Pursuing Renewal in the Gospel
Jer 31:23-34
Our nation needs renewal. Recently, we took a look at the points of renewal promised in God’s good news. Jeremiah was a prophet who God used to see into the future. His vision clearly included some points about renewal in the gospel.
First, he saw the Renewal of Spiritual Speech (Jer 31:23-24). Israel even as our nation today had lost its ability to speak in terms of spiritual perspective. Let us seek to restore both the language of justice and holiness in our land today and in our daily life. It takes spiritual speech for people for people to discover and maintain spiritual unity.
Jer 31:23-24. “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: 'The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!' And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks.”
Col 4:6 – “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” NKJV
Prov 31:8-9 – “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” NKJV
Second, Jeremiah saw the Renewal of Satisfying Life (Jer 31:25-26). In the gospel, one discovers the renewal of the satisfying life with the result they experience “sweet sleep.” God satiates the weary and replenishes the soul. Find your satisfaction and replenishment in an intimate day-to-day relationship with the Spirit of God.
Jer 31:25-26 – “For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul." After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.”
Ps 121:3-4 – “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” NKJV
Ps 127:2 – “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.” NKJV
Prov 3:24-26 – “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” NKJV
Thirdly, Jeremiah saw the Renewal of Rebuilt Society (Jer 31:27-28). Our society needs rebuilding to be sure. This rebuilding begins personally as each of us experience edification in the house of our soul. The rebuilding must take place in our marriages, family, parenting, in our neighborhoods, cities and nation. We are to be the salt and light of the world. We must often do negative work, overcoming the unhealthy ideas in society, and input positive ideas. Each should seek to discover his or her voice to influence those around. Let us be builders in harmony with Christ Jesus who said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail” (Mt 16:18).
Jer 31:27-28 – “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord.
Jer 1:9-10 – “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant." NKJV
Fourthly, Jeremiah saw the Renewal of Fathering Integrity (Jer 31:29-30). Two issues are addressed here. First, children often do grow up with the sour grapes of parental failure however, we must not blame our present failure or lack of success on environmental factors as is so often done. Secondly, everyone must take responsibility for their own iniquitous actions and the fact that often we set our own selves on edge by our own sour grapes. God is turning the hearts of parents to their children, and children to their parents.
Jer 31:29-30 – “In those days they shall say no more: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.”
Ezek 18:1-3 – “The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, "What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? 3 "As I live," says the Lord God, "you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.” NKJV
Mal 4:6 – “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." NKJV
Last, Jeremiah saw the Renewal of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31-33). With the coming of Christ Jesus as Messiah, we now live under the reality and economy of the “new covenant.” God writes his laws on our heart and recreates a new conscience in our lives. We must learn to listen to His voice and know Him intimately. We enjoy the mediation of a better covenant with better promises. The old is obsolete and the new now exists.
Jer 31:31-33 - "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” NKJV
Jer 31:34 – “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." NKJV
Heb 8:6, 13 – “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” NKJV
I know that these items may seem abstract, but for the person who genuine seeks to understand them, they are life transforming. Furthermore, these concepts are vital to the renewal of society and the advance of the kingdom of God.
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