The Covenant with David
The LORD announces the coming fulfillment of His good word to Israel and Judah by causing a righteous Branch to spring from David. This king will execute justice and righteousness, Judah will be saved, Jerusalem will dwell securely, and the Davidic and priestly lines will continue in the service of rule and worship before the LORD.
B14ehold, the days are coming, 15In those days and at that time 16In those days Judah will be saved, 17For this is what the LORD says: David will never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18nor will the priests who are Levites ever fail to have a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to present sacrifices.”
The word of the LORD comes again, arguing from the impossibility of breaking His covenant with day and night. Only if that fixed order could be broken could His covenant with David and with the Levites fail; instead, He will multiply David's offspring and the Levitical ministers beyond counting.
19And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20“This is what the LORD says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that day and night cease to occupy their appointed time, 21then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant and with My ministers the Levites who are priests, so that David will not have a son to reign on his throne. 22As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted and as the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so too will I multiply the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister before Me.”
The LORD addresses the people's complaint that He has rejected the two families He chose and answers that His covenant with heaven and earth stands unchanged. Therefore He will not cast off the descendants of Jacob and David but will restore their fortunes and show them mercy.
23Moreover, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 24“Have you not noticed what these people are saying: ‘The LORD has rejected the two families He had chosen’? So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25This is what the LORD says: If I have not established My covenant with the day and the night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, 26then I would also reject the descendants of Jacob and of My servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore them from captivity and will have compassion on them.”