I Will Make A New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34)

 

I Will Make A New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34)

God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah saying He would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. There’s the old covenant and the new covenant, but in truth, there is only one covenant. Why? Because there is only one God, and all people are saved according to His covenant.

A covenant is something established between God and people. More specifically, it’s a promise made between God and those who believe. Anyone can enter into God’s covenant through faith.

God first gave His covenant to Adam unilaterally. In Genesis 3:15, He promised that the offspring of the woman—Christ Jesus—would crush the head of the serpent. This covenant was God’s promise to judge Satan and to save fallen humanity through the coming Messiah.

Later, God made a covenant of faith with Abraham. This was a promise that righteousness would come through faith alone (Genesis 15:6). God also established a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai through Moses. This covenant promised blessing if they obeyed God’s commands and curses if they did not.

The Abrahamic covenant and the Mt. Sinai covenant are not in conflict. In fact, the later covenant helps us understand how the earlier one is fulfilled. Faith means total dependence on God—it means dying to self. The purpose of the Sinai covenant was to teach that no one can attain God's holiness by their own efforts. Righteousness comes only through faith—complete reliance on God.

Through Jeremiah, God declared He would make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah—that is, with His people. This new covenant was already embedded in the original promise. God’s covenant is always aimed at saving sinners through forgiveness. And only the blood of Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sins.

So within God's covenant, there is a hidden purpose: salvation through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. The sacrifices of animals were merely shadows and symbols pointing to Christ. That is the heart of the new covenant.

The Days are Coming

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors
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.” (Jeremiah 31:31–32)

God is faithful. He always fulfills His promises—just as He fulfilled His covenant with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the patriarchs. God made a promise to Abraham, and four hundred years later, He carried his descendants into the promised land as if on eagles’ wings.

But the promises of God carry a double meaning: they are both historically fulfilled and prophetically pointing forward.

After entering Canaan, the Israelites began to drift. After the death of Joshua, they fell into idolatry and turned away from the Lord. This is recorded in Judges and throughout the prophetic books.

Covenants can be broken when one side fails to keep it. At Mount Sinai, God entered into a covenant with His people like a husband joining with his bride. But Israel was unfaithful—they broke the covenant by turning to idols. That’s why a new covenant was needed—a covenant renewal.

Jeremiah recorded this promise from God:

“‘At that time,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will be the God of all the families of Israel,
and they will be my people.’” (Jeremiah 31:1)

Here, “all the families of Israel” refers to those who believe—especially those who will be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, including the patriarchs, the twelve disciples, the apostle Paul, and all faithful believers.

The new covenant is not like the one made through Moses at Sinai. Israel broke that covenant because they were unfaithful to their husband, the Lord. The Sinai covenant was based on obedience to God’s commands—blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. But no one can perfectly keep God's law, so all fall under its curse.

After Adam sinned, God clothed him with garments of skin. According to the law given through Moses, the central act of worship involved the sacrifice of animals. The shedding of blood was necessary for the forgiveness of sins.

But that system had limits. Animal sacrifices couldn’t cleanse the conscience, so they had to be repeated over and over.

“This is an illustration for the present time,
indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered
were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—
external regulations applying until the time of the new order.” (Hebrews 9:9–10)

Today, we no longer offer animal sacrifices in church. Instead, we worship, observe special days, give offerings, and evangelize. But just as the sacrifices under Moses couldn’t purify the conscience, neither can church activities unless we understand the reason behind them.

Sacrifices and worship are signs that we belong to God. Because we belong to Him, we draw near to Him to receive forgiveness, restoration, strength, glory, and hope.

God didn’t wait for our sacrifices or good works before saving us. He saved us while we were still enslaved to sin. Only after that did He give us His laws and commands. This shows that salvation comes not by works, but by grace. So how can we claim to be saved by works? We can’t. We are saved by grace—and we live in that grace.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The new covenant is not founded on the blood of animals, but on the blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. His blood alone provides perfect forgiveness.

“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,
he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands,
that is to say, is not a part of this creation.
He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;
but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood,
thus obtaining eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11–12)

Animal sacrifices, even under Moses, made the worshiper outwardly clean so they could approach God. But the blood of Christ has power to cleanse completely.

“The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean
sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God,
cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,
so that we may serve the living God!
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant,
that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—
now that he has died as a ransom to set them free
from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:13–15)

I Will Put My Law In Their Minds And Write It On Their Hearts

“This is the covenant I will make with the people 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 they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘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.” (Jeremiah 31:33–34)

The new covenant isn’t something engraved on stone—it’s something written on the heart. God already spoke of this through Moses.

“No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14)

The reason God gave this word through Moses was to show them that no one could perfectly follow the law by their actions alone. God was teaching them this from the beginning:

“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’
Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’” (Deuteronomy 30:11–13)

Trying to go up to heaven or cross the sea represents striving to keep the law by human effort and dedication—which is, in reality, impossible. But God’s word is near, in your mouth and in your heart. This becomes possible through the Holy Spirit given to those who believe.

Through the blood of Christ, our broken relationship with God is restored. We are brought back to His image and likeness, and now we can stand before the throne of grace without fear.

The new covenant is sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. Through His blood, we are restored as God’s children, and our union with Him is made complete again. God becomes the God of those redeemed by Christ’s blood, and they become His beloved people.

So now, because of Christ’s sacrifice, we belong fully to God—we are His treasured possession.

God fulfilled the promise He gave through Moses:

“Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:5–6)

The blood of Christ has the power to stop the wrath of God. Those who trust in that blood meet the full requirement of the law—not through their works, but through faith expressed in obedience.

Another amazing truth is this: those who are redeemed by Christ’s blood no longer need to be told, “Know the Lord.”

Why? Because everyone—from the least to the greatest—knows Him. God sees the blood of Christ and forgives their sins. He remembers them no more.

Those born again through Jesus’ blood have the Holy Spirit living inside them. Because the Holy Spirit knows God, He teaches us directly and even prays for us with groans that words cannot express.

John said this in his letter:

“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you,
and you do not need anyone to teach you.
But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (1 John 2:27)

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and those who follow Him are His sheep. The shepherd guides, protects, and leads the sheep to green pastures. Sheep cannot survive without the shepherd. And Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for His sheep.

So we follow, trust, and obey this Good Shepherd.

Most importantly, God sends His Holy Spirit to those who believe, and the Spirit dwells with them forever. Even when we don’t know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit within us intercedes with wordless groans.

Amen!

June 1, 2025
Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2025, David Lee Ministries ©2025 – All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotes are from the NIV.