The New Covenant Jer 31:31-34

Covenants Timeline DeuteronomicMosaic Priestly Abrahamic Davidic New

Setting of the New Covenant The New Covenant as revealed in Jer 31:31-34 must be interpreted both in light of its own historical context and in light of the biblical covenants which have preceded it. Both Israel and her kings have failed to keep covenant with Yahweh. God has sent prophets to call the nation back to covenant loyalty, but the nation has not heeded their message. As a result, God did exactly what He said he would do in Lev 26 and Deu 28: He took the people out of the land as subjects to a foreign power, first the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C., then the Southern Kingdom in 586 B.C.

Setting of the New Covenant In the earlier part of Jeremiah’s book, he is laying out Judah’s guilt and prophesying the resultant punishment of exile. In chapters 30-33, the message turns to one of consolation and future hope. –God will not forsake His people. –After they are purged, He will restore them to the land and fulfill His covenant promises of blessing to them. A key part of this restoration is the New Covenant described in Jer 31:31-34.

Key Passage of the New Covenant Jer 31:31-34 The time of the covenant – “Days are coming” is a phrase Jeremiah uses for the consummation of Israel’s history, i.e. the Day of the Lord. –The New Covenant will bring a radical change in economy that consummates God’s covenant program that began with Abraham. The parties of the covenant – the Lord, the house of Israel, and the house of Judah. The character of the covenant – Different from the one made at Sinai, but what is the difference?

Key Passage of the New Covenant Jer 31:31-34 The difference is largely one of enablement. –The Law will be written not on tablets of stone, but on the very hearts of the people, i.e. internalized. –Instead of a nature to rebel that has characterized Israel throughout her history, the nature of each individual in the nation will be to obey God’s Law. The teaching to “Know the Lord” will no longer be necessary. –Recall that even before the people entered the Promised Land, Moses predicted that they would be exiled for their disobedience, but that the Lord would subsequently restore them, circumcising their hearts so that they might truly love Him (Deut 30:1-6). –Though the New Covenant is distinct from the Mosaic Covenant, the two are also inextricably bound together.

Continuity of the New Covenant with the Mosaic Covenant It thus appears that the difference between the old and the new covenants must be reduced to this, that what was commanded and applied to the heart in the old is given to the new, and the new is but the completion of the old covenant. This is, indeed, the true relation between them, as is clearly shown by the fact, that the essential element of the new covenant, “I will be their God, and they shall be my people,” was set forth as the object of the old; cf. Lev. 26:12 with Ex. 29:45 (C.F. Keil, “Jeremiah” in Commentary on the Old Testament, 282).

Essence of the New Covenant The essence of the New Covenant is that all Israel (not just a remnant) will be God’s people and He will be their God. This was the original objective of the Mosaic Covenant. It will finally be realized through God’s work of heart circumcision (cf. Ezek 36:22-28) and internalization of the Law of God in each individual Israelite, so that the whole nation will truly be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod 19:6). God will forgive the sins of the people, and they will be loyal to Him forever. In Jer 31:35-37 the Lord provides an ironclad guarantee that this covenant will be fulfilled by pointing to the everlasting duration of the elements of nature. Just as these things never cease to exist, so Israel will never cease to exist as a nation and a chosen people before God.

Relationship of the New Covenant to the Previous Covenants Jeremiah’s vision for renewal corresponds with the more comprehensive statements in Isaiah. The earlier prophet merges the Davidic, Mosaic, and Abrahamic covenants in the work of the servant. Jeremiah locates the fulfillment of these agreements at the initiation of the new covenant. When the new covenant comes into effect, the others will be gathered into it, fulfilled and explained by it. Both prophets believe that a new age will come when a cleansed, faithful people of God inherit a glorious city in which they worship the Lord under the leadership of a Davidic descendant. God’s law will be obeyed, and God will rule over subjects from Israel and the nations (House, Old Testament Theology, 320).

NEW DAVIDIC – DEFINED KINGDOM MOSAIC – DEFINED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD & ISRAEL ABRAHAMIC – LAND, SEED, AND BLESSING Relationship Between the Covenants

NEW DAVIDIC – DEFINED KINGDOM MOSAIC – DEFINED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD & ISRAEL ABRAHAMIC – LAND, SEED, AND BLESSING Relationship Between the Covenants

Next Time: The New Covenant in the New Testament Various Scriptures