31“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
declares the Lord.
33“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,” (Jeremiah 31)
20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Jesus- Luke 22:20)
Thoughts: The old covenant (Old Testament) was broken. The people had forsaken God, and made a mess of His Law. The promise was that if they followed God they would inherit the land and their descendants would be numerous. Now they would be kicked out of the land and many of their offspring are killed. But, there is still hope. The people would come back to God and come back to the land.
But the new covenant is a new promise- a promise that goes further- of heaven (the true promised land) and forgiveness and the Gospel spread to all the nations. The great covenant language is here: "I will be their God and they will be my people." This is a bond, a relationship. But Jeremiah and Jesus would say the relationship is not a physical one- but a spiritual one. The Law is not just upon their bodies but upon their minds and hearts. The new covenant is a new way to open up the knowledge of God to all people- not just a few. God took the Jews- became a Jew- and then opened up the door of election to all people.
But the new covenant is a new promise- a promise that goes further- of heaven (the true promised land) and forgiveness and the Gospel spread to all the nations. The great covenant language is here: "I will be their God and they will be my people." This is a bond, a relationship. But Jeremiah and Jesus would say the relationship is not a physical one- but a spiritual one. The Law is not just upon their bodies but upon their minds and hearts. The new covenant is a new way to open up the knowledge of God to all people- not just a few. God took the Jews- became a Jew- and then opened up the door of election to all people.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for opening up the knowledge of you to my heart. Let my heart be yours- undivided and true.
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