Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20050706.htm

JEREMIAH: STAYING UPRIGHT AMIDST EVIL PRESSURES
Part IX: Prophecies Of Judah's Final Consolation
B. Hoping In God's New Covenant That Will Produce His Final Blessing
(Jeremiah 31:27-40)
  1. Introduction
    1. Many people regret their past sinful mistakes that have led to much negative "excess baggage" and wish they could somehow get a new beginning and put such failure behind them.
    2. God offered Israel a new beginning with the "New Covenant" in Jer. 31:27-40, and it was mentioned by Christ at His institution of the Lord's Table as the "New Testament" (Matt. 26:28; Mk. 14:24; Lk. 22:20), for some of its blessings are enjoyed by us Christians since we are "in Him." We view it for edification:
  2. Hoping In God's New Covenant That Will Produce His Final Blessing, Jeremiah 31:27-40.
    1. In sharp contrast to His many declarations of judgment on the people of Israel and Judah, God predicted in Jeremiah 31:27-28 that He would physically restore them to the land and bless them there.
    2. At that time, an errant proverb that circulated in Judah and the Babylonian captives would end, 31:29-30:
      1. Ez. 18:1-2 with Jer. 31:29 reveal a proverb circulated in Judah and the Babylonian captives that taught the Hebrew people were being judged for the sins of their fathers, Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn. to Ez. 18:2.
      2. This was a false proverb, for God judged sinners but blessed the upright, cf. Jer. 31:30; Ez. 18:3-32.
      3. However, God claimed He would put an end to such a proverb, for sin itself, the problem that produced the errant proverb would be overcome by the New Covenant God would make with Israel, Jer. 31:31.
    3. Since the occasion for forming that false proverb was sin in God's people, sin that would be overcome by God's New Covenant, Jeremiah 31:32-40 proceeds to describe that problem-solving New Covenant:
      1. The New Covenant would be different from the old Mosaic Covenant that God had made with Israel when she came out of Egypt, Jeremiah 31:32a; that old covenant was broken because of the sin in the hearts of the people even though God had been very gracious and good to them, Jeremiah 31:32b.
      2. [Note how this heart problem is mentioned in Jeremiah 17:9 with Genesis 6:5-6 and Genesis 8:20-21.]
      3. Accordingly, the New Covenant would address man's HEART problem as described in Jer. 31:33-34:
        1. God promised one day to write His law not on mere external tables of stone, but on the hearts of the people of Israel and Judah, Jer. 31:31, 33; we know from Ezekiel 36:26 in view of Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3:5-6 that this event is the "new birth" by the power of God the Holy Spirit!
        2. We also know this "New Covenant" is based on Christ's death according to Christ's teaching when He instituted the ordinance of the Lord's Table, cf. Mtt. 26:28; Mk. 14:24; Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25.
        3. This New Covenant would lead to everyone in the nation knowing God, and Zechariah 12:10-13:1 shows its provisions will be applied to the nation Israel at Christ's Second coming to the earth.
        4. [We Christians enjoy some of the blessings of the New Covenant like the "new birth", the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins, for we are spiritually put "in Christ" Who is Israel's Messiah, cf. Ephesians 1:3, 13-14; Colossians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5!]
      4. To fulfill this New Covenant, God promised to keep Israel and Judah existing as surely as He kept the sun, moon and stars in their places and functions and as surely as man would not be able to measure the expanse of the stellar universe above nor explore the depths of the earth below, Jeremiah 31:35-37.
      5. Indeed, God would rebuild and bless Jerusalem, starting from her northeast corner and running counter-clock wise around the city wall, Jeremiah 31:38-40; Ibid., p. 1172.
Lesson: (1) Based on Christ's substitutionary atonement, (a) the new birth of the New Covenant is NOW available to all who trust in Christ for salvation, and that by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit; (b) God has thus made it possible for us to live above sin in a "new beginning", cf. 1 John 2:1-2! (2) The New Covenant will be applied to the nation Israel in full form in the Messianic Kingdom.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ to be "born again," and (2) live by the indwelling Holy Spirit to enjoy practical righteousness and a "new start" in life, Rom. 3:23-24; 8:1-4. (3) May we live hopeful of the FULL APPLICATION of the New Covenant in the coming Kingdom (Matt. 26:29), (4) relishing in God's promise that His New Covenant blessings WILL COME as SURE as the universe CONTINUES.