What is a covenant?
What was the old covenant? (Exodus 19:5)
What is the new covenant (Luke 22:20 & Matthew 26:28)?
How does God write His laws on our hearts today?
BBC BACKGROUND from Jeremiah 31
The most important part of this whole chapter is the promise of a New Covenant (31:33) in which God would put His Law within them and write it on their hearts. The Old Covenant was the Mosaic Covenant from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. God had announced a series of punishments that would occur if they transgressed it (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28), and the final judgment would be the deportation to Babylon in 586 B.C. God's New Covenant would be an internalization of His Law, giving them the inner ability to obey. This would result from God giving them the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:24-32; Joel 2:28-32). The Holy Spirit did not universally indwell all believers in the Old Testament times. So, this was a new concept.
The Scarlet Thread of Redemption
The Scarlet Thread of Redemption
As part of the New Covenant, God would forgive Israel's wickedness and remember their sins no more. A holy God could not "overlook" sin. So, sin's penalty would be paid for by a Substitute (Isaiah 53:4-6): JESUS!
In the Upper Room, Christ proclaimed that the New Covenant was to begin through the shedding of His blood (Matthew 26:27-28; Luke 22:20). Our sins would be "overlooked" because Jesus would pay the penalty required of man for His sin and avert the wrath of a holy God.
As believers today, we enjoy the spiritual blessing of the New Covenant through the forgiveness of our sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual and physical blessings will be realized by Israel on a future day when they acknowledge their sin and turn to the Substitute for forgiveness (Zechariah 12:10-13:1).
REFLECTION
I am letting the realities of the New Covenant sink deep into my soul this morning as I meditate on God's everlasting love and His drawing of us to Himself through Jesus, the Substitute for our sins! Ahhhhhhh.
APPLICATION
Look at the complete picture of God given in Jeremiah 30 and 31 (Specifically look at 30:12-15; 18-22; 23-24; 31:1-9; 10-22; 23-34; 31:35-37; 33:19-22). Having this complete picture helps you understand the significance of the New Covenant!
PRAYER
Thank You most Holy God for overlooking my sin because of the Substitute, Jesus. It is in His name we pray, Amen.
1 comment:
Thank you for your SUBSTITUTION for my sin, Jesus!
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