(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)
““Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says Yahweh. “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh:
“I will put my law in their inward parts,
and I will write it in their heart.
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
They will no longer each teach his neighbor,
and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’
for they will all know me,
from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh,
“for I will forgive their iniquity,
and I will remember their sin no more.”
Yahweh, who gives the sun for a light by day,
and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night,
who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar—
Yahweh of Armies is his name, says:
“If these ordinances depart from before me,” says Yahweh,
“then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before me forever.”
Yahweh says: “If heaven above can be measured,
and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,” says Yahweh.”
(Jeremiah 31:31-37)
“His foundation is in the holy mountains.
Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. Selah.
I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me.
Behold, Philistia, Tyre, and also Ethiopia:
“This one was born there.”
Yes, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one was born in her;”
the Most High himself will establish her.
Yahweh will count, when he writes up the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah.
Those who sing as well as those who dance say,
“All my springs are in you.””
(Psalm 87)
“Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a servant of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law, who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses was warned by God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for he said, “See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.” But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;”
(Hebrews 8:1-8)
Judgment was coming, yes. But beyond the judgment was restoration. Not just for the immediate future (seventy years from then), but in the far future (Jesus’ day and our day), and also in the farthest future (the time yet to come). A New Covenant. A fulfilled covenant. A covenant that would be for God’s people. Not replacing them, but for them. And allowing Gentiles to be grafted in as the adopted sons and daughters of God. The church is all those who believe and trust in Jesus. Jew and Gentile. It is not replacement of the nation of Israel. God Himself says that as long as there is a sun and a moon and a sky, His people are His people and His nation is His nation. He is perfecting His covenant, renewing it, making sure that the only acceptable sacrifice is sacrificed and a new high priest enters his office and stands there for all of time. Writing His Law on our hearts to the point that we don’t NEED to teach each other, because we will ALL know His Word – that time is yet to come. He has started the process. He is renewing the hearts of all believers. He is living within us and renewing us. We have more to come. We have His promise. He ALWAYS keeps His promises.
Jesus was born in God’s Land of Promise as the child of the promise to Abraham. He is the descendant of David. He is the adopted son of the royal line. He was born of a young woman, a young woman engaged to be married, a young virgin woman engaged to be married. He fulfills the promises of God. Jesus is Messiah. Jesus is the perfect human being. Jesus is the worthy sacrifice. Jesus died on the holy hill and stands in the true tabernacle in heaven as high priest of the renewed covenant.
Jesus’ ministry is the fulfilled ministry of the Temple. He tabernacled with us. He stands before the mercy seat. He is our high priest and there is no end to His office. He made the Way for us to stand before the Throne and receive directly from the Father life and love and everything. In Him we are renewed. In Him we are fulfilled. In Him we have more coming. More than we can imagine. We are not replacing the Jews. We are joining them in Jesus as part of the family of God. We are not throwing off the Law, we are simply not looking to the Law to save us. It is not our salvation. It is how we walk in our salvation. Not killing, not lying, not doing all those negative things. But resting in Jesus, looking to God as our Source, living holy lives dedicated to humbly obeying our king, Saviour, and Lord. We are renewed and continue to be renewed and will be renewed for ever and always. We are living in the renewed covenant ministered to us by Messiah Jesus.
Summary
A new way of doing things. A new hope. A God who lives within us. That is the renewed covenant that Jesus struck with the Father. In Jesus, we have access to it. In Jesus, we get to walk in it as it goes from early days (now) to final days (future). Imagine having the Word so live and vibrant within you that you don’t need to be ‘taught’ by a minister, teacher, or evangelist. That you’ll GET it. That the interaction between yourself and God is so clear that there is a constant commentary going on. What a GLORIOUS promise! We have a partial fulfillment now. The Word gets in us and transforms us and excites us and thrives in us. It touches every corner of our lives. It helps us become what He is and it helps us do it right now – we don’t have to wait until the final fulfillment. More and more, deeper and deeper, there is no end to the intimacy and transformation that is possible. What a wonderful journey. What a blessing. What a GOOD God!
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