Advent December 19, 2006

Third Tuesday: The New Covenant

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD.

"In those days people will no longer say,'The fathers have eaten sour grapes,and the children's teeth are set on edge.

'Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes---his own teeth will be set on edge.

"The time is coming," declares the LORD,"when I will make a new covenantwith the house of Israeland with the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenantI made with their forefatherswhen I took them by the handto lead them out of Egypt,because they broke my covenant,though I was a husband to them,"declares the LORD.

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israelafter that time," declares the LORD."I will put my law in their mindsand write it on their hearts.I will be their God,and they will be my people.

No longer will a man teach his neighbor,or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'because they will all know me,from the least of them to the greatest,"declares the LORD."For I will forgive their wickednessand will remember their sins no more."

Jeremiah 31:27-34

Last week we studied the passage in 1 Kings that describes the dedication and consecration of the temple. Now in the story, a few hundred years had passed, the temple had been destroyed, and the Jews were watching another destruction occur---this time, the destruction of all of Jerusalem. Most of the Jerusalem people were being transported to Babylon to become slaves.

The news coming from the prophet Jeremiah was, for the most part, not good news. However, in chapter 31 Jeremiah did have some good news. The Lord declared that just as He watched over the uprooting and the tearing down, the overthrowing, the destruction, and the disaster, so He would also watch over them to build and to plant. Building and planting were extremely important to the Jews, as buildings brought roofs over their heads, and planting brought them food to eat. But that wasn't even the best news; more good news followed.

God was establishing a New Covenant. The Israelites were enduring suffering due to their failure to live up to the covenant that God established with Moses---the Ten Commandments. The laws were external and the Israelites had failed to follow them. But now God was bringing a new way: the law would be planted internally---it would be put in their minds and written on their hearts. Everyone, not just the house of Israel and the house of Judah, would know the Lord. It would no longer be a hierarchy, because all, from the least to the greatest, would know the Lord.

Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by offering His blood in the perfect sacrifice, as demonstrated in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, a passage on Communion. Jesus states in verse 25: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." The blood Jesus shed offers a lost world a new way. It offers the chance to know the Lord by having Christ's law of love put in our minds and written on our hearts.

Reflect and discuss: What does the New Covenant mean to you? Consider when the prophecy was given---in the midst of destruction and disaster. Think about a time when you thought God had given you a promise, but it seemed too farfetched and the circumstances were too far from what the promise held. Ask God to give you faith to believe that He can accomplish His purposes in your life, just as He promised in Jeremiah 31:33-34.

For younger children: Have a gift available for your children to wrap. Speak with them about how God gives gifts to us as well. He gave us the gift of Jesus, who loves everyone---from the least of us to the greatest. Talk about how we can follow His example and give to those who may be forgotten. Think about someone to whom you could take the gift.