The Big Story: God Speaks to Jeremiah about His New Covenant


Covenants are critical parts of the Big Story of the Bible.  They include God's covenant with all living after the great flood in Noah's time, his covenant with Abraham, his covenant with the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai, and his covenant with David.  

God's covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai governed his relationship with the nation of Israel.  The Bible describes that covenant in Exodus 19:1ff.  God came to his people and entered a special relationship with them.  He said he would be their God and they would be his people as long as they obeyed his commands. God's most important commands required his people him alone.  Since he was committing himself to them, worshipping other gods would be spiritual adultery.

Sadly, the Israelites failed to worship the Lord alone.  They engaged in idol worship, including horrible practices like child sacrifice.  For this reason, the Lord sent prophets to warn his people that if they didn't change, he would destroy their nation.  One of these prophets was Jeremiah.  

Jeremiah spoke scathing words of judgment against Judah.  Yet God's last word was never judgment.  He said that after God took his people into exile for a generation, they would return home.  

Beyond that, Jeremiah said the Lord would form a new covenant with his people (31:31-34).  It wouldn't be like the old covenant, in which he wrote his commands on tablets of stone.  This covenant failed, though God was faithful to his part.  Instead, he would put his laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  He would transform them from the inside out.

The Lord Jesus said his saving work in his crucifixion and resurrection was the fulfillment of this prophecy.  As he celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, he said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22:20)

The apostle Paul picked up on this idea when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:6ff that we are ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter that kills, but of the Holy Spirit, that gives life.  He says that the Holy Spirit works in Christ followers to transform them into God's image.

The life of following Christ is one of inner spiritual transformation.  Let him enter your heart and transform you!


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