The Coming Salvation Of His People (Jeremiah 23:6-8).
And when this son of David came Judah would be delivered and Israel would dwell in safety. They would be free and independent under His rule. This was partly fulfilled in Jesus' establishment of His ‘congregation' (Matthew 16:18; Matthew 21:43; compare John 15:1-6) who would be the heavy laden who would find rest and ease to their souls (Matthew 11:28-30) and ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God' (Romans 8:21). But it would only find its complete fulfilment in the eternal kingdom.
And ‘He will be called YHWH our Righteousness (Tsidkenu)'. For He will be made unto them Wisdom from God, even Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). He will clothe them with the garments of salvation and cover them with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). He will be their Saviour (Luke 2:11; Acts 5:31; 2 Timothy 1:10). And it will be both an accounted righteousness (Genesis 15:6) and an imparted righteousness. Both have always been necessary for those who would serve God. That was why sacrifices and offerings were provided, and the Law was to be written in their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).
“In his days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely,
And this is his name by which he will be called,
YHWH our righteousness.”
The picture here is of Judah and Israel as a free and independent people ruled over by their king who will Himself be righteous and will instil into them the righteousness of God. It will finally be fulfilled in the everlasting kingdom. But we may see a partial fulfilment now. As is made clear in Isaiah (Isaiah 45:8; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 51:5-6; Isaiah 51:8; Isaiah 59:17) the concepts of righteousness and salvation go hand in hand, there could be no salvation without righteousness, and there could be no righteousness without salvation, for to be truly His they must have righteousness imputed to them (Genesis 15:6) and righteousness imparted to them, and thereby they would be saved and would dwell in safety and at peace with God.
There is a play here on the name of Zedekiah which actually means ‘YHWH is righteous'. And the point being made is that unlike Zedekiah He will be truly righteous, and truly a producer of righteousness. He will be what Zedekiah should have been. It may be that Zedekiah chose this name as his throne name precisely because of Jeremiah's prophecy, or it may be that Nebuchadrezzar had a sense of humour.
‘Therefore, behold, the days are coming, the word of YHWH, that they will no more say, “As YHWH lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,” but, “As YHWH lives, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them.” And they will dwell in their own land.”
Compare Jeremiah 16:14-15. This was prophesied more than once. Thus while the coming Exile appeared to be, and was, a catastrophe they were in the hands of the living God, and from it He would produce a new deliverance which would be so wonderful that they would no longer hark back to the deliverance from Egypt, but would look back to their deliverance from exile in all the countries to which they had been driven. And they would dwell again in their own land. And it was on such a deliverance that the Jews looked back in the time of Jesus. But in Jesus Christ the vision would extend outwards and He would become a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6-7; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 60:1-3) as well as the glory of His people Israel (Luke 2:32; Isaiah 60:1). And the final fulfilment awaits the everlasting kingdom when Abraham and all God's people will finally receive the land for which they were looking (Hebrews 11:10-14).