I want to share some commentary about God’s covenants, but first wanted to ask: how has your week been? How has God spoken to you regarding our prayers? He is such an amazing and awesome God! Throughout this entire week, He has reinforced His faithfulness to me and given me instruction on how I can be more faithful to Him.
This has happened through social media posts, words that others have said to me, and by placing things (convictions, reminders) on my heart. It’s just been an entire week of affirmation. I hope you’ve witnessed it, too.
Commentary
Yesterday’s verses led me to Jeremiah 31:33-34, and when I looked up this passage at EnduringWord, David Guzik shared a brief summary of God’s covenants. I’m thinking about printing them out and putting them in my Bible for reference. Here’s what he shared (starting with verse 31):
a. The days are coming, says the LORD: What Jeremiah prophesied as God’s faithful messenger was not yet present in his day.
David Guzik
b. I will make a new covenant: God announced that at a time future to Jeremiah’s day, He would make a new covenant. This new covenant would first be with Israel, but it would be not according to the covenant that God made with Israel in the Sinai desert.
i. Throughout the Bible, God reveals His plan of redemption through a series of covenants. After the extended story of the fall and ruin of humanity in Genesis 1-11, the story of the covenants begins.
· The Abrahamic Covenant promised to Abraham and His covenant descendants a land, a nation, and a blessing to extend to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3).
· The Mosaic or Sinai Covenant gave Israel the law, the sacrifices, and the choice of blessing or curse (Exodus 19).
· The Davidic Covenant that promised an everlasting dynasty, a perfect ruler, and the Promised Messiah (2 Samuel 7).
· God’s plan of redemption through the covenants is completed and perfected in the New Covenant. Over the span of Old Testament passages that announce the new covenant (especially Ezekiel 11:16-20, 36:16-28, and 37:21-28), we see the promises of gathered Israel, of cleansing and spiritual transformation, and the reign of the Messiah.
ii. “The promise relates to a ‘new covenant’ and is a prediction of a radical change in God’s economy (i.e., his dealing with humanity).” (Feinberg)
iii. Jesus specifically instituted this new covenant by His death on the cross, and He specifically instituted the recognition and remembrance of it with the bread and cup of communion (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20). It was future to Jeremiah’s day, but it was put into effect by Jesus and specifically by His work of atoning sacrifice at the cross.
iv. The writer to the Hebrews quotes this passage and develops the theme of the new covenant, especially in contrast to the old (Hebrews 8:8, 8:13, 9:15, and 12:14).
You can read the rest of his commentary by clicking here.
Bible Verse of the Day
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Jeremiah 31:33-34 NKJV
Pray
Please join me today in saying a prayer of thanksgiving to our marvelous, loving God. He planned our rescue from the beginning because He loves us so much. Praise Him. If you’re struggling in your faithfulness to Him, or know someone who is, ask for help and guidance. He will show you the way.
Prayer Requests
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