Promise of a New Covenant

November 12, 2017 Background Scripture: Jeremiah 31 Lesson Passage: Jeremiah 31:27 – 34 Today’s lesson text would be considered great news by those who are living in bondage in foreign lands. However, this is a very different message when received by a group that is currently living free in their homeland. This message was delivered to the children of the southern kingdom of Judah prior to them being taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Yes, they were still in their homeland but were under siege (or military lockdown) by the Babylonian army. A message of this type is similar to being told that the prognosis suggests that the patient’s conditions will get better—after surgery! This is a classic “good news – bad news” scenario. The northern kingdom of Israel had already fallen at the hands of the Assyrians over one hundred years earlier. For over one hundred years, the northern ten tribes of Israel (Ephraim) had been taken into captivity and enslavement and scattered geographically. Now, the southern kingdom of Judah was being besieged by the Babylonian army and the end of their sovereignty as a nation was at hand. In the midst of this gloom and doom situation, God sent some good news. Israel will be restored in Palestine. This is God’s promise and it is as sure as the cycles of nature where one can witness the sun, moon, and stars in a fixed cycle with the earth’s rotation and orbit. In spite of the transgressions of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, God will still faithfully uphold His covenant that was established and confirmed in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Both kingdoms were punished by God and suffered emotional and public embarrassment. The people were scattered away from Palestine into multiple nations as slaves. God promised to regather them in Palestine and forgive their transgressions. Furthermore, God would give them a new covenant that will be truly unique. The new covenant will not be written on stones or scrolls but God was going to write it on the hearts of His people. Because of this inward covenant, each person would know God for themselves and not rely on others to teach them about Him. They will have spontaneous praise and worship for God. They will dance and sing before Him with the tambourine. God would again bless the fruit of their labor. They will tend flocks and plant vineyards and enjoy the increase thereof. Individual responsibility will become the order of the day. Each person will bear the reproach and burden of their own sins. The children will not suffer because of the spiritual negligence or transgressions of their parents. Each person will be held accountable for his own actions. The kingdom will no longer be divided and they will all worship upon Zion together. As sure as God had caused punishment to come upon them, He would in turn restore them to Palestine and bless them. Their sins will be completely forgiven and the Lord will not bring their sins to remembrance anymore. This is the promise of the New Covenant. Robert C. Hudson October 26, 2017