Restoring Fortunes

Text:  Jeremiah 30:1-8

Proposition:  The Lost fortune and the restored fortune

Introduction

Mike Tyson

The famous boxer reportedly earned $300 million in his career, but it wasn't enough to support a lavish lifestyle that famously includes pet tigers.

That's a lot of cat food.

He filed for bankruptcy in 2003, owing $27 million.

During his divorce, Tyson reportedly paid $9 million in legal fees.

Israel had much more than Tyson.  They had riches that make everyone else look poor.  They had the temple and the presence of God with them, but they lost everything they had.

I. The Lost fortune

A. Under Solomon’s reign they had the wisest ruler and the richest man. 

1. The people had so much money under Solomon’s reign that silver was like stones, I Kings 10:27.

2. I Kings 10:14-23

3. 666 talents = $911,587,500,000 (1 talent = 3,000 shekels, 1 shekel = 219 grains, 480 grains = 1 ounce troy, 1 ounce troy =$1,100)

4. I Kings 6:21-22 Solomon overlaid the whole temple with Gold

B. They had the worship of the true God of heaven and his laws

1. Deuteronomy 4:5-8

2. Psalm 147:19-20

3. This was more valuable than all the gold and silver they had.

4. Proverbs 16:16

5. Proverbs 8:10

6. They had the wisdom of God available to them, but they sold it for the lies of strange gods and sin.

7. Proverbs 23:23

C. They lost their fortune

1. Solomon in his later years turned to foreign gods.

2. I Kings 11:1-13

3. This was the beginning of their loss things went downhill from there.

4. II Chronicles 34:14-15, They lost the book of the law.  It was found when Josiah was king and Jeremiah was a boy.  After Josiah died his sons didn’t follow God’s law.

5. They were so poor by Jeremiah’s time that when Nebuchadnezzar came and laid siege to Babylon they ate their own children

6. Lamentations 2:20 and Ezekiel 5:10

7. People who wouldn’t eat a slice of bacon before are now eating their own children, and children are eating their parents.

8. That is as poor as you can get.  I have met people from poor countries, but I have never heard of them being so poor they ate their own children.

9. They had lost everything

10. They had an incurable wound

a. Jeremiah 30:12-15

b. They were as good as dead as a nation.  Their capitol and country were in ruins.  Their people were scattered all over the world.  There was no way that they would ever be a nation again without the help of the Lord.

c. They were in so much distress that the men were described as being in childbirth

d. Jeremiah 30:6-7

II. The restored fortunes (How would their fortunes be restored again?)

A. They would seek God again

1. Jeremiah 29:12-14

2. They lost their fortune because they didn’t seek God.  When they had been punished for their sin.  They would realize how fortunate they were before.

B. The yoke of their oppressors would be broken off.

1. Jeremiah 30:8

2. The yoke of Babylon would be broken.

a. Jeremiah had made six yokes in chapter 27

b. Jeremiah 27:1-3

c. He was to tell the rulers of these lands, Zedekiah, and the people of Judah to submit to the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar.

d. Jeremiah 27:11-12

e. Judah refused to serve under the yoke of Babylon so they were destroyed.

f. Jeremiah 28:11-14

g. No one could break the yoke of Babylon except God.

h. After 70 years God broke the yoke of Israel’s oppressors

C. Their health would be restored again

1. Jeremiah 30:17

2. Their sins were great.  Sin is the cause of all wounds, death and disease.  Before Adam and Eve sinned there was no death.  In heaven there is no sickness, crying or pain.  We all get sick sometimes it may not be from our own sin, but it is the result of sin.

3. Having good health is worth a fortune.  It is expensive to get sick.

4. We carry insurance so that if something happens to us we don’t lose everything we have.

5. A good way to have good health is to follow God’s laws. 

• If you follow his laws your chance of venereal disease is almost zero. 
• Your chance of cirrhosis of the liver is almost zer
• Your chance of cervical cancer are almost zero
• The health problems caused by stress and worry are less
• There are many health problems you avoid as a Christian

D. They would rebuild the temple again

1. Ezra 3:10-13

2. Haggai 2:1-9

3. The house of God would once again be filled with His glory.  The glory of the house they were rebuilding would be greater than the one Solomon built.

4. The old ones who had seen Solomon’s temple were crying partly because Solomon’s temple was much more glorious to them.  It was richly decorated and covered with gold.  The one they were building was not as glorious in their minds, but the Son of God was going to teach and preach in this temple.  Jesus is greater and wiser than Solomon. 

5. Solomon’s kingdom was the greatest the Jews had ever known.  He controlled the most territory and was the richest.

6. Borders do not bind Jesus Kingdom.  His kingdom is worldwide.

7. Daniel 2:31-35 and 44-45

E. David their king would rule over them

1. Jeremiah 30:8

2. David had been dead about 400 years.  This is speaking about Jesus the Son of David ruling over them. 

3. Jeremiah 30:21-22, Jesus is their leader came forth from their midst.

4. He is the one who approaches God for us.

5. Hebrews 9:24

6. He is the one who can restore the fortunes lost to us.

7. He is the yoke breaker.  He can the iron yoke of sin and give you a yoke that is easy and a load that is light.

8. Matthew 11:30

III. We have a fortune (What fortunes do we have?)

A. If you have a good wife you have a fortune

1. Proverbs 18:22

2. Proverbs 31:10

B. We have the wealth of knowing Christ

1. Colossians 2:2-3

2. When we know Jesus Christ.  He will restore our fortunes.  Knowing him lets us store our fortune where we can have it forever.

3. I Timothy 6:17-19

4. Riches are uncertain we can lose everything we have here on this earth, but no one can take the treasures we have in heaven.

C. We have the fortune of heaven waiting for us.

1. Solomon covered the house of God with gold, but in heaven gold isn’t worth much.  It is used for paving streets in heaven.  There is no more death, no more crying, and more pain.

2. Revelation 22:1-3

3. We have the river of the water of life and the tree of life restored to us.

4. Without Jesus we have no chance to receive this fortune

Conclusion

If you don’t confess our sin and repent you will lose your fortune.  You will be in fire of hell forever.  There will be pain and suffering, weeping and gnashing of teeth.  You will be so poor you won’t even be able to buy a drop of water and no one will give you any.  If you confess your sin and repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ your King you can have the fortunes of heaven forever.