Devotions
Rev Gav
Covenant
Jeremiah 23.5–8
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt’, but ‘As the Lord lives who brought out and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them.’ Then they shall live in their own land.
Reflect
The message of Jeremiah is a message of hope written while the Israelites were in exile in Babylon.
Jeremiah proclaimed God’s judgment on Israel (and their resulting exile) because they had abandoned their relationship with God, but then prophesied about how God would be faithful and restore them to a new relationship or covenant with God. Christians interpret part of this prophecy as speaking about Christ who established a new covenant, not just with Israel, but with all humanity.
If you read yesterday’s Devotion you will see that Jesus was of the royal tribe of Judah or lineage that included King David, and Jeremiah describes a Branch of the line of David, a holy one who will come, and who will be the saving king for all Israel.
One of the metaphors of the book of Jeremiah is of that of a marriage, where Israel is likened to an unfaithful wife called to return to her faithful husband. In fact, this metaphor is prevalent in the Old Testament and found in the writing of other prophets such as Isaiah and Hosea. It is therefore no coincidence that some of the New Testament writers liken us, those in a new covenantal relationship with God, to being the ‘bride of Christ’.
The point is that God is faithful in that, where we are unable to keep our ‘marriage’ vows, God is able to do so for our sake. I am reminded of this verse:
“If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1.9)
When we became Christians we entered into a deal with God, and no matter how much we mess up, go astray, do our own thing, give up, doubt, or lose our way, God — who is eternally consistent and faithful — will always hold up God’s end of the bargain.
And if that isn’t good news I don’t know what is!
Photo by Gui França on Unsplash
Pray
Holy God
Thank you that I am
part of your church
— the bride of Christ.
Thank you for your
commitment and faithfulness
that when I have
abandoned my vows,
you have held me steadfast
with your eternal love.
and then