Changes Promised

October 26, 2025 Background Scripture: Jeremiah 31:1 - 40; John 1 :17; Hebrews 8:7 - 13 Lesson Passage: Jeremiah 31:29 - 34; John 1:17 Even as Jeremiah continued to prophesy the nation's punishment that was imminent, God sent a prophecy of consolation. There was hope beyond their upcoming exile into Babylon. God promised to restore His people after the punishment. Most of them would be sent into exile. But a remnant would survive the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem. God would allow that remnant of Judah to return to Palestine. Their disobedience to the covenant God made with their ancestors led to their imminent punishment. Israel accepted the terms of that covenant with the chastisement that came with it; God chastens those He love. The covenant promised blessings from God in exchange for their obedient behavior to His Law. The same covenant also warned of punishment for disobedient behavior. Some in Israel believed they were being punished for the deeds of their ancestors who lived contrary to God's law. Today we call this generational curse. It was easier for them to blame their ancestors than to admit their failure to live up to the standards of the Law. Unfortunately, the Law did not give them the ability to live holy. The Law only exposed sin that is in human flesh. That exposure should lead us to seek the mercy of God. Instead, human pride causes us to stubbornly continue down the path of unrighteousness. The result for them was the punishment outlined in the covenant God made with them. The covenant only stipulated rewards or punishment based on their behavior. The covenant did exactly what it was intended to do. The Law exposed sin that is in human flesh. That sin causes us to rebel against the holiness of God and embrace human pride. The Law stipulated the punishment for it. God promised a new covenant for the remnant that would be restored to the land. They would have the opportunity to get it right. The new covenant would not be written on tablets of stone like the first covenant God gave to the nation through Moses. The provisions and punishments of that covenant had to be taught to the people. The new covenant would be written in the hearts of God's people. Each person would know what God expects of them. Then, each person would be accountable for their own sin. It would be clear that no one would be punished for the deeds of their ancestors. Each person would be accountable for their own iniquity. The new covenant within each person would cause them to know God, and that knowledge would convict them of personal sin. The first covenant was weak because it was based on the works of the flesh. The flesh fights against the things of God which are holy. The first covenant exposed it but was powerless to do anything about it because it was based on rewards and punishments for human behavior. Therefore, they reacted even as we do today: they ignored their sin and acted as though it did not exist. They thought they could avoid punishment by doing so. That is not an option for anyone who is made aware of the new covenant. The new covenant would recognize the presence of God within His people. We cannot ignore His presence because we are brought under conviction by it. While under conviction, the only option is to plead with God for mercy. This new covenant causes God to extend His unmerited favor to us. The new covenant goes beyond rewards and punishments based on human behavior. The new covenant promises the presence of God's grace in the lives of His repentant children. This new covenant would make the first covenant obsolete. These were drastic changes promised by God. The remnant would have reason to hope in the promises of God, and so do we. Robert C. Hudson September 19, 2025