How will the nations come to the Lord from the ends of the earth?

Once again in this passage (Jeremiah 16:14–21), the announcement of judgment (Jeremiah 16:16–18) is followed by the promise of restoration in Jeremiah 16:19–21. This particular restoration passage focuses on the nations turning to the Lord and was probably added because it continues and contrasts the theme of Judah’s idol worship mentioned inJeremiah 16:18. The foolishness and unfaithfulness of Judah is made even more obvious when compared to the nations who turn from their gods to worship the Lord.¹

Saying to the Lord, My strength, my stronghold, my refuge, is often used in the Psalms (for example Psalm 18:2–3; Psalm 28:1,Psalm 28:7; Psalm 59:10,Psalm 59:17) and elsewhere in the Old Testament to express confidence in the Lord.² Jeremiah is expressing confidence in the fact that ultimately the nations will come to the Lord from the ends of the earth and say: Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is not profit. From the very beginning, the Lord had promised Abraham that through his descendants the Lord would restore his blessings to the nations. Therefore, throughout the whole of the Old Testament, Israel held the belief that the day would come when the nations would turn from their false gods and turn to the Lord as the one true Creator of all. This was the inevitable conclusion of the Lords redemption plan which is made clear by the question in Jeremiah 16:20: Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods! The answer to the question is obviously, No! These words reflect the consistent message throughout the Old Testament that worshipping gods made with your own hands is pointless and foolish (for example Jeremiah 2:11; Jeremiah 5:7; Jeremiah 10:1–16; Jeremiah 12:14–17;Isaiah 40:19–20;Isaiah 42:8; Isaiah 45:14–25).³ How can the creature, made in the image of its Creator, possibly create a god in its own image (Genesis 2:6)?