Jeremiah - Lesson 31C

• Chapters 1-23 Review:

  • The LORD called Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations during the last five kings of Judah.

  • The LORD’s warning to His people is to stop worshipping false gods or He will judge them by destruction and exile using a nation from the North, Babylon.

    • The judgment will include the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

  • The people are to repent from their evil ways; the leaders are specifically called out for their rejection of the LORD’s covenant and the shedding of innocent blood; the false prophets are called out for misleading the people to believe the LORD would not bring judgment on them.

    • Jeremiah is reviled by the leaders and the people of Judah, but the LORD will protect him.

  • The LORD promises there will not be a complete destruction of His people, as He will provide a Messiah and will bring His people back into the Promised Land in a future time, never to be removed.

    • The words of the LORD are always fulfilled as He is sovereign over His creation.

• Chapters 24-29 Review:

  • Good figs are used to represent the Jews who go into exile and will ultimately be those who become the Jews brought back into the land at a future time. The bad figs represent those who rebel against the judgment the LORD has brought on them through Nebuchadnezzar to last for seventy years.

  • Hypocrisy and false teaching and prophecy plague the LORD’s people justifying the LORD’s judgment on them.

    • Jeremiah continues to experience persecution for bringing the LORD’s truth to His people like planning to stay for a long time in Babylon and calling out false prophets. Some of the false prophets are dealt with immediately.

• Chapter 30 Review:

  • The LORD speaks of a future for Judah and Israel that includes first a time of Jacob’s distress followed by a time of regathering and fortunes in the Promised Land. This is an overview of the Tribulation for Israel followed by the Millennial Kingdom ruled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

• Chapter 31 introduction

  • The LORD directs words of future promises to His people, beginning with regathering them to their land, ransoming them, and their joy-filled life with Him.

    • Prophesies are given regarding the pain of bereaved Rachel when the Messiah is born.

    • Prophesies regarding the physical regathering of Ephraim (Israel) are given.

    • Prophesies of the Messiah being both deity and man are given.   

Jer. 31:31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
Jer. 31:32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.
Jer. 31:33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Jer. 31:34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

• Verse 31 The LORD continues to declare there is something else about the days that are coming.

  • He will make a new covenant in these days.

    • This is the only place in the Old Testament where a covenant is referred to as a ‘new covenant.’

  • This new covenant will be for both the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

  • The theme of both houses becoming one nation again also aligns with the rest of the chapter in reference to the time of the Millennial Kingdom.

    • The LORD will initiate a new covenant, in the future, for Israel.

• Verse 32 This new covenant will not be like the covenant He made with their fathers when He took them out of the land of Egypt.

Ex. 24:3 Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!”
Ex. 24:4 Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
Ex. 24:5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.
Ex. 24:6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Ex. 24:7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”

• This covenant is known as the Mosaic covenant.

  • A covenant is a binding agreement between two entities.

  • The Mosaic covenant is a conditional covenant established between the LORD and the nation of Israel.

    • The conditions established blessing for the nation when keeping the ordinances of the covenant and curses when the ordinances were violated. (Lev. 26, Deut. 28)

• According to the Exodus reading the people freely enter into this covenant saying, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!”

  • In contrast this new covenant will not be like the old covenant which they could break.

• Jer. 31:33 This new covenant the LORD is going to make with the house of Israel (Israel and Judah)  will be made with them, ‘after those days’.

  • The days when all the tribes are together.

  • The LORD says this covenant is, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

    • There are no conditions put on the people in this covenant.

    • The only actions of this covenant come from the LORD, “I will put, I will write, I will be their God“.

  • This was prophesied in Deut. 30:5-6

Deut. 30:5 “The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
Deut. 30:6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

• The circumcised heart is not a hard heart but a true heart for the LORD and His ways.

  • This circumcised heart is promised for their descendants as well.

• Jer. 31:33 This circumcised heart is how the LORD can put His law within them and write it on their heart.

  • It will be ingrained as a new nature replaces the old flesh-driven sin nature.

  • The law will no longer be put on a stone tablet as was given to Israel by Moses in the wilderness, the Mosaic covenant.

  • Ezekiel speaks of this new covenant when referring to this new heart and new spirit. Ezek. 11:19-20, 36:24-27.

Ezek. 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
Ezek. 11:20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Ezek. 36:24 “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.
Ezek. 36:25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Ezek. 36:26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezek. 36:27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

• Verse 19 One heart, new spirit within.

  • Remove stone heart (hard heart) and replace with a heart of flesh.

• Verse 24 Regathered into the lands.

  • Verse 25 Applied redemption.

  • Verse 26 New heart, new spirit - remove heart of stone, give heart of flesh.

  • Verse 27 The Spirit is what will cause them to walk in His statues and observe His ordinances.

• Jer. 31:33 review - This new covenant is realized in the Millennial Kingdom; a law written on their heart; He will be their God.

• Jer. 31:34 This verse begins with, ‘they’ and this is defined back in verse thirty-three as the house of Israel.

  • The house of Israel will no longer need to teach each other, his neighbor or his brother, to ‘Know the LORD’.

  • The true knowledge of the LORD is a personal intimate relationship with Him, as believer.

    • Each person in the house of Israel moving into the future will during the Millennial Kingdom all know the LORD, (they are saved) this is why they will not need to teach each other to know the LORD.

    • It is personal for each one yet it is demonstrated nationally as every Jew will be included in this promised new covenant at that time.

  • Jesus defines what it means to know the LORD.

John 17:1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
John 17:2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

• To know the only true God is to know Jesus and this is eternal life.

  • This true knowledge of the LORD will be for everyone of Israel from the least to the greatest of them.

  • Every Jew born in the Millennial Kingdom will be saved, here displayed as, ‘know the LORD.’

• The reason for the nationwide knowing of the LORD is because the LORD has forgiven them all their iniquity.

  • The LORD says their sin He will remember no more.

  • There is a complete removal of their sin; there is nothing left separating them from truly knowing the LORD.

    • The removal of their iniquity was given in Jer. 31:11

Jer. 31:11  For the LORD has ransomed Jacob
And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.

• The ransom took place at the cross. Is. 53:6, 11

Is. 53:6  All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.

• Each one has gone astray.

  • This sin will fall on the LORD; this happened when Jesus carried out the Father’s will and died on the cross.

  • The LORD caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

Is. 53:11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.

• The Righteous One, Jesus Christ, will justify the many by bearing their iniquities.

  • The national sin of Israel rejecting Jesus Christ as their Messiah is removed when they call out in repentance described in Romans eleven. They are able to do this because the ransom has been paid and there will be a specific moment in time when the LORD will draw them to repentance and cleanse them as a nation.

    • Ezekiel gives this same progression and outcome of events.

Ezek. 36:24 “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.
Ezek. 36:25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Ezek. 36:26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezek. 36:27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Ezek. 36:28 “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

• Verse 24 The regathering.

  • Verse 25 The revealed redemption.

  • Verse 26 The new heart with the new spirit within. (new covenant)

  • Verse 27 The Spirit causes Israel to walk in His statues and ordinances.

  • Verse 28 Israel will live in the Promised Land and be the LORD’s people and He will be their God.

• Jer. 31:31-34 is quoted directly in Hebrews 8:8-12.

  • Let’s finish Jer. 31 and then we will look at what is revealed about this new covenant spoken of in Jeremiah in the New Testament.

Jer. 31:35 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:
Jer. 31:36 “If this fixed order departs
From before Me,” declares the LORD,
“Then the offspring of Israel also will cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”
Jer. 31:37  Thus says the LORD,
“If the heavens above can be measured
And the foundations of the earth searched out below,
Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel
For all that they have done,” declares the LORD.
Jer. 31:38 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
Jer. 31:39 “The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah.
Jer. 31:40 “And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”

• Verse 35 The LORD continues with a declaration of who He is by the power He displays over His creation.

  • He gives the sun for light, controls the path of the moon and stars and the course of the oceans.

  • The LORD not only was the creator of the physical world at the beginning of creation but He also continues to control the creation.

Col. 1:15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Col. 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Col. 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

• Verse 15 Christ is God.

  • Verse 16 Christ is the Creator of all things

  • Verse 17 In Him all all things hold together.

Heb. 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
Heb. 1:2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
Heb. 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Heb. 1:4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

• Verse 2 Christ is the creator.

  • Verse 3 He upholds all things by the word of His power.

  • Jer. 31:36 If the world should see the continual control over these wonders of creation cease to exist, only then will the descendants of Israel cease forming a nation before the LORD cease.

    • The continued physical creation is linked to the existence of the nation of Israel.

• Verse 37 The LORD continues by using the ability to measure the heavens or the foundation of the earth to explain the continued existence of the nation of Israel.

  • There will not be a time when man will be able to measure what the LORD has not intended him to understand.

Job 38:31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,
Or loose the cords of Orion?
Job 38:32 “Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,
And guide the Bear with her satellites?
Job 38:33 “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,
Or fix their rule over the earth?

• Man can’t measure or even understand the heavens.

Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Job 38:5  Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
Job 38:6 “On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,

• Man does not understand the foundations of the earth.

  • If there was ever a time when man can understand these things then the LORD will forget the nation of Israel and hold her sin against her and she will cease to exist before Him.

  • The point here is that these things are impossible for men to measure and therefore it is impossible the LORD will ever set His people Israel aside.

• This makes the false teaching known as replacement theology in opposition to the scriptures.

  • For a man to think he can assign a form of judgment on Israel that the LORD clearly rejects should be unthinkable.   

• Jer. 31:38 The verse begins with the familiar phrase, “Behold, days are coming”.

  • The focus is on the next events taking place in a future time.

  • In that future time the city will be rebuilt.

  • The city is a reference to Jerusalem.

    • The purpose for the city to be rebuilt is for the LORD.

  • The outline of the city begins from the Tower of Hananel, located in the northeast corner of the city, to the Corner Gate in the northwest. This establishes the northern boundary.

• Verse 39 The line will then go from the Corner Gate to the hill Gareb, then turn to Goah.

  • The next verse covers the southern and eastern boundary so whatever these points of interest are they would establish the western boundary by process of elimination.

• Verse 40 Everything will fall within the city to include the valley of the dead bodies (Hinnom Valley), all the fields extending to the brook of Kidron; this establishes the southern boundary.

  • The next focal point is the Horse Gate located in the east.

    • The city will be considered holy to the LORD.

    • This city will remain and not be destroyed or overthrown again.

    • This will be a perpetual city to the LORD.

    • These are beautiful promises for the LORD’s people and should bring hope to us all for a glorious future.

  • There is confirmation of the corner gates in Zech. 14:9-10.

Zech. 14:9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.
Zech. 14:10 All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.

• Verse 9 Clarifies this is the Millennial Kingdom time.

• Verse 10 Adds a detail about a change in the topography of the land surrounding Jerusalem being made into a flat plain, yet Jerusalem will rise up and remain on its site.

  • The locations of the gates paralleled with Jeremiah’s details suggest a larger city of Jerusalem than has existed before.

  • A review of the details revealed about this new covenant:

• Jer. 31:31 The LORD will initiate a new covenant in the future for a completed Israel.

  • Verse 32 This new covenant will not be like the old covenant which they could break.

  • Verse 33-34 There are no conditions put on the people in this covenant.

    • The only actions of this covenant come from the LORD; “I will put, I will write, I will be their God.” Written on the heart.

• Verse 35-37 Covenant with Israel as a nation forever.

  • Verse 38-40 Covenant of a renewed land, city and temple.

  • Hebrews 8 confirms the details of the new covenant described in Jer. 33

    • Heb. 8:3 A high priest must offer something

    • Heb. 8:6 Christ is the mediator of a better covenant

• The highlight of the verses included in Jer. 31:31-34.

  • Heb 8:8 A new covenant prophesied - for Israel

  • Heb. 8:10 A Law into their minds and hearts

  • Heb. 8:11 A Law for all Israel in the future

    • How this new covenant was brought about in Christ’s death and resurrection is detailed in Heb. 9:11-15, 26-28.

Heb. 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
Heb. 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Heb. 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
Heb. 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb. 9:15  For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Heb. 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Heb. 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
Heb. 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

• Verse 12 Christ entered the perfect tabernacle through His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

  • Verse 14 The eternal Spirit caused Christ to be without blemish so His blood could cleanse the conscience from dead works (sin)

  • Verse 15 Christ is the mediator of a new covenant.

  • Verse 26 Once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. v 28 bearing the sins of many. (1st coming)

    • Christ will come next for salvation (for those who have accepted His sacrifice for sin)

    • The impact of this new covenant is displayed in Heb. 10:5-15

Heb. 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,
BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
Heb. 10:6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.
Heb. 10:7 “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME
(IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME)
TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
Heb. 10:8 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law),
Heb. 10:9 then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.
Heb. 10:10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb. 10:11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;
Heb. 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,
Heb. 10:13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.
Heb. 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
Heb. 10:15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,

Heb. 10:19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
Heb. 10:20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

• Verse 5-8 This was always God’s design that only a body prepared for Christ in perfection could be sacrificed; doing this was God’s will.

  • Verse 9-10 Only after this first thing (perfect sacrifice) is met can the second thing (sanctification) be applied.

  • Verse 12-14 Christ offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, and perfected those who are sanctified.

  • Verse 19-20 We can now enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, a new and living way through His flesh; faith in this comes from having our hearts cleansed and conscience and body washed (with pure water)

    • It is through Christ’s blood this new covenant was inaugurated.

Luke 22:19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

• This sacrifice and covenant are how all believers are brought into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life with Him.

Heb. 10:37 FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE,
HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.
Heb. 10:38  BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;
AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.
Heb. 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

• Verses 37-39 The righteous hold on to this promise through faith, waiting on Christ’s return.

  • The gift of faith to trust in this promise is given to as many as receive Him.

John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

• This new covenant is through the Spirit of God.

Rom. 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Rom. 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Rom. 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh
Rom. 8:4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

• Sin came to all flesh; salvation comes from the Spirit through Christ Jesus.

2Cor. 3:4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
2Cor. 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
2Cor. 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

• The faith given through the Spirit was always the way in which salvation would come to man.

Gal. 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE” —
Gal. 3:14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

• Jeremiah thirty-one speaks of a new covenant for Israel.

  • This covenant was inaugurated through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

  • Anyone the Spirit reveals this to through faith is saved and has eternal life in Jesus Christ, beginning after His resurrection. Both Jew and Gentile.

    • There will be a spectacular day in the future, at the end of the Tribulation when the Spirit will fall on all who are Israel and they will miraculously believe on Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

    • This day is the focus in Jeremiah, as well as the promises of this new covenant.