Weekly Meditations: Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah 31 begins with the words “At that time”. The time God is referring to is the time described in the previous chapter; the time Israel is restored from captivity. Something will happen at the time they come back and God says they will be restored. God is telling Jeremiah of the things that are to come when they go back home as Jeremiah is still in captivity at the time of this writing. In verse 31, God says “The days are coming”. After they have been reestablished in Jerusalem, the days will come when something drastic will change forever. God says “I will make a new covenant”. God says this covenant will not be like the first one. This first covenant was one written on stone, established at Mt. Sinai and broken quickly. This covenant God declares will be in the heart. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” This new covenant is clearly different in that it will be a part of who they are. Yahweh will be their only God and the people of this covenant will be the blessed people. This chapter focuses on the restoration of Israel, the future covenant through Jesus the Messiah, which gives hope to those living in a foreign land. 

Application 

We are now a part of this new covenant. We are the people who live by the Spirit and who have the mind and heart of Christ for those who have put on Christ and have the holy Spirit. We all know God through the Spirit and our sins are forgiven. We are living in the time this prophecy looks forward to and that means we should be living like we are a part of the new covenant. We should be telling everyone of the works of God and celebrating God’s blessings. He has blessed us with a new covenant through the blood and resurrection of Jesus that brings forgiveness and hope of life to all who believe.