Jeremiah 31: 27-34
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to plant,” declares the Lord. “In those days people will no longer say,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
Instead everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes–his own teeth will be set on edge.
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
A Thought
The people of Israel and Judah had sinned, broken the covenant that God had made with Abraham and the law that God had given to Moses. God still loved his people and was faithful to them even though they were not faithful to him. Here, God speaks through his prophet Jeremiah of a new covenant with his people that a time will come when God will take away their wickedness and remember their sins no more.
Our Prayer
Father thank you for never giving up on your people–that through your great love and mercy, you give each of us the opportunity to repent of our wickedness. You will remember our sins no more because of the sacrifice of your Son. Help us to hide your word in our heart that we will not sin against you. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
