Jeremiah

Jeremiah 34: The LORD keeps every promise

Begin in prayer

Before we read about King Zedekiah and the people who broke their promise, let us bow before the LORD in prayer. Ask Him to make our hearts faithful, to draw near to our family as we read, and to show us Jesus, the faithful Son who keeps every promise.

I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered.

Psalms 89:34

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that You keep Your covenant even when we break ours, and help us to trust You. Show us Jesus, the faithful Son, 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

Nebuchadnezzar’s army fights against Jerusalem and the cities of Judah while Jeremiah brings the LORD’s word to King Zedekiah (verses 1 and 2). The LORD says Zedekiah will go to Babylon, and he will not die by the sword (verses 3 to 5). Only two fortified cities, Lachish and Azekah, are still standing in Judah when Jeremiah speaks (verses 6 and 7). King Zedekiah makes a covenant with the people to set free their Hebrew servants, and they agree (verses 8 to 10). Then they change their minds, take back the servants they had set free and force them to serve again (verse 11). The LORD reminds them that He made a covenant with their fathers when He brought them out of Egypt (verses 13 and 14). Because they turned back and profaned His name, the LORD gives them over to the sword, the pestilence and the famine (verses 15 to 17).

As you read Jeremiah 34, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

The LORD keeps His word and His covenant, even when His people break their promises.

Nebuchadnezzar’s army had surrounded Jerusalem and the last fortified cities, so this word came during the siege (verses 1 and 7). The LORD told Zedekiah that he would see the king of Babylon face to face and be taken to Babylon (verse 3). Jeremiah 52 records that Zedekiah was taken to Babylon, so the LORD’s word about the king came true. God’s law said a Hebrew servant must be set free after six years of service (verse 14). The people made their covenant in the LORD’s house, under His name, and then they took the servants back (verses 15 and 11). The covenant was sealed with a calf cut in two, a solemn sign of what would happen to anyone who broke it (verse 18). Jesus is the faithful Son who kept every promise, and in Him the LORD keeps His covenant with all who trust Him.

How does Jeremiah 34 show us that the LORD keeps His word and His covenant, even when His people break their promises?

The LORD keeps every word He speaks.

The LORD said Zedekiah would be taken to Babylon, and that word came true (verses 2 and 3). His word stands even when the people turn away from Him (verses 5 and 22). Every listener can trust the LORD’s word, so turn from sin and trust Jesus.

His people broke the promise they made before Him.

The people made a covenant in the LORD’s house, then took back the servants they set free (verses 10 and 11). The LORD saw that they had profaned His name (verse 16). We all break our promises.

The LORD does what He said, even when it is judgment.

Because the people broke the covenant, the LORD gave them over to the sword, famine and pestilence (verse 17). The calf cut in two showed what would happen to anyone who broke it (verse 18). Jesus is the faithful Son, and His blood seals the new covenant for His people.

Memorize

I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage

Jeremiah 34:13

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, have I broken my promises to God, and will I trust Jesus, who never fails?

Zedekiah broke the promise he made before the LORD, and the people broke theirs too. They set their servants free for a moment, and then took them back (verses 10 and 11). Yet the LORD did not break His word, and every word He spoke about the city came true.

Our sin breaks God’s covenant in the same way. We have all broken our promises, and we cannot keep the covenant by our own strength. Jesus is the faithful Son who kept every promise. He went to the cross, bore the punishment our sin deserved, and rose again on the third day. His work is finished, and nothing is left to add. He is still faithful, and He keeps His word to every sinner who comes to Him.

So come to Jesus, the faithful Son, and turn from your sin. Trust Him, and not your own promises, to hold you. He will never break His covenant with those who trust Him, and He will never turn that person away. The LORD’s word stands forever, and that word still calls every sinner to Jesus.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the LORD keeps His word, even when people break their promises. Parents, you may want to explain what a covenant is, and why the calf was cut in two. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that He keeps His word and His covenant, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awesome!

Psalms 111:9

Lord, thank You that You keep Your word and Your covenant, even when we break ours. Forgive us for our broken promises and for our unfaithful hearts. Thank You for Jesus, the faithful Son, who kept Your word for His people. Help each of us to turn from sin, trust Him, and rest in Your promises this week. Amen.