By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 8:10-12
This passage is quoting from Jeremiah 31:31-34, written during very dark days in the life of the nation of Israel. Because of their brazen idolatry and defiance of their God, He sent them into Babylonian captivity. The Jewish people continue to this day to be scattered across the globe.
But in the midst of their stunning punishment, a bright note sounds forth. The Lord has His prophet Jeremiah to tell of glorious days yet to come. Six hundred and fifty years later, the Spirit of God guides the writer of Hebrews to remind the Jews about those glorious days. He is speaking of the Millennium, the one-thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
Three predictions stand out about Israel’s future, and by extension all who, like Israel of that day, place their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
First God will write His laws in their minds and hearts. The heart speaks of the very core of our being, the fountainhead from which all we do, say, think or feel springs. To have God’s rules written on our hearts means that it becomes a delight to do what the Lord desires (Psalm 40:8).
Second God will take them up as His special people, and the Jews will take Him up as their God. No longer will they be at odds with each other. Reconciliation and cooperation will mark their relationship. As a result it will be normal for people to know the Lord. He will be no stranger. Speaking of the Lord in the public square will no longer be considered a cultural taboo.
Third, God will forgive their sins and remember them no more. All the wrongs will be in the past because of the mercy of the Lord. This word ‘merciful’ is related to the New Testament word often translated ‘propitiation.’ The blood of Jesus Christ satisfied God’s wrath against us. Because of the Saviour’s completed work on the cross, God chooses to no longer remember our sins against us.
Father, what glorious days are coming! Thank You for making this promise. When times are difficult, please keep me anticipating the bright future world which You are preparing. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.