Jer 31:31-40

Introduction

Have you ever been in a contract with someone? I am referring to a binding contract with each other. Maybe it was for a job that you have agreed to complete. A product that you agreed to pay for.

I am reminded of the time as a teenager, my dad would take me out on one of his many sales ventures. My dad was a natural born salesman and that ability was shared with all his children.

He decided one time to show me the ropes on selling vacuum cleaners door to door.

Some would call them tricks, but for my father, they were a method to produce outcomes.

One was the way in which you would write out the contract. This was the formal document that committed the buyer and the seller in purchasing and delivering the product.

You see, as my dad demonstrated the vacuum, he began filling out the contract by asking questions. The moment they appeared to be ready to consider the idea of purchasing this product, the contract was ready to be signed.

It was my father’s belief that if you arrive at the moment where the buyer is ready to commit and you have to spend time filling out a contract, they have time to second guess and walk away.

A torn up contract that wasn’t accepted was far easier to deal with than a turned away customer.

The People of God, Israel, had entered into a contract with God.

This was not like any other contract we may have but it was very one sided. God Sided.

The Bible gives it a better name than that of a contract it was a covenant.

You see a covenant is different than a contract in a few ways.

It is often more public

It is definitely binding

It is very formal.

One outstanding feature, I see is that if one party breaks the covenant, there are dire consequences.

This morning we are going to look at the theme of Covenant as it is brought out in scripture in Jeremiah 31

I encourage you to open your Bibles to the passage as we will be spending most of our time in Jeremiah Chapter 31 in the last part of this chapter.

Let’s begin by reading the passage together.

Jeremiah 31:31–40 ESV

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” 35 Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name: 36 “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37 Thus says the Lord: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord.” 38 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”

Let’s Pray

The New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31-34

Up until this point, in the lives of the people of God, they only knew of the covenant that God had with them as a people. This covenant was found in the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the written words of God on stone. This is known as the ten commandments.

It has been put this way:

God promises to make a new covenant with his people. It will be superior to the mosaic covenant, which was inferior because of Israel's disobedience. God was their faithful husband, but they were an unfaithful wife, repeatedly breaking the stipulations of the mosaic covenant. Instead of writing the law on tablets of stone and asking his people to internalize it, God will write his new commandment directly on their hearts. God's great covenant promised Israel was well known, “I will be their God and they shall be my people”, but Israel had failed to be faithful covenant partner. Now the Lord himself will ensure that the promise becomes a reality. The new covenant will see unprecedented knowledge of God " they shall all know me, for the least of them to the greatest.” No longer will only a faithful remnant know God, but all his new covenant people will know him. He will bring about his knowledge of himself by freely forgiving their sins.- ESV Study Bible p 911

This is vital for us to know. It was vital for the people to understand as well.

In fact, the concept of new covenant is only found in the entire book of the Old Testament once.

Here

The whole story of Jeremiah points to this passage and is key in understanding the entire Old Testament.

What happens in the OT points to a time where this New Covenant is established.

Jeremiah once again points to his people with the words and sentiment that a time is coming.

The good news today is that time has come for us and we can enjoy that time and celebrate in this time.

Later in the service we are going to do just that. We are going to have a time to commune together and celebrate the new commandment and covenant that God has done with us.

Luke 22:20 ESV

20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

These are words we have repeated over and over again during communion but do we recognize that the Old Testament was all pointing to this time in Christ’s life.

You see the background to this new covenant is the one found in the Mosaic Covenant.

The one introduced between Yahweh and His chosen people at the mount of Sinai found in Exodus 19.

It was a covenant between God, who is sovereign, all powerful, who said to the people and all those who accepted its words and the requirements of those words.

God would fulfill his side of the covenant, yet the people were not ready and willing to take up their part.

In fact, this covenant was dependent upon the people to continue to recognize that God as Lord and to follow and obey the terms of the covenant.

“Failure to obey these laws would result in judgement and the operation of curses of the covenant. Obedience brought the covenant blessings.” - New International commentary of the Old Testament (Jeremiah p 580)

I guess you could look at this and realize that the nature of man, the sin nature, they were doomed to failure.

How can a person be perfect all the time.

I have been watching the Olympics. It is a story of triumph, challenge, personal bests, and in some cases failure.

For some athletes who are interviewed who feel the have not meet up to the standard we as a country as whole expect, they feel they have failed.

Pressure, trials, others who are better, all contribute to the athletes’ feeling of failure. They walk away from these games with unmet expectations and disappointments.

For those athletes that accomplish the task, that of beating their personal best, a Canadian Record, or even a Gold medal and a world or Olympic record. There is a reward or a blessing in that moment.

In watching a few games, I found out that a world record can be broken in any competition, but an Olympic record, even if it is less than a worlds record cannot be broken unless accomplished at the games.

I did some research. The longest standing Olympic record was recorded in 1968 by a long jumper. It was a whopping 29 feet and 2.5 inches.

His record broke the old record by 2 feet.

His world record was beaten in 1991 by 5 cm but it still stands today as an Olympic record.

Broken event records were like that of the people’s record with God.

It was a constant failure to meet up to the expectations and terms of the covenant.

Some would look back at the history and point out, like Jeremiah did on many occasions, that it was the refusal of the people to obey the law and its requirements, but in actuality their were in capable of complete obedience.

You can say that there would always be room for improvement. Perfection in the eyes of God cannot and would not be achieved by the covenant law laid out at that time.

Jeremiah 31:32 ESV

32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.

In describing the New Covenant, verse 32 describes the type of covenant that was broken. It was the metaphor of a husband and wife.

God had done mighty acts for the people by way of deliverance and yet that did not drive them to a passion to follow God.

He was their God. They were His people, but they time and time again refused to recognize this fact.

A new plan,

a plan set out before time,

needed to be put in place.

look at the second part of verse 33

Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV)

I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Imprint:

One definition puts it this way

1 : to mark by or as if by pressure : impress. 2a : to fix indelibly or permanently (as on the memory)

Why do birds strive to build a nest

Why does the bee make honey?

Why do the young ducklings follow their parents

You could go on and on about nature, but it has been God imprinted in them to do these things.

But for us,

God has imprinted the longing to have God fill our lives.

We are created in the image of God and have a natural desire to have this spot filled.

It has been pressed upon our lives. There are so many people in this world that try so many different things to fill that vacuum with a false filling and they come away empty.

Yes we are born into sin, a broken and marred relationship with God,

we need to look no farther than

Romans 5:12 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Apart from God’s redemptive work on our lives, we are lost.

There is a need for a new covenant.

Yahweh himself purpose is to bring about the necessary change in peoples in their nature which will make them capable of obedience.

He will set his law within them and write it on their hearts, that is, on their minds and wills. The old covenant was written on stone or in a book, but this new one is on the person.

It will be imprinted upon them.

Folks,

Rules and regulations can be outwardly followed, but inwardly rejected. The outward appearance or compliance is not a true change. True believe comes from within.

our definition of a disciple of God as we are Seeking, Transforming, Empowerment within community.

God needed to write this new covenant upon their hearts.

the last part of the new covenant is the extent upon which this covenant will cover.

You see the old covenant needed to be constantly renewed.

But the new covenant has a different response.

Jeremiah 31:34 (ESV)

34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord.

This first part of the verse is the description of the old covenant.

but the second part of the verse give a wonderful description of what the new covenant will look like

Jeremiah 31:34 (ESV)

For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This requires not only a heart change as I have mentioned in weeks before, but a memory change, that of God’s memory and the sin in our lives.

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (f. God’s New Covenant (31:31–34))

Finally, the climax of this wonderful section comes in the revelation that the basis of the new covenant is forgiveness of sin. Thus gratitude for forgiveness will issue in spontaneous obedience. The new covenant does not envision sinlessness but forgiveness of sin resulting in restoration of fellowship with God. The foundation of the new covenant is the absolute and complete forgiveness of all sins.

This is the greatest news you can read,

one commentary puts it this way:

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (f. God’s New Covenant (31:31–34))

The last clause of v.34 states that what grace forgives, divine omniscience forgets. In summary, the enunciation of the new covenant, which differs so much from the old, focuses on its permanence and its sustaining principle that evokes gratitude for the forgiveness of sin. The overarching emotion is love, not fear. The goal in both covenants is the same (so Peake): “I will be their God, and they will be my people” (cf. v.33 with Exod 29:45; Lev 26:12):

If you have not given your life over to the one who has created you, sustains you, and longs to restore His relationship with you, what is stopping you.

He has written his love on your hearts, and has given his life so that you might be redeemed by the shed blood of Christ.

This is why we celebrate communion. Why we remember what Christ has done for our lives.

It is the new Covenant

The Inseparable Bond Jeremiah 31:35-37

The next three verses in this passage are two sayings in the form of a proverb sayings that show the relationship between God and his beloved. Namely the Israelites. God’s chosen people.

The first saying is a description of God’s work in creation and in the order of things. That God will and continues to exist and will continue to work to sustain things in this world. The notion of ceasing is so absurd that it was stated as such.

Similar would be the statement that as long as their is air to breath, we will continue to live.

The second statement is similar in its fashion, but from a different angle.

The main point of this is that God is inseparable from man.

It was a great comfort for the people who at that moment in the story line were feeling like they lost it all.

I often would love to say to those athletes who go to the games, compete, yet come home without a medal in their possession. Some feel like they have let their country down. I would love to tell them that no matter the outcome, you are an Olympian.

God, through the words written down in this verse is telling the people. I will be your God, you will be my people and that will never change.

Today, if you are feeling God has abandoned you, He has not, he will not.

Today, if you are feeling like there is no hope in this world, God is there. He has imprinted himself onto your heart and is waiting for you to turn to him.

Come to Jesus, accept his free gift of salvation given for us by the son, who came to this world, died for our sins. Paid the price in FULL....

There is nothing that you can do to please God from the sin in your life than placing them on Jesus.

If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and confess with our lips, that He has saved us, we will have eternal life.

God will never leave, he is waiting for you to come to him today.

The New Jerusalem Jeremiah 31:38-40

The last section of this passage leave us with Jeremiah’s understanding and looking forward to a new Jerusalem.

The place for all Jews to look towards was destroyed.

But days are coming.

This is eschatology. The study of future events. Often found in the books of prophetic literature, but can also be found in many of the new testament writings.

But this was stated for the people.

Their city would one day be restored.

This was a hope for the people. It will be measured, rebuilt and restored.

This was both a figurative and literal statement as with most eschatological statements.

What does this mean for us today. As believers in the risen Christ, the son of God who is currently sitting in the heavens at the right hand of God what can we expect in future times.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel g. The Perpetuity of Israel (31:35–40)

A renewed covenant demands a renewed Jerusalem. It will be greatly enlarged and permanently settled. The rebuilding is not for themselves or for secular purposes but for the glory of the Lord. It will be dedicated and separated to him (cf. v.40).

Folks,

There is coming a time when Christ will return to gather his people.

Hebrews 9:28 ESV

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

He will save us from a life that we live today

Matthew 24:31 ESV

31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Those who have called upon the name of the Lord on that day will be draw up with Him.

Behold, there is coming a day, a day like no other.

Look at these words found in 1 thess 4

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

From that moment on, those who have placed their trust in the Risen Lord will be united with Christ to usher in His Kingdom.

A new day to glorify Him.

That is a fact that drives me today. A day is coming.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, as we looked over this morning’s text there is coming a day. A day those who have put their trust in the saviour, Jesus Christ will once again be united with Him, but until that day,

As people of God with his impression upon our hearts, we would like to spend a few moments coming together around the communion table .

While we prepare by taking out the elements, I have asked the worship team to lead us in a song.

Communion

Benediction