This Sabbath is called Shabbat Chazak because we finish one of the five books of the Torah – Leviticus. There are two Torah portions read and we read the Haftarah from the second parasha, B’chukotai. Jeremiah informs Israel that there will be many hard times for the Jewish people. Not only does he speak about the Babylonian exile, which is imminent, but also a future great tribulation that will come upon Israel in the last days. Therefore it is not surprising that in our section Jeremiah speaks about the Lord as a source of strength and refuge for His people,

“The Lord is my strength and my stronghold and my refuge in the day of trouble…”

Jeremiah 16:19 

In other words, when tribulation comes upon the world in the last days God will manifest His protection to His people in a supernatural manner. In this same verse the prophet speaks about how the nations will respond when they see the Lord’s faithfulness to the Jewish people during this period,

“…unto You (the Lord) nations will come, (even) from the ends of the earth and they will say ‘Only falsehood our forefathers inherited- vanity is not beneficial.”

This section of the verse speaks about a future day when the nations, who have been pursuing things in contrast to the plans, purposes, and the character of God will in the last days fall under conviction and realize that it is the God of Israel, Who is the true God and turn to Him.

It is important that one understand what will cause nations / gentiles to turn to the Lord during this period. Jeremiah announces in verses fourteen and fifteen,

“Therefore, behold- the days are coming says the Lord when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives Who lifted the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt. Rather, As the Lord lives Who lifted the Children of Israel from the north land and from all countries which He scattered them there and Who will return them upon their land which I (the Lord) gave to their fathers.”

Once again, we see the necessity for the Jewish people to return to the land of Israel not only prior to the Kingdom being established, but the Lord’s faithfulness to the Jewish people will cause many gentiles to take note of Him and turn to Him. In other words God is not finished with Israel, neither the people nor the land.  Why will the Lord bring the people back to the land of Israel? God will bring the people back to the land so when Messiah returns,

“…they will look upon Him Whom they pierced…” Zechariah 21:10

The Lord will return the Jewish people back to Israel in the last days and this group will represent but a remnant of the Jewish people throughout history, but this group will see the Second Coming of Messiah and as the prophet Zechariah says later on in his prophecy, they will respond to Jesus by mourning His death which they had not recognized as a nation when He came the first time. This mourning implies not just recognition of Jesus but an acceptance of Him as Messiah.

It is important that one sees the proper picture of redemption in the last days, both Jew and Gentile responding to Messiah and coming together to worship the God of Israel. This truth is reflected in the book that is traditional to study prior to the festival of Shavuot – Ruth. The book of Ruth pictures redemption beautifully, as Boaz symbolizes the Redeemer, i.e. Messiah and he blesses through redemption both Naomi, a Jewish woman and Ruth, a Gentile woman. Notice that both Naomi and Ruth come out of Moab and return to Israel as a prerequisite for the redemption to come. This is exactly the point one learns from Jeremiah.