240. Cause to Dwell Safely
Jeremiah 31:37, 38 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
The anger, fury and wrath of the Lord have driven the Jews into Exile in foreign countries. But He promises to bring them back into “this place.” And in this place they will dwell safely and they will be His people. This return from Exile has been fulfilled, and Jews dwelled safely in the Promised Land once again, although their return and settling again in the Land was an arduous process, and their dwelling safely in the old land of promise was not always in safety and security.
However, the full fulfillment of the promise is for us NT believers in Christ. We shall, according to God’s Promise, dwell safely in the spiritual land, the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom place is spiritually in the hearts of those who have received Jesus as the Promised Messiah; and there is an eternal Land of Paradise in which His people will dwell safely and enjoy securely forever without Sin and Death and Evil.
The beautiful part of the promise is that God says, “I will cause them….” Salvation is of the Lord; He has done the work and finished it, and guaranteed it to us in the resurrection of Christ. God Himself is the effective and final cause of salvation. The Father initiated it; the Son carried it out; the Spirit gives us faith to receive it. The kingdom is ours and we belong in it. So the Word asserts and the Spirit assures through the Gospel.
We can take hold of this promise of “dwelling safely” today, in fact, we need to apply the promise of “dwelling safely” in the Kingdom. Psalm 91: “Make the Most High your dwelling-place…and no plague (pestilence, pandemic, virus) shall come near your dwelling.” Spiritually, we dwell with the Lord in the heart by faith, and we are safe from spiritual attacks.