A reflection on Jeremiah 33:14-16 and Psalm 25:1-10 for the First Sunday of Advent, November 28, 2021.

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Jeremiah 33:14-16 (NRSVA)
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Psalm 25:1-10 (NRSVA)
The prophet Jeremiah’s vision is one of hope.
To be sure, his message was not a palatable one. He has predicted the exile of God’s people. He hears this current ‘word of the LORD’ while he is ‘shut up in the court of the guard’ (Jeremiah 33:1, ESV). Clearly his prophecies do not suit some. God’s words spill from Jeremiah’s mouth “…I have hidden my face from this city because of their evil.’ (Jeremiah 33:5, ESV).
Who wants a prophet publicly backing the enemy even while the enemy closes in?
And yet even as Jeremiah articulates the immediate threat of war and captivity there is a looking beyond this horrific season: ‘Behold, I will bring health and healing…’ (Jeremiah 33:6, ESV); ‘I will restore the fortunes of Judah…and Israel…and rebuild them…’ (Jeremiah 33:7, ESV); ‘I will cleanse them…I will forgive all the guilt…’ (Jeremiah 33:8, ESV); ‘…there shall be heard again the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing…”’Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!’” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at the first, says the LORD.’ (Jeremiah 33:10-11).
The Old Testament passage from Jeremiah assigned to this First Sunday of Advent is a far reaching vision of hope. Jeremiah reminds the besieged people of Israel of promises they couldn’t possibly imagine while in the midst the chaos and struggle of this mighty and descending army. Surely they will not hear the prophet’s words of hope before they are captives far from their beloved Jerusalem.
Even then, Jeremiah’s words will take them back to a time they would rather forget. The fear. The chaos. The terror. the uncertainty and separation. The tragic and traumatising loss.
Yet in the very moment of this apocalyptic descent and Israel’s greatest uncertainty, God spoke. In the panic of war, the still small voice of God was heard in a cell by a faithful man whose vision was pulled beyond the current chaos to a time of unimaginable restoration. At the same moment as the mighty, God-planted, oak of Israel is felled, there is a call to notice the ‘righteous branch’ springing from the stump.
Here is a call to ‘wait’ and ‘trust’ – an insistence that Israel’s story is not over even as they are led unwillingly from the land miraculously promised, and given to, their ancestors.
Reading Psalm 25:1-10 alongside Jeremiah’s timely vision amounts to a powerful parallel. We can easily imagine this poem on the lips of those who’s memory of the land they love is fading. They are surrounded by the unfamiliar. Everything is foreign. The way back is unknown.
And yet they are slowly turning again to the God of Jeremiah. His words are being read. They are daring to hope – and pray – even from exile. Perhaps Psalm 25 put their deepest longing into whispered prayer:
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous...
God will restore. It is for us to wait, trust, and hope.
Conversation Starters:
How does the timing of Jeremiah’s prophecy make these promises all the more potent? Have you ever heard the still small voice of God in the chaos?
Pray Psalm 25. Where are you being asked to ‘wait’ and ‘trust’? What role does hope play in drawing you into this dance of trust?
Why do you think this passage is assigned to this Advent season? What are the parallels between Jeremiah’s ‘righteous branch’ and the Jesus whose birth we anticipate?