Jeremiah 31:28
Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD.
Just as I watched over them
The phrase "watched over" in Hebrew is "שָׁקַד" (shaqad), which conveys a sense of vigilance and attentiveness. Historically, this reflects God's active role in the lives of the Israelites, both in judgment and in blessing. The imagery here is of a watchful guardian, emphasizing God's sovereignty and His intimate involvement in the unfolding of His divine plan. This vigilance is not passive but is a deliberate and purposeful oversight, ensuring that His will is accomplished.

to uproot and tear down
The words "uproot" and "tear down" are translated from the Hebrew "נָתַשׁ" (natash) and "נָתַץ" (natats), respectively. These terms are often used in the context of judgment and destruction. Archaeologically, this reflects the historical periods of conquest and exile that Israel experienced, such as the Babylonian captivity. Spiritually, it signifies God's authority to remove what is unfruitful or rebellious, akin to a gardener removing weeds to allow for healthy growth.

to demolish and destroy
"Demolish" and "destroy" come from the Hebrew "הָרַס" (haras) and "אָבַד" (abad). These words further emphasize the completeness of God's judgment against sin and disobedience. Historically, this can be seen in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which served as a tangible reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. Yet, this destruction is not without purpose; it is a precursor to renewal and restoration.

and to bring disaster
The phrase "bring disaster" is derived from the Hebrew "רָעָה" (ra'ah), meaning calamity or evil. This reflects the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where disobedience leads to curses as outlined in Deuteronomy. However, this disaster is not arbitrary; it serves as a corrective measure intended to bring the people back to repentance and reliance on God.

so I will watch over them
Here, the repetition of "watch over" (שָׁקַד, shaqad) signifies a shift from judgment to restoration. It underscores God's unwavering commitment to His people, promising that just as He was diligent in judgment, He will be equally diligent in their restoration. This is a profound assurance of God's faithfulness and His desire to see His people flourish.

to build and to plant
The words "build" and "plant" are translated from the Hebrew "בָּנָה" (banah) and "נָטַע" (nata). These terms are rich with imagery of construction and agriculture, symbolizing growth, stability, and prosperity. Scripturally, this points to the promises of restoration and renewal found throughout the prophetic books, where God promises to restore Israel to a place of blessing and abundance. It is a message of hope, indicating that God's ultimate plan is one of redemption and life.

declares the LORD
This phrase, "declares the LORD," is a common prophetic formula in Hebrew, "נְאֻם יְהוָה" (ne'um YHWH), which serves to affirm the authority and certainty of the message. It is a divine seal, assuring the listener that these words are not merely human speculation but are the assured promises of the Almighty. This declaration invites trust and faith in God's unchanging character and His sovereign will.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his messages of both judgment and hope to the people of Judah.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who speaks through Jeremiah, promising both judgment and restoration.

3. Judah and Israel
The divided kingdoms of God's chosen people, recipients of both judgment and the promise of restoration.

4. Babylonian Exile
The historical context of Jeremiah's prophecies, where Judah was taken into captivity as a result of their disobedience.

5. Restoration
The future promise of God to rebuild and replant His people after a period of judgment and exile.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Judgment and Restoration
God is in control of both the tearing down and the building up. His purposes are ultimately for the good of His people and His glory.

The Faithfulness of God's Promises
Just as God fulfilled His promises of judgment, He will also fulfill His promises of restoration. Believers can trust in His faithfulness.

The Role of Repentance and Obedience
Restoration follows repentance. God's people are called to turn back to Him, aligning their lives with His will to experience His rebuilding.

Hope in Times of Discipline
Even in times of discipline, believers can hold onto hope, knowing that God’s ultimate plan is to build and plant, not to destroy permanently.

Active Participation in God's Work
Believers are invited to participate in God's work of building and planting, using their gifts and resources to further His kingdom purposes.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's sovereignty in both judgment and restoration impact your view of current challenges in your life?

2. In what ways can you actively participate in God's work of building and planting in your community or church?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's discipline. How did it lead to a season of rebuilding or growth in your life?

4. How can the promise of restoration in Jeremiah 31:28 encourage you to remain faithful during difficult times?

5. What steps can you take to ensure that your life is aligned with God's will, so you are ready to be part of His restorative work?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 1:10
This verse connects to Jeremiah 31:28 by showing the dual role of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry: to uproot and tear down, and to build and plant.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3
This passage speaks to the seasons of life, including times to tear down and times to build, reflecting God's sovereign timing.

Isaiah 61:4
This verse speaks of the rebuilding of ancient ruins, paralleling the promise of restoration in Jeremiah 31:28.

Ezekiel 36:36
This verse emphasizes God's role in rebuilding and planting, affirming His faithfulness to His promises.

Zechariah 8:9-13
This passage speaks of the blessings and prosperity that follow God's restoration, echoing the themes of building and planting.
Sweet SleepD. Young
People
Gareb, Jacob, Jeremiah, Rachel, Rahel
Places
Corner Gate, Egypt, Gareb, Goah, Horse Gate, Kidron, Ramah, Samaria, Tower of Hananel, Zion
Topics
Affirmation, Afflict, Break, Bring, Build, Building, Causing, Declares, Destroy, Destruction, Disaster, Evil, Overthrow, Overturning, Pass, Plant, Planting, Pluck, Purpose, Says, Sending, Smashing, Tear, Throw, Trouble, Uproot, Uprooting, Watch, Watched, Watching
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 31:28

     4504   roots
     8491   watchfulness, divine

Jeremiah 31:27-28

     5508   ruins

Library
What the Stable Creation Teaches
'If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever.'--JER. xxxi. 36. This is the seal of the new covenant, which is to be made in days future to the prophet and his contemporaries, with the house of Israel and of Judah. That new covenant is referred to in Hebrews as the fundamental law of Christ's kingdom. Therefore we have the right to take to ourselves the promises which it contains, and to think of 'the house
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

What the Immense Creation Teaches
'If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.'--JER. xxxi. 37. In the former sermon we considered the previous verse as presenting the stability of creation as a guarantee of the firmness of God's gracious covenant. Now we have to consider these grand closing words which bring before us another aspect of the universe as a guarantee for another side of God's gracious
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

August the Twenty-First Satisfaction
"My people shall be satisfied with My goodness." --JEREMIAH xxxi. 10-14. And how unlike is all this to the feasts of the world! There is a great show, but no satisfaction. There is much decorative china, but no nutritious food or drink. "Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again." We rise from the table, and our deepest cravings are unappeased. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" We know. We have had a condiment, but no meat; a showy menu-card, but no reviving feast. Nothing but
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

God in the Covenant
But I have been thinking for the last two or three days, that the covenant of grace excels the other covenant most marvelously in the mighty blessings which it confers. What does the covenant of grace convey? I had thought this morning of preaching a sermon upon "The covenant of grace; what are the blessings it gives to God's children?" But when I began to think of it, there was so much in the covenant, that if I had only read a catalogue of the great and glorious blessings, wrapped up within its
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

The Two Covenants: their Relation
"It is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondmaid, and one by the freewoman. Howbeit, the one by the bondmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise. Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants." -GAL. iv. 22-24. THERE are two covenants, one called the Old, the other the New. God speaks of this very distinctly in Jeremiah, where He says: "The days come, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, not after the
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

The New Covenant
"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."--JER. xxxi. 33, 34. ISAIAH has often been called
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Conversion of all that Come.
"Turn Thou me and I shall be turned." --Jer. xxxi. 18. The elect, born again and effectually called, converts himself. To remain unconverted is impossible; but he inclines his ear, he turns his face to the blessed God, he is converted in the fullest sense of the word. In conversion the fact of cooperation on the part of the saved sinner assumes a clearly defined and perceptible character. In regeneration there was none; in the calling there was a beginning of it; in conversion proper it became a
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Old Things are Passed Away.

John Newton—Olney Hymns

Whether the Active Life Remains after this Life?
Objection 1: It would seem that the active life remains after this life. For the acts of the moral virtues belong to the active life, as stated above [3738](A[1]). But the moral virtues endure after this life according to Augustine (De Trin. xiv, 9). Therefore the active life remains after this life. Objection 2: Further, teaching others belongs to the active life, as stated above [3739](A[3]). But in the life to come when "we shall be like the angels," teaching will be possible: even as apparently
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Waiting Faith Rewarded and Strengthened by New Revelations
'And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A vision of Judgement and Cleansing
'And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel. 4. And He answered and spake unto those that stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him He said,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Perseverance in Holiness
May the King himself come near and feast his saints to-day! May the Comforter who convinced of sin now come to cheer us with the promise! We noticed concerning the fig tree, that it was confirmed in its barrenness: it had borne no fruit, though it made large professions of doing so, and it was made to abide as it was. Let us consider another form of confirmation: not the curse of continuance in the rooted habit of evil; but the blessing of perseverance in a settled way of grace. May the Lord show
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 35: 1889

Appendix xiv. The Law in Messianic Times.
THE question as to the Rabbinic views in regard to the binding character of the Law, and its imposition on the Gentiles, in Messianic times, although, strictly speaking, not forming part of this history, is of such vital importance in connection with recent controversies as to demand special consideration. In the text to which this Appendix refers it has been indicated, that a new legislation was expected in Messianic days. The ultimate basis of this expectancy must be sought in the Old Testament
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Conversion --Varied Phenomena or Experience.
We have spoken of the meaning of this term, inquired into the nature of the change, and noted its essential elements. We have also learned that there are some who do not need it because they are in a converted state, and that all who are not in such a state of Grace, do need conversion, regardless of anything that may or may not have taken place in the past. We inquire now as to the agencies or means by which this change is brought about. For it is a change which man can certainly not effect by his
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

The Girdle of the City. Nehemiah 3
The beginning of the circumference was from 'the sheep-gate.' That, we suppose, was seated on the south part, yet but little removed from that corner, which looks south-east. Within was the pool of Bethesda, famous for healings. Going forward, on the south part, was the tower Meah: and beyond that, "the tower of Hananeel": in the Chaldee paraphrast it is, 'The tower Piccus,' Zechariah 14:10; Piccus, Jeremiah 31:38.--I should suspect that to be, the Hippic tower, were not that placed on the north
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The King in Exile
'And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him. 14. When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt; 15. And was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. "
1 John ii. 1.--"We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." There is no settlement to the spirit of a sinner that is once touched with the sense of his sins, and apprehension of the justice and wrath of God, but in some clear and distinct understanding of the grounds of consolation in the gospel, and the method of salvation revealed in it. There is no solid peace giving answer to the challenges of the law and thy own conscience, but in the advocation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers.
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Lord's Supper Instituted.
(Jerusalem. Evening Before the Crucifixion.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 26-29; ^B Mark XIV. 22-25; ^C Luke XXII. 19, 20; ^F I. Cor. XI. 23-26. ^a 26 And as they were eating, ^f the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread; 24 and when he had given thanks, { ^b blessed,} ^f he brake it, ^a and he gave to the disciples, and said, ^b Take ye: ^a Take, eat; this is my body. ^f which is ^c given ^f for you: this do in remembrance of me. [As only unleavened bread was eaten during the paschal supper,
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The First Covenant
"Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice, and keep My covenant, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me."--EX. xix. 5. "He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments."--DEUT. iv. 13.i "If ye keep these judgments, the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant,"--DEUT. vii. 12. "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, which My covenant they brake."--JER. xxxi. 31, 32. WE have
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Sanctification.
I. I will remind you of some points that have been settled in this course of study. 1. The true intent and meaning of the law of God has been, as I trust, ascertained in the lectures on moral government. Let this point if need be, be examined by reference to those lectures. 2. We have also seen, in those lectures, what is not, and what is implied in entire obedience to the moral law. 3. In those lectures, and also in the lectures on justification and repentance, it has been shown that nothing is
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

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