Dave spoke this morning from Jeremiah 31:31-34, a wonderful prophecy of hope among the judgment and doom generally associated with that prophet’s name. He likened reading the Prophets to taking cod-liver oil as a child: beneficial but not always pleasant to the taste! Nonetheless, in these verses of promise about God’s new covenant, we see the hope that was realised at the cross.
The old covenant, made with the people of Israel and reinforced through the laws given after the Exodus, was an agreement between God and the people, but the people broke it repeatedly through their disobedience. The law brings awareness of sin, but does not give us the power to do what it requires (see Romans 7); what is required is not so much that we turn over a new leaf, but that we have a new life. The new covenant spoken of here and reinforiced by Jesus at the Last Supper, is based on God’s sovereign grace, speaking of an intimate, personal relationship and offering the total forgtveness of sins. Sin no longer has mastery over us (Romans 6); we have hope and are made perfect through Christ’as sacrifice (Heb 10:14).
Our reponse is to take God at His word, know His promises and believe them. This, then, leads to eternal life: knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. (John 17:3)