◄ Jeremiah 12:15 ►
But after I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.
Study Bible
But after I have uprooted them
The phrase "uprooted them" comes from the Hebrew root "נָתַשׁ" (natash), which means to pull up or tear away. In the context of Jeremiah, this refers to God's judgment upon the nations, including Judah, for their disobedience and idolatry. Historically, this uprooting was manifested through the Babylonian exile, a period of significant upheaval and displacement. The imagery of uprooting is powerful, suggesting a complete removal from one's place of origin, akin to a plant being torn from the soil. Yet, it is crucial to note that this action, though severe, is not final. It serves as a divine discipline intended to lead to repentance and restoration.

I will again have compassion
The Hebrew word for "compassion" is "רָחַם" (racham), which conveys a deep, tender love and mercy. This word is often used to describe God's covenantal love for His people, akin to the love a parent has for a child. Despite the judgment and the uprooting, God's nature is inherently compassionate. This promise of compassion highlights the hope and assurance that God's anger is not everlasting. His ultimate desire is to restore and heal, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to His covenant with Israel.

and will bring each of them back
The act of bringing back, or "שׁוּב" (shuv) in Hebrew, is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, symbolizing repentance and restoration. This return is not just a physical relocation but also a spiritual renewal. It signifies God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises and His ability to restore what was lost. Historically, this was fulfilled when the exiles returned to Jerusalem under the decree of Cyrus the Great, as recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Spiritually, it points to the ultimate restoration through Christ, who brings believers back into right relationship with God.

to his own inheritance
The term "inheritance" in Hebrew is "נַחֲלָה" (nachalah), referring to the land allotted to the tribes of Israel as their perpetual possession. This inheritance was not merely a piece of land but a symbol of God's promise and blessing to His people. It represented stability, identity, and divine favor. The promise to return to one's inheritance underscores God's intention to restore not only the physical land but also the spiritual heritage and identity of His people. It is a reminder of the enduring nature of God's promises, which are irrevocable and eternal.

and to his own land
The phrase "his own land" emphasizes the personal and communal aspect of God's restoration. Each individual and tribe had a specific portion of land that was divinely appointed. This return to one's own land signifies a restoration of personal and communal identity, security, and purpose. In a broader theological sense, it points to the ultimate restoration of all creation, where believers will dwell in the new heavens and new earth, fully restored to their intended purpose and relationship with God. This promise of land is a foretaste of the eternal inheritance believers have in Christ, where they will dwell with God forever.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of judgment and restoration to the people of Judah and the surrounding nations.

2. The Nations
Refers to the surrounding nations that God promises to uproot due to their sins but also to restore in His compassion.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which is the primary audience of Jeremiah's prophecies.

4. Inheritance
The land given by God to the Israelites, symbolizing God's promise and blessing.

5. Restoration
The act of God bringing back the people to their land, signifying His mercy and faithfulness.
Teaching Points
God's Justice and Mercy
God is just in His judgment but also merciful in His promise of restoration. This duality should encourage believers to trust in God's perfect balance of justice and mercy.

The Importance of Repentance
Restoration follows repentance. Believers are called to examine their lives, repent of their sins, and seek God's forgiveness to experience His restoration.

Hope in God's Promises
Even in times of discipline, God’s promises of restoration provide hope. Believers can hold onto these promises during difficult times, knowing that God is faithful.

The Role of Compassion
God's compassion is a central theme. As recipients of His compassion, believers are called to extend compassion to others, reflecting God's character.

Inheritance and Identity
The return to one's inheritance signifies a return to identity and purpose in God. Believers should seek to live in the fullness of their identity in Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's justice and mercy in Jeremiah 12:15 affect your view of His character?

2. In what ways can you practice repentance in your daily life to align with God's call for restoration?

3. How can the promise of restoration in Jeremiah 12:15 provide hope in your current circumstances?

4. What are practical ways you can extend compassion to others, reflecting God's compassion as seen in this verse?

5. How does the concept of inheritance in Jeremiah 12:15 relate to your identity and purpose as a believer in Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 30:3-5
This passage speaks of God's promise to restore Israel after they repent, similar to the theme of restoration in Jeremiah 12:15.

Isaiah 14:1
Highlights God's compassion and the return of His people to their land, echoing the promise of restoration.

Ezekiel 36:24-28
Discusses the gathering of Israel from the nations and the renewal of their land, paralleling the restoration theme.

Romans 11:23-24
Paul speaks of the potential for restoration for those who turn back to God, reflecting the hope of restoration in Jeremiah.
Sermons
Mercy and JudgmentA.F. Muir Jeremiah 12:14-17
The Tide that has no Ebb, But OverflowsS. Conway Jeremiah 12:14-17
People
Jeremiah
Places
Anathoth, Jerusalem, Jordan River
Topics
Bring, Compassion, Heritage, Inheritance, Pass, Pitied, Pity, Plucked, Plucking, Return, Turn, Uprooted
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 12:15

     1030   God, compassion

Jeremiah 12:14-15

     4504   roots

Jeremiah 12:14-17

     5704   inheritance, material

Library
Calms and Crises
'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the pride of Jordan?'--JER. xii. 5, R.V. The prophet has been complaining of his persecutors. The divine answer is here, reproving his impatience, and giving him to understand that harder trials are in store for him. Both clauses mean substantially the same thing, and are of a parabolic nature. The one adduces the metaphor …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Are You Prepared to Die?
"There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain." There everlasting spring abides, And never-withering flowers; Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours." Taking "the swelling of Jordan" to represent the precise time of death, the question really is, what shall we do when we come to die? "How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" I. We notice, in the first place, that this is an EXCEEDINGLY PRACTICAL …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 11: 1865

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour, …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Of the Trinity and a Christian, and of the Law and a Christian.
EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. These two short treatises were found among Mr. Bunyan's papers after his decease. They probably were intended for publication, like his 'Prison Meditations' and his 'Map of Salvation,' on a single page each, in the form of a broadside, or handbill. This was the popular mode in which tracts were distributed; and when posted against a wall, or framed and hung up in a room, they excited notice, and were extensively read. They might also have afforded some trifling profit to aid …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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