These two chapters do not belong chronologically to those that precede or follow. They contain mainly oracle s of salvation which Jeremiah originally uttered on behalf of the conquered remnants of the northern kingdom; then, after Judah began to share Samaria’s fate, the oracles were extended to include Judah . Their composition is to be placed early in Jeremiah’s ministry, probably after the fall of Nineveh when Josiah assumed power over the North. No fully satisfactory explanation has been given to chapter 31:22 “the woman must encompass the man…” Among the more probable are these: formerly the man( the Lord) encompassed the woman(Israel) with mercy ad devotion; now in the spiritual religion of Israel which will follow on the restoration, this order will be reversed. So secure will Israel be after the restoration that women will not longer need the natural protection of their husbands, but even weak women can protect man. Without the seed of man, without carnal union and conception, “a woman will encompass a man” within her womb-One who will advance in wisdom and age through the stages of infancy and childhood. Yet while confined for the usual number of months in his mother’s womb, he will already be perfect man. I had never thought of the virgin birth as an empowerment of women! The new covenant to be made with Israel is a common theme of the prophets, beginning with Hosea. According to Jeremiah, the qualities of the new covenant will be different from the old. It will not be broken, but will last forever. Its law will be written in the heart, not merely on tablets of stone, The knowledge of God will be so generally shown forth in the life of the people that it will no longer be necessary to put it into words of instruction. Are we there yet?
These two chapters do not belong chronologically to those that precede or follow. They contain mainly oracle s of salvation which Jeremiah originally uttered on behalf of the conquered remnants of the northern kingdom; then, after Judah began to share Samaria’s fate, the oracles were extended to include Judah . Their composition is to be placed early in Jeremiah’s ministry, probably after the fall of Nineveh when Josiah assumed power over the North. No fully satisfactory explanation has been given to chapter 31:22 “the woman must encompass the man…” Among the more probable are these: formerly the man( the Lord) encompassed the woman(Israel) with mercy ad devotion; now in the spiritual religion of Israel which will follow on the restoration, this order will be reversed. So secure will Israel be after the restoration that women will not longer need the natural protection of their husbands, but even weak women can protect man. Without the seed of man, without carnal union and conception, “a woman will encompass a man” within her womb-One who will advance in wisdom and age through the stages of infancy and childhood. Yet while confined for the usual number of months in his mother’s womb, he will already be perfect man. I had never thought of the virgin birth as an empowerment of women! The new covenant to be made with Israel is a common theme of the prophets, beginning with Hosea. According to Jeremiah, the qualities of the new covenant will be different from the old. It will not be broken, but will last forever. Its law will be written in the heart, not merely on tablets of stone, The knowledge of God will be so generally shown forth in the life of the people that it will no longer be necessary to put it into words of instruction. Are we there yet?
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