Jeremiah

Jeremiah 23: The LORD promises a righteous Branch

Begin in prayer

Before we read about false shepherds and the promised King, let us bow before the LORD in prayer. Ask Him to make us trust His true Word, to strengthen our family, and to show us Christ, the Good Shepherd who gathers His sheep.

Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.

Psalms 23:1

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that You gather Your scattered sheep and give them true shepherds, and help us not to listen to lies. Show us Christ, the righteous Branch, and help us to turn from our sin and trust Him. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

The LORD condemns the shepherds who scatter His flock, and He promises to visit them with the evil of their deeds (verses 1 and 2). He will gather the remnant of His flock from every country and set up shepherds who will feed them (verses 3 and 4). The LORD promises a righteous Branch, a King who will do justice and righteousness in the land (verses 5 and 6). The prophets speak visions from their own hearts, and they say, “You shall have peace” (verses 16 and 17). The LORD did not send these prophets, and He will cast off those who speak His message falsely (verses 21 and 38).

As you read Jeremiah 23, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

The LORD promises a righteous Branch, and Christ is the Lord our righteousness.

The shepherds of Judah scattered the flock and did not visit the sheep (verse 2). The LORD promises to gather His remnant and set up shepherds who will feed them (verses 3 and 4). The Branch would reign as a king, deal wisely, and do justice and righteousness (verse 5). In His days Judah would be saved, and the name given to the Branch would be “Yahweh our righteousness” (verse 6). The prophets of Jerusalem had committed adultery, walked in lies and strengthened the hands of evildoers (verse 14). The false prophets said peace to those who despised the LORD, but He had not sent them (verses 16, 17 and 21). The word of the LORD is like fire and like a hammer that breaks rock, and it cannot be replaced by dreams (verse 29). Jesus is the Branch from David’s line and the Good Shepherd, and He is the Lord our righteousness.

How does Jeremiah 23 show us that the LORD promises a righteous Branch, and that Christ is the Lord our righteousness?

The LORD gathers His scattered flock.

The shepherds scattered the sheep and did not visit them (verse 2). The LORD promises to gather His remnant and set up shepherds who will feed them (verses 3 and 4). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gathers His sheep.

The LORD promises a righteous Branch.

The Branch would reign as king, deal wisely, and do justice and righteousness in the land (verse 5). In His days Judah would be saved, and His name would be “Yahweh our righteousness” (verse 6). Jesus is that Branch from David’s line.

False prophets cannot save or speak for God.

The prophets spoke dreams from their own hearts and said, “You shall have peace” (verses 16 and 17). The LORD did not send them, and their words caused the people to forget His name (verses 21 and 27). Only the true word of the LORD saves, and it is found in Christ, the true Word of God.

Memorize

I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Jeremiah 23:5

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, what goodness of my own am I trusting instead of Jesus?

The LORD said that the shepherds had scattered His flock and driven them away. The prophets spoke their own dreams and said, “You shall have peace.” Yet the LORD promised, “I will raise to David a righteous Branch,” a King who would do justice and righteousness in the land.

Jesus is that righteous Branch from David’s line. He is the true Shepherd who gathers His sheep, and He never scattered one of them. At the cross He died in their place, bearing the judgment that false shepherds and sinners deserved. God raised Him from the dead, and His finished work is enough for every believer who trusts Him. His righteousness is given freely to all who trust Him.

So come to Him, the Lord our righteousness, and stop trusting in your own goodness. Repent of your sin, and receive His righteousness as a gift from God. Whoever comes to Him in faith will be made right with God, and He will not turn them away.

Parent's note

Tell your children that Jesus is the righteous Branch, who gives His righteousness to all who trust Him. Parents, you may want to explain verses 9 to 17 gently, since they describe false prophets and a land full of sin. Please do not assume they are saved because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would make them His own sheep.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that Christ is the Lord our righteousness, and bring the heart question to Him. Ask each child to pray a short prayer.

In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely; and this is the name by which she shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness.

Jeremiah 33:16

Lord, You promised a righteous Branch, and You gave us Jesus, the Lord our righteousness. Forgive our trust in our own goodness and our love for lies. Make us trust Christ alone, and gather us into Your flock. Help us to follow Him this week. Amen.