over in these chapters God described in vivid prophetic detail that Babylon the Great would itself fall and be destroyed because Babylon had contended against God and against His people Israel — and God would prevail against them.

You can imagine what encouraging words these would be for the exiles. God wanted them to know the end of the story so they would hold onto hope. But also, so that they would not become Babylonians. In other words, they must never forget who they are.

Be in the world, but not of the world, the scripture says. But here is the tension, and it is a vital one. They were called to settle in Babylon, but they were not called to become Babylonians.

Babylon is a picture of the world. It represents the system of everything that is opposed to God—pride, idolatry, and self-sufficiency.

God told them to live there, to build there, and to prosper there. But He also told them, implied in every command, “Do not lose yourself there.” “Hold onto your faith. Never forget that you are God’s chosen people.”

In other words, hear these words, and turn your heart toward home. “I know the plans that I Have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”      

I. Babylon is not Enough for the Soul 

  • “You will not find your purpose in Babylon,” God is saying.
  • Verse 2 – “Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered, her images have been put to shame, and her idols have been shattered.”
  • Bel and Marduk were two of the great gods of Babylon. But they are empty and void. Those who pursue them will be like them. God will see to it that they will be brought to shame.
  • In scripture, Babylon represented the world and all its worldliness.

A. Babylon is empty of meaning

  • Babylon was at one time the largest city in the world. It was the power center of the ancient Babylonian Empire. It was opulent and beautiful. The “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” were once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
  • The name Babylon in Greek means “gateway of the gods,” but in Hebrew its name comes from Babel meaning “confusion.” It was a center for occultic religion — from which comes the number of the Antichrist in the latter days — 666 — based on the magic square of the occultic high priest in Babylon. History is connected to prophecy.
  • God is against all that Babylon represents because it stands in opposition to God and is empty and meaningless and destroys the lives of all who pursue her in their hearts.
  • But when you’re in Babylon, it’s easy to lose your way.
  • What’s not to like? There were theaters and restaurants. There were gardens. You could buy a house along the river. There was a Starbucks almost on every corner, although in those days they served Turkish coffee. There was food in the shops; you could buy the world’s finest Persian rugs; everything a person could desire could be found in Babylon.
  • Or was there…
  • Babylon, in all its opulence and wealth was not enough. God was reminding them in Jeremiah 50 that there is so much more.

B. God stirs the heart of those who desire more

  • There are those who know in their heart that this world is not enough. God has something more. There are deeper places for the soul’s desire, there is more meaning and purpose than can be found in Babylon – or in the pleasures of this world.

Psalm 63:1-5, O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water…. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. In You my soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness.

  • The pleasant things of the world are certainly pleasant. I understand. Lattes and caramel macchiatos, and Red Robin, and air conditioning; watching football while eating popcorn and Doritos; what’s not to like?
  • It’s pleasant, but it’s not enough. These things cannot satisfy the soul that desires glory.

Illus – When Moses was interceding in behalf of Israel, he had opportunity to ask for something personal, something just for himself. What did he ask? What was the one thing he desired above all other things?

          “Show me your glory,” Moses asked of God. Moses had seen more of God’s glory than any living person and yet he wanted more. Why? Because glory is beautiful on the soul, and he wanted more.

  • God wanted the Jews who were exiled in Babylon to keep longing for Jerusalem — to seek God’s promises more than Babylonian treasures.

Illus – Calvin Miller wrote in his book, The Finale, “The world is poor because all her treasure maps are of the earth… but her fortune is buried in heaven.”

Psalm 137:1-5, By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, our tormentors demanded mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill.

  • This is very much like an expression the Jewish have used for almost a thousand years, “Next year in Jerusalem.” These are the words spoken as their Passover supper is coming to its close, “L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim.”
  • These words gave hope to the Jews dispersed amongst the nations of the world after their destruction in 70 A.D.
  • There has always been a great longing for Israel and Jerusalem in the heart of Jews. And now they have their homeland again, but still there is something missing – it is their Meshiach; their Messiah.
  • The ultimate meaning of the phrase, “Next year in Jerusalem,” means, ‘next year with Messiah in Jerusalem.’ Their great hope and longing is for Messiah to make Himself known.
  • And He will make Himself known to Israel at the end of the age and when they see Him they will recognize Him as “the One whom they had pierced.”
  • We who are believers in Jesus Christ have found our hope and our Messiah and still we long for more; God increases the capacity of your soul so that you long for more glory, more of God’s peace, more of God’s joy.

II. God is Found in the Seeking

  • Verse 4 – “In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come; both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God they will seek.”
  • God wanted them to seek, to desire more, to long for the beauty of the glory of the presence of God in Zion.
  • They are weeping because it’s finally over. They waited a long time. It was long, dark journey; “weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
  • These are holy tears—the beautiful, soul-deep weeping of a people who have finally seen the emptiness of Babylon and are turning their hearts toward home. God is painting a picture of genuine revival, and the tears reveal why this return is so precious.
  • Someone may ask, “I thought God was the One who seeks after us. You said that God is the One who pursues; that He stands at the door and He knocks and calls out our name. Yet now you say that God wants us to seek Him.”
  • My answer: you are correct, God is the One who seeks. He sent His Son to seek and to save that which was lost. When He finds a sinner, He invites that sinner to open the door of his heart and Jesus will come into his life.
  • God is reconciling sinners to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. But once you have been found, once you have been reconciled to God… seek for more. Desire more of God. Seek deeper places. Seek deeper relationship. Long for more of God’s glory!

A. Seek Him and then join yourself to Him

  • Verse 5 – “They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.”
  • That is a deep verse. You could write books explaining the meaning of it.
  • He is speaking of the everlasting New covenant. He first mentioned it in Jeremiah 31.

Jeremiah 31:31-35, “Behold, days are coming” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… I will put my law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin and will remember no more.”

  • If you have opened your heart and asked Jesus to come into your life, then you are right now under that New Covenant.
  • On the night Jesus was betrayed, the night He had the last supper with the disciples, He took the cup and he said, “This cup is the cup of the New Covenant initiated in My blood.”
  • When Jesus shed His blood on the cross of Calvary that day, He was giving His life as your ransom. That blood was the payment for your sins, and payment in full.

Jeremiah 50:20, “In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; search will be made for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.”

  • Now that your sins have been forgiven and removed from your account …”join yourself to the Lord in that everlasting covenant.”
  • In other words, cling to the Lord with your soul… He is where the soul finds “its resting place.”
  • Verse 6 – “My people have become lost sheep …and have forgotten their resting place.”
  • God desires that your soul would find its place of rest there in the beauty of the nearness of God.

Deuteronomy 33:27, “The eternal God is a dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

  • In Exodus 33 when Israel was at Mt. Sinai, Moses made a tent of meeting placed it outside the camp. Anyone who wanted to meet with God could go, anytime they desired.
  • Whenever Moses would leave the camp, the people would stand on their feet and watch as Moses entered the tent of meeting and the glory of God would descend on that place and “God would speak to Moses as a man speaks to his friend.”

B. Lead the way

  • Verse 8 – “Wander away from the midst of Babylon, and go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; be also like male goats at the head of the flock…”
  • It means, ‘lead the way.” Let’s go. Encourage those around and lead on.
  • Are you going to lead or follow?
  • Settle this between you and God. Don’t depend on anyone else. It’s between you and God. “I know in whom I have believed…”
  • Verse 5 — “They will ask for the way to Zion and they will turn their faces in its direction.”
  • “The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back, no turning back…”

Turn Your Heart Toward Home
Jeremiah 50:1-10

April 25-26, 2026 

Open your Bibles to the Book of Jeremiah 50, beginning at verse 1. This is our last of the Jeremiah messages. The title of our message is Turn Your Heart Toward Home. In many ways, it's the grand finale. We, of course, have been in Jeremiah for a while. At our Wednesday service, we go through verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Then at the weekend services, we dive into some section from it in a deeper way. We're just going through the entire Bible this way. We'll just continue right on through. When we're done, we'll do it again. This is our fourth time through the entire Word of God.

Let's pray and receive from God's Word together. Lord, we are so thankful that You send Your Word to reveal Your heart, to bless our lives, to show us the way of greatest blessing and life. Meet us here by Your Holy Spirit. Pour out Your Spirit of life through Your Word, we pray in Jesus' name. Everyone said amen.

All right, this last message was written by Jeremiah to the exiles that were in Babylon in those days. Now at this point in the story, all of the warnings that Jeremiah had been given have all come to pass. Before the destruction of Israel, before Jerusalem fell, Jeremiah had been calling the people back to revival, back to himself. They had gone away from the Lord and gone after the gods of the world that were so appealing to their fleshly nature.

God had warned them over and over through the prophet that this would end in disaster for them nationally. It would end in disaster for them personally. We know that's true. Anybody who's ever done the world thing will tell you it will end terribly in disaster. Over and over, he warned them about the disaster that would come, and that's exactly what happened. At this point, the city of Jerusalem is destroyed. The temple where the glory of God dwelled has been burnt to the ground. The majority of the people had been marched off in chains to Babylon where they would be in exile there for 70 years.

Now, what's interesting is that these last chapters of Jeremiah were written originally as a separate scroll, they were attached later, but he wrote these chapters in a separate scroll, gave them to a man named Seraiah who was the quartermaster, and said, "Take these with you to Babylon when you're in exile. Then at some point, gather the people of Israel together and read them the words of this scroll, words from God Himself."

These were words sent to encourage the exiles. God wanted them to know how this story ends. Are we ever going to come home? How does this story end? It's a prophetic word describing the downfall of Babylon itself. You can just imagine how encouraging these words would be to hear that the empire that destroyed everything you ever held dear would one day itself be destroyed.

The words here in these chapters were also a call to revival. There in Babylon, God had declared that these who were exiled would be the ones in whom revival would come. This is important to understand. Going through the crucible of trouble, going through the difficulty, all that they lost, all that they suffered, all the tragedy which befell them, all of this, God is going to use to bring about something happening of revival. Something's going to happen to them there. Going through the trouble, going through the tragedy, something's going to happen.

We know this is true today. If you've ever been through a trouble, a tragedy, a difficulty, God can often use this to draw you back to Himself. Now, yes, they were exiled to Babylon because they had turned their back on God. Yes, they went out weeping because of their wayward hearts, but they're going to come back transformed. Something's going to happen to them there. God is not finished with them yet. Something of transformation and revival. It's a word for us today, for God is still wanting to bring about a great revival in people today.

Notice Jeremiah 24 where he said it prophetically before. He said, "I will set my eyes on them for good. I will bring them again to this land. I will build them up, not overthrow them. I'll plant them and not pluck them up, for I would give them a heart to know me, for I am the Lord. They will be my people. I will be their God, and they will return to me with their whole heart." These exiles lost everything that was dear to them. They lost their land, their homes, their livelihood. Many of them lost family, every visible symbol of God's presence in the temple. It was their response to the tragedy, their response to what they endured that would transform them. That is how revival comes. It's your response through the trouble that you're going through. Revival comes when we return to God with all our heart. No half measures, no divided affections. He calls these the good figs, the first ripe fruit symbolizing the sweet outcome of a life in revival, prosperity of the soul, even in the storms and the troubles of life. Prosperity of your soul. It's all about your soul, the condition of the inner man within you. How is your soul today?

These chapters were read to the exiles there. Over and over, he describes in prophetic detail that Babylon the great would itself fall and be destroyed because Babylon had contended against God, and had contended against God's people, so God's going to contend against them, and God's going to prevail. You can imagine how encouraging these words would be. God wanted them to know the end of the story so that they could hold on to hope.

I tell you, God tells us the end of the story, by the way. We know how this story ends, and He tells us in advance how this story ends so that we can hold onto hope. At the end of the age, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will set foot on the Mount of Olives. He will enter Jerusalem. He will rule and reign the nations of the world. There will be a great victory. Our God, our Savior, is King of Kings, and He will reign in that glorious day. Oh, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen? Amen.

He wanted them to know how this story ends so that they held onto hope, but also so that they would not lose themselves there in Babylon. I didn't send you there to become Babylonians. Never forget who you are, He means to say, very much like what the Lord said. Be in the world, but not of the world. Don't lose yourself there. It's a vital tension. They were called to settle in Babylon, but don't become Babylonians.

In the scripture, Babylon represents something. In all of the scriptures, there are two cities mentioned more than any other cities. Of course, Jerusalem, you could guess that one. Babylon is the second most mentioned city in the Bible, and it represents the system of the world. In Revelation 18, which we'll see, he describes Babylon the Great in the latter days. Now, perhaps it's an actual city, but it represents also the system of everything opposed to God, pride, idolatry, self, self-sufficiency, self-effort. It's that which is opposed to God. God told them to live there, to build there, even prosper there. Don't lose yourself there. Hold on to who you are. Never forget who you are. You are set apart, He says. In other words, I have a plan for you. I have a plan for you. He says, I know the plan that I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for welfare, for good, not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. God declares the same. God has a plan for you. Come out of her. Don't lose yourself there. God's got a great plan for your life.

Here we are in Chapter 50. We'll read it, starting in verse 1. The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet. Here it is. "Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim that left upper standard. Don't conceal it. Let's say Babylon has been captured. Bel has been put to shame." Bel is one of the great gods of Babylon. "Marduk," also one of the great ones, "shattered, her images put to shame, her idols shattered, for the nation has come up against her out of the North." He later says, "Medes and Persians," names them, "It will make her land an object of horror. There will be no inhabitant in it, both man and beast, vanished off, wandered off, gone away."

Then he turns to the Jews, his people, and he says, starting in verse four, "In those days, and at that time, declares the Lord, the Sons of Israel will come, both they and the Sons of Judah as well. They will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord, their God, that they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion," the hill on which sits Jerusalem. "Then turning their face in its direction, they will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten. For My People have become lost sheep. Shepherds led them astray, made them turn aside on the mountains, gone along from mountain to hill. They have forgotten their resting place. All who came upon them have devoured them.

Their adversaries have said, "Look, we're not guilty. It is much-- they're the ones who sinned against the Lord, who is the habitation of righteousness, even the Lord, the hope of the Fathers. It wasn't us. They did it." He says in verse eight, "Come away from them. Wander away from the midst of Babylon. Go forth from the land of the Chaldeans. Be like the male goats at the head of the flock." In other words, "Lead on. Turn your heart toward home and lead on." These are the verses that we want to take hold of and see how God would apply understanding that Babylon represents something even today.

I. Babylon is not Enough for the Soul

In a similar way, in Revelation, he says to the people of the latter days, "Come out of Babylon, the world and all that it represents. Don't lose yourself there," because Babylon, he's saying, is not enough for the soul's deepest desire. You will not find your purpose in there, in Babylon. Babylon has been put to shame. Marduk has been shattered. Her image is put to shame. These two great Gods represented, of course, all that was occultic. It was meaningless and void. Those who pursue them will be like them. They, too, will be brought to shame. Oh, what a tragedy of shame that many people endure. I represent so much of the world of worldliness. Don't lose yourself there, for Babylon is empty of meaning.

A. Babylon is empty of meaning

The soul searches. Today, even the soul searches for meaning, purpose, to be filled, longing for a deeper place of meaning. In those days, Babylon was, at that time, the largest city in the world. The power center of the Babylonian Empire. It was opulent. It was beautiful. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were world-famous, considered like one of the Seven Wonders of the World, amazing, opulence, beauty. Oh, wealth. The name "Babylon" in Greek means the gateway of the gods. It was occultic in nature. In Hebrew, it means confusion, which is perhaps a good name for it. It was a center of occultic religion in those days.

Interestingly, there is a direct connection from the occultic practices of ancient Babylon and the prophecies of the latter days. What it means is that it describes in the book of Revelation that the antichrist, the beast described there in the book of Revelation, it says, "Let him who has understanding, discern the number of his name." He means by that that by using a system, which is called gematria, meaning that if you take a letter and it is assigned a value numerically that you can then add up the value of the number of a name. Discern and understand that you will know Him and discern him by the value of adding the numbers of his name. We already know what it is, 666.

What's interesting is that that number 666 is the direct correlation to the occultic practices of ancient Babylon, of which we are now reading in Jeremiah. The high priest of Babylon, the occultic high priest, would wear an amulet on his breast. It would be a square containing 36 numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4, et cetera, 1 through 36. These numbers represented the gods of the constellations, the gods of Babylon. There were 36 constellations of the sky. They assigned to them a name of one of the gods and a number from 1 to 36 so that they then arranged these 36 numbers in such a way on this magic square that every row added together, each row equaled 111. There were six of these rows. The total, then, was 666.

What's interesting is that if you added the columns, each of them also equaled 111. Being six columns equaled also 666. Interestingly, even the diagonals equaled 111. Therefore, the number 666 was designated to be the one, the god who was all over all the other gods. Therefore, the Antichrist, the beast of the latter days, takes upon himself this great number, designating him as the one who is above all the other ones. The mockery of that is, of course, a blasphemy against the Lord. He will be defeated in the latter days, when the Lord Jesus Christ defeats him in those glorious days. Amen? Amen.

It represents something even today. Babylon, it says, "God is against all that Babylon represents" because it stands in opposition to God. It's empty and meaningless and destroys the lives of all who pursue her. When you're in Babylon, it's easy to lose yourself in Babylon. It's easy to lose your way in Babylon. What's not to like? Oh, everything that one might desire could be found in Babylon. There were theaters, there were restaurants, there were gardens. You could buy a house along the river in Babylon. There was a Starbucks on every corner in Babylon. Of course, in those days, they served Turkish coffee.

Have you ever had Turkish coffee? You've got to go to Israel with me. We will serve you. Oh, my goodness. What they do is this, they take coffee, grind it into a fine powder, and put it into the cup. Then they just pour water right over the grounds, turning into a nice thick mud. Then you just let it settle a bit, and then you just sip off of the mud. Oh, it will give you a nice Mediterranean buzz. I'm telling you. What? Oh, they serve Turkish coffee in Babylon. The food in the shops, you could buy the world's finest Persian rugs in Babylon. Everything a person could desire could be found in Babylon, or was there?

B. God stirs the heart of those who desire more

In all its opulence of wealth, it wasn't enough. God reminds them in Jeremiah 50, "Oh, there is so much more for the soul's desire is not found in Babylon." God stirs the heart of those who desire more. It's not enough. There are those in their heart who know today that all that the world has to offer, it's not enough. There's something more. There are deeper places for the soul's desire. There is more meaning and purpose than can be found in Babylon.

Psalm 63, "Oh God, you are my God. I shall seek you earnestly, for My soul thirsts." You know this is true. The soul longs. The soul searches. The soul is thirsty. It thirsts for you. My flesh yearns for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water because your loving kindness is better than life. My lips will praise you, and I will bless you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in your name, for in you my soul is satisfied as like with marrow and fatness."

What a beautiful picture. It's all about the soul. The most important part of who you are is the soul within you, the inner man. How is your soul? People spend so much time on the outward. How much time do we spend in front of the mirror or the hours we spend in the gym? The inner man is the most important aspect of who you are. These old bodies, we're leaving these old things behind, but your soul is eternal.

I say it from this way. The pleasant things of the world are certainly pleasant. I agree. I agree. The pleasant things of the world are certainly pleasant. I understand. Lattes, caramel macchiatos, red Robin, ice cream, air conditioning, watching football while eating Doritos, and kettle corn microwave popcorn. The pleasant things of the world are so pleasant. Yes, but it's not enough. It's not enough for me. I want more than that. Anybody want to agree? It's not enough for me. I seek for deeper places.

When Moses had brought the people out of Egypt, they came to Mount Sinai, and Moses was on the mountain those 40 days receiving the law. While he was there on the mountain, the people grew impatient, and they began to sin terribly. Moses came down. You remember the story. Saul of this became angry. Then at one point, he is interceding for Israel, praying, interceding. While he's praying, while he's interceding, he says, "Something for me. While I'm asking, something for me."

I always like to ask, what is it that you would ask if you could ask God for something for you personally? What is the highest ask, the greatest thing that you would ask God for personally, for just you? What is it you want God to do for you? Moses says, "Show me your glory." Now we say, why would he ask for that? He already has seen more glory than any living person, but that's why. Because he has seen so much of the glory, he knew how beautiful it was. Show me your glory. I want more. In those days, the glory was in the temple. God wanted the Jews there in exile to long for Jerusalem, to long for the place where the glory of God dwelt, to seek God's promises more than Babylonian treasures.

When I was younger, I read a book by Calvin Miller. He wrote a trilogy. The third one in it, it's called The Finale. There's a quote that I love. It goes like this. "The world is poor because all her treasure maps are of the earth, but her fortune is buried in heaven." How beautifully described. How right it is.

Notice, for example, Psalm 137:1-5. They write it this way, "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and we wept when we remember Zion, the hill on which sits Jerusalem. Upon the willows in the midst of it, we hung up our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs. Our tormentors demanded mirth, saying, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion.' How can we sing? How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? Oh, if I forget you, Jerusalem, may my hand forget her skill. Long for the place where the glory dwells, for the soul longs for something deeper. There's nothing in Babylon that will satisfy the deepest longing of the soul."

It's very much like an expression the Jews used for thousands of years after they were defeated by Rome and they were dispersed amongst the nations. They didn't know, would they ever come back? Would they ever have their homeland again? An expression came about where, let's say, a Jew would meet another Jew, and after they finished their discussion, instead of just saying, "See you later," they would say, "Next time in Jerusalem," holding onto this hope. Maybe one day, one day we'll do it again, but we'll do it in Jerusalem. Hold on to hope, man. Hold on to hope. That was the whole idea of the expression.

Today they have their homeland, but still there's something missing, and that which is missing is their Messiah. They are still waiting and searching and looking for their Messiah. Now, we know who their Messiah is. He presented Himself to them, but they rejected Him. He will come again in the latter days, and He will present Himself to them again. It says, they will recognize Him, for they will look upon the one whom they have pierced. When they see Him, they will mourn as one mourns for an only child. Why will they mourn? Because they'll recognize it was Him all those years before, and we missed it.

It says, He will pour out on them the spirit of grace and the spirit of supplication, and the same blood that covers our sins will cover theirs, and all Israel will be saved in the latter days. God is never going to give up on His people, Israel. Amen? Can we give a praise for that. Amen. We who are believers in Christ have found our hope, found our Messiah, and still we long for more. Here's what I mean. God increases our capacity, the capacity of our soul to long for more, more glory, more of God's peace, more of God's joy. In other words, God is found in the seeking.

II. God is Found in the Seeking

Notice verse 4. In those days, at that time, declares the Lord, the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah, and they will go along, weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God that they seek. God wanted them to seek, to desire more, to long with great longing for the beauty of the glory of God in the presence there in Zion. Now it says, they go along weeping. Now this is a-- you might call it a holy weeping. They're weeping because it's finally over.

They've waited a long time for this. Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Holy tears, beautiful soul, deep weeping of a people who finally left the emptiness of Babylon, and they have turned their heart toward home. He's painting a picture of revival, turning genuinely away from that which was so empty and shameful, and I've turned my heart toward the glory.

There's a beautiful picture I can see and imagine of the life that was crashed and then turned around and found its soul revived. There is this beautiful point. It's described in the story, for example, of the prodigal son, where this young man asked for his inheritance early. He received a great sum of money. He went into the city and he spent it all on wild living, parties, women, you name it. It lasted a long time. He had a lot of money, but he spent it all, and then couldn't find a job because a famine had hit the land. Then, he finally found a job, but it was the worst possible job for a Jew, feeding pigs, swine.

Oh, but it gets worse because he then gets to the point where he's jealous because the pigs have food and he does not. He has come to the end. He's come to the very bottom. He's come to the very end of himself. It says, at that point, it says, he came to his senses. That is a glorious point right there. If you've ever crashed your life, you get to the point where you finally come to the end of yourself and something happens where you come to your senses and your eyes open. At that moment, he says, "My father's servants are treated better than this. I'm going to go to my father, and I'm going to say, "Father, I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm not worthy to be a son. I just need a job."

He heads for home. He's a long way off. The father sees him down the road, runs to meet his son, falls upon him, kisses him, and the son has his speech all ready to go. "Father, I've sinned against heaven, against you. I'm not worthy to be your son. I'm not coming home to be your son. I just need a job." There, the glorious story, the father says, "This son of mine was lost and has been found. This son of mine who was dead, is now alive. Kill the fatted calf. We're going to celebrate. Bring a robe and put it on my son. Bring a ring and put it on my son's finger. Bring sandals for his feet, for this son of mine was dead and is now alive."

There is a point where you turn your life around and you go home, but it's a holy weeping. It's a glorious moment when you turn your life around. May anyone who needs to hear these words take hold of them and turn that life around. Amen. Let's give the Lord praise. Amen.

It says, "And they will go along seeking the Lord." Now I can imagine somebody might say, "Well, wait. I thought God was the one who seeks after us. I heard you say it, Pastor. You said, 'God is the one who pursues. He stands at the door, and he knocks. Anyone who hears his voice would open the door. He would come into them. I thought you said God is the one who pursues, and now yet you say that God wants us to seek Him," to which I say you are correct. God is the one who seeks. He sent His Son to seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus said the same. I love this. I tell you, it's such a very important understanding. Jesus says, "My Father sent me to seek and to save that which was lost." What a beautiful thought is that God is seeking sinners. That's who He's seeking, that which was lost. God seeks sinners? God is searching for sinners? See, this is important because so many people-- I repeat this because it's so important to understand rightly-- so many people have this wrong. They believe that God rejects sinners, that God is against them, that God is offended by sin, therefore He's offended by sinners and He pushes them away. He's offended by them.

That's not what Jesus said. Jesus said, "'My Father sent me to go and find sinners, seek after them, and when you find them, bring them home.'" Yes, God is the one who seeks. God is the one who says, "'I stand at the door and I knock.'" He's pursuing. Yes, He is. "'If anyone hears my voice,' which is to say He's calling your name, "'If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and I will sup with him and he with me.'" In other words, we're going to have glorious fellowship together.

A. Seek Him and then join yourself to Him

Here's my point. Yes, God is the one who seeks first, but once you have been found, once you open that door of your heart, once you've been reconciled to God, then seek Him. Seek for more of Him. Desire more of God. Seek deeper places. Seek deeper relationship. Long for more of God's glory. Go farther in, deeper into your walk with Him. This is how He says it, "Seek Him and then join yourself to Him."

Notice verse 5. "'They will ask for the way to Zion. Then turning their faces in that direction, they will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.'" What a beautiful picture. I tell you, this is a deep verse. You could write books on this verse. "They will come that they may be knitted together." That's what it means, joined together. He's speaking here of an everlasting covenant.

Now, He's referring to the new covenant He mentioned earlier in the book, Jeremiah 31. He says, "'Behold, days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah." "I will put My law within them. I will write it on their hearts." It will be on the soul, a new covenant upon the soul. "I will be their God. They will be My people. They shall not teach again each man his neighbor, each man his brother and say, 'Know the Lord,' They'll all know Me." There's a knowing, an intimacy of knowing in this. Declares the Lord, "I'll forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more."

Now, I'm here to tell you that if you have opened your heart, if He knocked on the door of your heart, called out your name and you opened the door of your heart, He has forgiven your sin. This is a covenant of the forgiveness of sin on the blood of Jesus Christ. The sin that you have committed has been paid for by the blood that Jesus shed. When He shed that blood, He then took that blood and applied it to your life so that your sins have been paid, and paid for in full. If you have received Jesus Christ, you are right now abiding under that same new covenant. Jesus says, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant initiated in My blood."

He says in Jeremiah 50:20, "'In those days, at that time,' declares the Lord, 'search will be made for the iniquity of Israel.'" They will not find it. "'Search will be made for the sins of Judah.'" They will not be found. "'I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant. They will come that they could then join themselves to the Lord.'" What a beautiful thought. Knitted together with the Lord? Wait, sinners? Knitted together with the holy righteous God? Amazing thought. Deep understanding. It is so. Christ in us is the hope of glory. We are in Christ. We are knitted together. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We are knitted together such that we have found our place of peace.

Notice verse 6, "My people are lost sheep. They have forgotten their resting place." Ah, the searching of the soul finds its answer in the presence of the glory of the Almighty God. Ah, peace. God desires that your soul would find its place of rest there in the beauty of the nearness of God. What a beautiful thought. The searching is over. There is a peace that resides deeply upon the soul, a joy indescribable, a peace that passes understanding. I know where my home is. I have found my resting place, a place of peace. Yes, let's give the Lord praise.

Deuteronomy 33:27 says, "'The eternal God is a dwelling place.'" Beautiful. "'The eternal God dwell there. Peace is found there. Let your soul resound there, for underneath are the everlasting arms." I was describing Moses. In Exodus 33, Israel there was at Mount Sinai. After all of this, it says that Moses set up a tent. He called it the tent of meeting, placed it outside the camp, and said, "Anyone who wants to meet God can go there to the tent of meeting and meet with God anytime you want." No law, no requirement. You don't have to. You don't have to go. If you don't want to go, don't go. You can stay home. If you want to go, it's there. There's a tent of meeting outside the camp. You can go anytime you want. Would you go?

It says that whenever Moses would go, that as he left the camp, the people would stand on their feet and watch. For when Moses entered the tent of meeting, glory would descend, and it says that God would meet with Moses and would speak to Moses like a man speaks to his friend." Isn't that a beautiful picture? What fellowship, what-- joined together in such a beautiful way, God speaks like a man speaks to a friend.

Jesus says, "I call you friend. You can meet with God anytime you want. Today the way has been opened. Anyone who wants to meet God can meet God. You can come in this place. We will worship, and the Spirit of the living God will meet you here in this place. The Word of God will be proclaimed and you can meet God in the proclaiming of His Word. You can meet God in your morning devotions. You can meet God driving down the road with your worship turned up loud. That's the best way to do it.

Yesterday, it was such a beautiful day. I was driving around. I had some errands. I was running. I just turned on the worship and turned it up loud. I'm just singing. Who cares how loud I sing or how bad I sing? I'm just worshiping. It was funny. I stopped at the store, and I went in and got a few things. When I came out the store, I forgot that I had the music turned up so loud. I turned it up. Whoa. People looking at me like, "Oh, he's a little weird."

You can meet God anytime you want. For in there, something happens in the soul. When you meet God, something happens in the soul. Some people, the only meeting with God they ever have is their "come to Jesus" meeting. Well, great. You need a "come to Jesus" meeting, but if that's the only meeting you're ever going to have, it's not enough. Seek deeper places. Seek for more of God's glory.

B. Lead the way

Then, we'll close with this. He says in verse 8, lead the way, man. Lead the way. Verse 8, "Wander away from the midst of Babylon. Go forth from the land of the Chaldeans. Be like male goats at the head of the flock." What does that mean? Lead on. They're the ones leading in the front. Let's go. Encourage those around you. Let's go. In other words, you're going to lead, you're going to follow. Which way will it be? You're going to lead, you're going to follow. Settle this between you and God. Don't depend on anyone else. It's between you and God. No one else. You and God, personal. Settle this matter. I know in whom I have believed. There is such a surety of that declaration, I know in whom I have believed. I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that great day."

Verse 5, I love verse 5. "They will ask for the way to Zion, and they will turn their faces in this direction." We're going home. I know where home is. I'm going home. The cross before me, the world behind me, there is no turning back. Settle this matter with God. It's all about your soul. Seek deeper places, the place where peace resides, where your soul is satisfied. I know where home is. I have set my course. I have turned my heart toward home, and there is no turning back. The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back.

Let's pray. Lord, thank You so much, so much, for such a beautiful understanding. That You're the one who seeks first. You're the one who knocks, calling out our name. "If anyone were to hear My voice, open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with Me." We'll have glorious fellowship together. Then, having opened the door of your heart, He says-- now there's more glory. There are deeper places. The way has been made open before you. Meet with God anytime you want. Set your heart. Set your course. Settle this matter with God today.

As we're praying, how many will say to the Lord, "I have turned my heart toward home. I have fixed my course. I know where my home is, and I'm on my journey home." There is no turning back, no turning back. Is that you? Would you just declare that to the Lord by raising your hand as a way of just declaring it, just saying it to the Lord, "God, this matter is settled with me. I have fixed my heart. I have turned my heart toward home, and there is no turning back." Oh, God, I seek deeper places. Let my soul reside in the deepest places of glory. We love You and honor You for it now. In Jesus' powerful name and everyone said, Amen. Let's give the Lord praise and glory and honor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeremiah 50:1-10    NASB 

50 1The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:

“Declare and proclaim among the nations.
Proclaim it and lift up a standard.
Do not conceal it but say,
‘Babylon has been captured,
Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered;
Her images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.’

For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away!

“In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.

“My people have become lost sheep;
Their shepherds have led them astray.
They have made them turn aside on the mountains;
They have gone along from mountain to hill
And have forgotten their resting place.
“All who came upon them have devoured them;
And their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty,
Inasmuch as they have sinned against the Lord who is the habitation of righteousness,
Even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’

“Wander away from the midst of Babylon
And go forth from the land of the Chaldeans;
Be also like male goats at the head of the flock.
“For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon
A horde of great nations from the land of the north,
And they will draw up their battle lines against her;
From there she will be taken captive.
Their arrows will be like an expert warrior
Who does not return empty-handed.
10 “Chaldea will become plunder;
All who plunder her will have enough,” declares the Lord.

Dirige tu corazón hacia el hogar
Jeremías 50: 1-10

25-26 de abril de 2026

Este es el mensaje final del libro de Jeremías. En muchos sentidos, es el gran final. Es un mensaje dirigido a los exiliados en Babilonia. A este punto, todas las advertencias de Jeremías se habían cumplido.

          Antes de la destrucción de Jerusalén, Jeremías llamó a Israel al arrepentimiento y al renacimiento. Le habían dado la espalda a Dios y habían seguido a los dioses de las naciones vecinas, dioses que apelaban a sus deseos carnales.

          Una y otra vez, Jeremías les advirtió que esto terminaría en desastre para la nación de Israel y para ellos personalmente. Y eso fue exactamente lo que sucedió. La ciudad fue destruida, el templo fue reducido a cenizas y la mayoría del pueblo fue llevado en cadenas a Babilonia, donde permanecieron en exilio durante 70 años.

          Estos últimos capítulos de Jeremías fueron escritos originalmente en un rollo aparte. Jeremías escribió este mensaje y se lo entregó a Seraiah, el intendente, indicándole que lo llevara consigo al exilio en Babilonia. Al llegar, Seraiah recibió instrucciones de reunir al pueblo de Israel y leerles las palabras que Jeremías había escrito en ese rollo; palabras que provenían del corazón mismo de Dios.

          Estas palabras fueron enviadas para animar a los exiliados. Dios quería que ellos supieran cómo iba a terminar esta historia. Es una palabra profética que describe la caída de Babilonia. Imagínense lo alentador que sería escuchar que el imperio que destruyó todo lo que ellos amaban algún día también sería destruido.

Pero las palabras de Jeremías también eran un llamado al avivamiento en Babilonia. Dios ya había declarado que aquellos que fueron exiliados a Babilonia serían aquellos en quienes vendría el avivamiento a Israel.

          Sí, fueron exiliados a Babilonia porque Israel le había dado la espalda a Dios. Sí, salieron llorando por sus corazones descarriados. Pero Dios aún no había terminado con ellos. Los envió allí con un propósito. En el crisol de Babilonia, lejos de la comodidad del hogar y del templo, sus corazones se ablandarían.

Jeremías 24:6-7: «Pondré mis ojos en ellos para bien, y los traeré de nuevo a esta tierra; los edificaré y no los destruiré, los plantaré y no los arrancaré. Les daré un corazón para que me conozcan, porque yo soy Jehová; y ellos serán mi pueblo, y yo seré su Dios, porque a mí volverán de todo corazón».

Los exiliados lo perdieron todo: tierras, hogares, medios de subsistencia, incluso los símbolos visibles de la presencia de Dios en el templo. Pero fue su reacción ante la tragedia, su respuesta a lo que padecieron, lo que transformaría sus corazones.

El avivamiento llega cuando nos volvemos a Dios con todo nuestro corazón, sin medias tintas ni sentimientos divididos. Él llamó a los exiliados «higos buenos», como los primeros frutos maduros, simbolizando el dulce y deseable resultado de una vida entregada a Dios: prosperidad del alma, incluso en medio de las tormentas y tribulaciones de la vida.

Estos últimos capítulos de Jeremías fueron leídos a los exiliados en Babilonia. En ellos, Dios describió repetidamente, con vívido detalle profético, que Babilonia la Grande caería y sería destruida porque se había rebelado contra Dios y contra su pueblo Israel, y que Dios prevalecería contra ellos.

Imaginen lo alentadoras que serían estas palabras para los exiliados. Dios quería que conocieran el final de la historia para que conservaran la esperanza. Pero también, para que no se convirtieran en babilonios. En otras palabras, nunca debían olvidar quiénes eran.

«Estamos en el mundo pero no somos del mundo» y esto es crucial. Fueron llamados a establecerse en Babilonia, pero no a convertirse en babilonios.

Babilonia es una imagen del mundo. Representa el sistema de todo lo que se opone a Dios: el orgullo, la idolatría y la autosuficiencia.

Dios les dijo que vivieran allí, que construyeran allí y que prosperaran allí. Pero también les dijo, implícito en cada mandato: «No se pierdan allí». «Mantengan la fe. Nunca olviden que son el pueblo escogido de Dios».

En otras palabras, escucha estas palabras y vuelve tu corazón hacia el hogar. «Yo sé los planes que tengo para ustedes —declara el Señor—, planes de bienestar y no de calamidad, para darles un futuro y una esperanza».      

  1. Babilonia no es suficiente para el alma
  • “No hallaréis vuestro propósito en Babilonia”, está diciendo Dios.

 

  • Versículo 2 – “Bel ha sido humillada, Marduk ha sido destruido, sus imágenes han sido humilladas y sus ídolos han sido destrozados.”

 

  • Bel y Marduk fueron dos de los grandes dioses de Babilonia. Pero están vacíos y sin valor. Quienes los siguen serán como ellos. Dios se encargará de que sean humillados.

 

  • En las Escrituras, Babilonia representa al mundo y toda su mundanalidad.

 

  1. Babilonia está vacía de significado.

 

  • Babilonia fue en su tiempo la ciudad más grande del mundo. Fue el centro de poder del antiguo Imperio Babilónico. Era opulenta y hermosa. Los Jardines Colgantes de Babilonia fueron considerados en su día una de las Siete Maravillas del Mundo.

 

  • El nombre Babilonia, en griego, significa «puerta de los dioses», pero en hebreo proviene de Babel, que significa «confusión». Fue un centro de religión ocultista, de donde deriva el número del Anticristo en los últimos tiempos: 666, basado en el cuadrado mágico del sumo sacerdote ocultista de Babilonia. La historia está ligada a la profecía.
  • Dios está en contra de todo lo que representa Babilonia porque se opone a Dios, es vacía y sin sentido, y destruye la vida de todos los que la siguen en sus corazones.

 

  • Pero cuando estás en Babilonia, es fácil perderse.
  • ¿Qué podía salir mal? Habían teatros y restaurantes. Habían Se podía comprar una casa a las orillas del río. Había un Starbucks casi en cada esquina, aunque en aquella época servían café turco. En las tiendas se vendía comida; se podían comprar las mejores alfombras persas del mundo; en Babilonia se podía encontrar todo lo que uno deseara.
  • ¿O acaso había…?
  • Babilonia, con toda su opulencia y riqueza, no era suficiente. Dios les recordaba en Jeremías 50 que hay mucho más.

 

  1. Dios conmueve el corazón de aquellos que desean más
  • Hay quienes saben en su corazón que este mundo no es suficiente. Dios tiene algo más. Existen lugares más profundos para los anhelos del alma, hay más significado y propósito que los que se pueden encontrar en Babilonia o en los placeres de este mundo.

Salmo 63:1-5, Oh Dios, tú eres mi Dios; te buscaré con ansias; mi alma tiene sed de ti, mi carne te anhela, en tierra seca y árida donde no hay agua… Porque tu misericordia es mejor que la vida, mis labios te alabarán; te bendeciré mientras viva; alzaré mis manos en tu nombre. En ti mi alma se sacia como con médula y grasa.

  • Las cosas agradables del mundo son, sin duda, agradables. Lo entiendo. Cafés con leche y macchiatos de caramelo, Red Robin, aire acondicionado; ver fútbol mientras se comen palomitas y Doritos; ¿qué más se puede pedir?
  • Es agradable, pero no es suficiente. Estas cosas no pueden satisfacer el alma que anhela la gloria.

Ilustración: Cuando Moisés intercedió por Israel, tuvo la oportunidad de pedir algo personal, algo solo para sí mismo. ¿Qué pidió? ¿Qué era lo que más deseaba?

          «Muéstrame tu gloria», le pidió Moisés a Dios. Moisés había visto más de la gloria de Dios que cualquier otro ser humano, y aun así quería más. ¿Por qué? Porque la gloria de Dios es hermosa para el alma, y él anhelaba más.

  • Dios quería que los judíos exiliados en Babilonia siguieran anhelando a Jerusalén, que buscaran las promesas de Dios más que los tesoros babilónicos.

Ilustración: Calvin Miller escribió en su libro El final: “El mundo es pobre porque todos sus mapas del tesoro son de la tierra… pero su fortuna está enterrada en el cielo”.

Salmo 137:1-5, Junto a los ríos de Babilonia, nos sentamos y lloramos al acordarnos de Sion. En medio de ella, colgamos nuestras arpas sobre los sauces. Porque allí nuestros captores nos pedían canciones, nuestros verdugos nos pedían alegría, diciendo: «Cántennos una de las canciones de Sion». ¿Cómo podemos cantar la canción del Señor en tierra extraña? Si me olvido de ti, oh Jerusalén, que mi mano derecha pierda su destreza.

  • Esto se parece mucho a una expresión que los judíos han usado durante casi mil años: “El año que viene en Jerusalén”. Estas son las palabras que se pronuncian cuando su cena de Pésaj está por terminar: “L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim”.
  • Estas palabras infundieron esperanza a los judíos dispersos entre las naciones del mundo tras su destrucción en el año 70 d. C.
  • En el corazón de los judíos siempre ha existido una profunda añoranza por Israel y Jerusalén. Y ahora han recuperado su patria, pero aún les falta algo: su Mesías.
  • El significado último de la frase “El año que viene en Jerusalén” es “el año que viene con el Mesías en Jerusalén”. Su mayor esperanza y anhelo es que el Mesías se dé a conocer.
  • Y Él se dará a conocer a Israel al final de los tiempos, y cuando lo vean, lo reconocerán como “aquel a quien traspasaron”.
  • Nosotros, que creemos en Jesucristo, hemos hallado nuestra esperanza y a nuestro Mesías, y aún anhelamos más; Dios aumenta la capacidad de tu alma para que anheles más gloria, más de la paz de Dios, más de la alegría de Dios.
  1. Dios se encuentra en la búsqueda

 

  • Versículo 4 – “En aquellos días y en aquel tiempo”, declara el Señor, “vendrán los hijos de Israel, tanto ellos como los hijos de Judá; irán llorando mientras van, y buscarán al Señor su Dios”.

 

  • Dios quería que buscaran, que desearan más, que anhelaran la belleza de la gloria de la presencia de Dios en Sión.

 

  • Lloran porque por fin ha terminado. Han esperado mucho tiempo. Fue un viaje largo y oscuro; «el llanto puede durar toda la noche, pero la alegría llega por la mañana».

 

  • Estas son lágrimas santas: el hermoso llanto profundo de un pueblo que finalmente ha visto el vacío de Babilonia y vuelve sus corazones hacia su hogar. Dios está pintando un cuadro de un verdadero avivamiento, y las lágrimas revelan por qué este regreso es tan precioso.

 

  • Alguien podría preguntar: «Pensaba que Dios era quien nos buscaba. Dijiste que Dios es quien nos persigue; que está a la puerta, llama y nos llama por nuestro nombre. Sin embargo, ahora dices que Dios quiere que lo busquemos».

 

  • Mi respuesta: tienes razón, Dios es quien busca. Envió a su Hijo a buscar y a salvar lo que se había perdido. Cuando encuentra a un pecador, lo invita a abrir la puerta de su corazón y Jesús entrará en su vida.

 

  • Dios está reconciliando a los pecadores consigo mismo a través de su Hijo, Jesucristo. Pero una vez que te ha encontrado, una vez que te has reconciliado con Dios… busca más. Anhela más de Dios. Busca lugares más profundos. Busca una relación más profunda. ¡Anhela más de la gloria de Dios!

 

  1. Búscalo y luego únete a Él.
  • Versículo 5 – “Preguntarán por el camino a Sion, volviendo sus rostros hacia ella; vendrán para unirse al Señor en un pacto eterno que no será olvidado.”
  • Es un verso profundo. Se podrían escribir libros enteros explicando su significado.
  • Se refiere al nuevo pacto eterno. Lo mencionó por primera vez en Jeremías 31.

Jeremías 31:31-35: «He aquí, vienen días —declara el Señor— en que haré un nuevo pacto con la casa de Israel y con la casa de Judá… Pondré mi ley en su interior, y la escribiré en su corazón; y yo seré su Dios, y ellos serán mi pueblo. Y ya no enseñarán más, cada uno a su prójimo ni cada uno a su hermano, diciendo: “Conoce al Señor”, porque todos me conocerán, desde el menor hasta el mayor de ellos —declara el Señor—, porque perdonaré su iniquidad y su pecado, y no me acordaré más de ellos».

  • Si has abierto tu corazón y le has pedido a Jesús que entre en tu vida, entonces ahora mismo estás bajo ese Nuevo Pacto.
  • La noche en que Jesús fue traicionado, la noche en que celebró la Última Cena con sus discípulos, tomó la copa y dijo: «Esta copa es la copa del Nuevo Pacto, constituido con mi sangre».
  • Cuando Jesús derramó su sangre en la cruz del Calvario aquel día, estaba dando su vida como rescate por ti. Esa sangre fue el pago por tus pecados, un pago completo.

Jeremías 50:20, “En aquellos días y en aquel tiempo —declara el Señor— se buscará la iniquidad de Israel, pero no se hallará; se buscarán los pecados de Judá, pero no se hallarán; porque perdonaré a los que dejé como remanente.”

  • Ahora que tus pecados han sido perdonados y borrados de tu cuenta… “únete al Señor en ese pacto eterno”.
  • En otras palabras, aférrate al Señor con tu alma… Él es donde el alma encuentra “su lugar de descanso”.
  • Versículo 6 – “Mi pueblo se ha convertido en ovejas perdidas… y ha olvidado dónde descansaban.”
  • Dios desea que tu alma encuentre allí su lugar de descanso, en la belleza de la cercanía de Dios.

Deuteronomio 33:27, “El Dios eterno es una morada, y debajo están los brazos eternos.”

  • En Éxodo 33, cuando Israel se encontraba en el monte Sinaí, Moisés construyó una tienda de reunión y la colocó fuera del campamento. Cualquiera que deseara encontrarse con Dios podía ir allí cuando quisiera.
  • Siempre que Moisés salía del campamento, el pueblo se ponía de pie y observaba cómo Moisés entraba en la tienda del encuentro, y la gloria de Dios descendía sobre ese lugar, y “Dios hablaba con Moisés como un hombre habla con su amigo”.
    1. Lidera el camino
  • Versículo 8 – “Apártense de en medio de Babilonia, y salgan de la tierra de los caldeos; sean como machos cabríos a la cabeza del rebaño…”
  • Significa “abre el camino”. ¡Vamos! Anima a los que te rodean y sigue adelante.
  • ¿Vas a liderar o a seguir?
  • Resuelve esto entre tú y Dios. No dependas de nadie más. Es un asunto entre tú y Dios. «Yo sé en quién he creído…»
  • Versículo 5: “Preguntarán por el camino a Sion y volverán sus rostros hacia ella.”
  • “La cruz ante mí, el mundo a mis espaldas. No hay vuelta atrás, no hay vuelta atrás…”

DonateLike this sermon?

If you enjoyed the sermon and would like to financially support our teaching ministry, we thank you in advance for partnering with us in sending forth the word.

Donate

We have a service in progress. Would you like to join our live stream? Join The Live Stream No Thanks