Day 15 - Promise of the New Covenant
Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
Yesterday we watched the Bible project on sacrifice, atonement and purification. All rituals that made the Israelites right with God. The lamb taking the sin and the blood covering our sin. Well, things are about to change. Jeremiah, a prophet in the Old Testament times, gives us the promise of the New Covenant - Jeremiah 31:31-34. And this New Covenant radically changes how God relates and “deals” with his people.
There is so much goodness with the New Covenant. This covenant changes everything for us. You see, the Israelites did not keep the old covenant they made with God. For one thing, it was nearly impossible to keep all the rituals, ceremonies and laws. I was taught there were 365 rules in the old covenant to follow! Granted, the Israelites at the time of the Old Covenant needed lots of rules and laws to figure out how to exist and function as a community of believers. And it still helps us today. So it’s important to note that the new covenant doesn’t do away with the old covenant it only draws the law closer and more important as it now is set in hearts. The Old Covenant simply prepares the way for the New Covenant.
So what is the New Covenant?
It’s the promise of inner transformation which we know of today as the Holy Spirit. The law up until now was all externally focused- a promise written on stone tablets, but God promises here in Jeremiah 31:33 that He now puts the law within us and writes it in our hearts. God wants direct, spiritual connection with us. He wants to be our God and He desires for us to be His people.
But what’s even greater is that this spiritual connection with our Father is simply made by “knowing the Lord” (v34) and God himself will make Him known to us. And not just certain people, the least of them to the greatest of them - All people.
So the last part is what really connects the old and new covenants. Remember with the Old Covenant a sacrifice was need for a connection with God and to cover ones sin. But in verse 34, God declares that with the New Covenant He will completely forgive our iniquity which is sin and remember it no more. Read that last part again. And remember it no more.
The New Covenant brings us true cleansing from sin. It’s wipes clean. We are made fresh as freshly fallen snow. It’s a forgiveness so complete that God will no longer remember our sin, our failures, our wrong doings for those who are connected to Him through the New Covenant.