A watered garden will produce an abundance of fruit, and it will sustain a whole community if it is managed right. Certainly, it will sustain the farmer and his family.

Jeremiah chapter 31 contains several pictures of the restored Jerusalem and   God’s chosen people, headed by the covenant of God. A small remnant returns to restore the land to its former Glory.  A picture of a well watered garden. All this is meant as a witness to the nations that God is faithful to his people and able to bless them as He promises. Just like here at Riverview, we started out with a small remnant of God’s chosen people to restore to order what God had originally built, and to restore its former Glory. And Riverview can be a well watered garden too.

Jeremiah 23:3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

Jeremiah is saying the happy and prosperous state the Jews should be in after their return from the captivity, both as to their religious and civil state.

Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Jeremiah is also saying to the ten tribes as those strictly of Judah, should come and sing praises to God; and should there come to beg of God good things upon the account of his goodness, owning him as the God of their mercies, whether of a spiritual or temporal nature; such as Food, Health, Home, and an increase of their cattle, both flocks and herds

 Israel’s regathering like a flock of sheep, will be accompanied by a renewal of God’s material blessings. Those who will be restored to the land will rejoice in the bounty of crops and flocks will flourish. Jeremiah compared Israel’s material wealth to a well-watered garden that was producing in abundance. This outpouring of blessings will produce gladness, comfort, and joy to all people.

Jeremiah compares a Shepherd-The caretaker over his flock is referred to as illustrating God’s care over his people God Great Shepherd, also referring (Pastor /Overseer). The Flock –of sheep or goats, that are tended and cared for by a shepherd. In a biblical context, the term is often used metaphorically to refer to a community of believers under divine guidance what we would call today the Church.

Like a shepherd God would lead them back home and restore their agricultural prosperity and joy. They would come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and thank Him for His abundant blessings. With their obedience the people would increase in numbers and enjoy a renewed relationship with God, they and their Church would grow. Riverview with our obedience the people here will increase in numbers and enjoy a renewed relationship with God, and our Church would grow.

Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

The Lord is the source of all that is good, and we must worship Him, offering our prayers, praise, and glory for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. We must give thanks for what the Lord has given us. This is what He provided.

Wine– Fruit of the vine. Grain-Seeds of cereal plants like wheat, barley, or corn, used as food. Field- A cultivated field, but unenclosed (our field / place of opportunity to do ministry for God). Flow- Worshippers to the temple causing a revival in the people to draw them in to the House of God.

Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, And satisfy thy soul in drought, And make fat thy bones, And thou shalt be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

A garden cannot grow without water, and a garden (field) overgrown with weeds must be tended weeds must be pulled and fertilizer applied in order for it to grow healthily and bear fruit. Just as a garden that has been sufficiently watered does not thrive simply with a single watering but requires constant care and daily watering to grow healthily, so too is the church that is, the garden a place where the holy God dwells, a place filled with His Word, comfort, and hope. We need God’s Word and His teachings to fulfill our mission at the highest level God requires of us. The Word is the water for our garden. The Word and water are closely connected to the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus left here to comfort us.

Deuteronomy 30:5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good and multiply thee above thy fathers.

Deuteronomy 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

There is no longer any suffering or sorrow for those who believe. This is because we have an eternal home in Heaven that cannot even be compared to this world where we live for a brief time. It is because we, as believers, have triumphed over death and everything in this world together with Jesus. This victory belongs not only to the Church but, as the Word clearly states, to Jesus Christ Himself; and it also refers to Israel when they love and believe in Jesus. (When the foolish people of Israel entered the wilderness, they carried a great deal of heavy, useless gold and silver treasures rather than the most precious water and as they walked through the scorching wilderness, they willingly complained and grumbled, bearing pain and hardship; because of their disobedience, they were unable to enter the Promised Land. The most precious thing in this world is a person who has met Jesus and been saved; living a reborn life means being renewed daily with health and joy through the water of life.

As followers of God, we just like a garden well-watered must become a people who are vibrant, beautiful, prosperous, and thriving, where everything grows and flourishes. A people overflowing with joy are armed with prayer in any circumstance; when we obey the Word and move forward boldly, Jesus, our Shepherd, cares for us, and that blessing manifests itself concretely in each person as God’s answer.

In other words, grain (the provision of life), wine (joy and the covenant), and oil (God’s choice) which symbolize God’s abundance ensure that when we become worthy, the garden, nourished by that water (the source of life), flourishes abundantly and we will never thirst. Put into practice the truth that obedience is better than sacrifice.

Not sorrow anymore – referring to the Church triumphant, as well as to literal Israel being triumphant too.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Amen!