Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Jeremiah 31:32 (NIV)
“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 31:32 (MSG)
“It won’t be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master.” God’s Decree.”
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“… not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says the Lord.” -AMPLIFIED
“The old covenant had taken a new lease of life in Jeremiah’s early days, when the lost ‘book of the covenant’ was found and read and reaffirmed, to become the blueprint of Josiah’s continuing reformation. Yet everything that we have read in Jeremiah confirms that ‘the law made nothing perfect’, for the response was skin-deep, and died with the death of Joshua.” ~Derek Kidner
The Lord, through Jeremiah, has begun a new subject matter, the new covenant, which He will make with Israel and Judah. God’s Message:
“Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” -Jeremiah 31:31 (CSB)
The Lord will continue to address this subject matter in verses 31-34. In fact, this matter is the high point of Jeremiah’s prophecies, the New Covenant that the Lord will establish with all mankind.
As we look to today’s text, we are reminded that mankind was the unfaithful partner with God, not vice versa. The example of a marriage is used to convey the fact that God remained faithful to His Bride, loving her, and caring for her, despite the fact that she was unfaithful to Him. God’s Message to Israel:
“It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors long ago when I took them by the hand and led them out of slavery in Egypt. They did not remain faithful to that covenant—even though I loved and cared for them as a husband.” -(VOICE)
We find the Lord referring back to the New Covenant that was mentioned in the previous verse. He tells us that the New Covenant will not be like the old one, the one that was made with Israel’s ancestors when He led them out of Egypt. Under that contract or agreement, the Law was given, along with its blessings for obedience and its curses for disobedience. Under that covenant, the directives were given for the sacrifices for sin, which would be an ongoing observance, because mankind are sinful people.
We need to grasp the seriousness of Israel’s offence, which in all honesty, every man, woman, and child across the world has committed. We are unfaithful to the Lord. We sin. We have a tendency to wander after happiness, satisfaction, contentment, and love in all the wrong places.
We are unfaithful, but…
God always remains faithful!
“It won’t be like the one I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a contract they broke, forcing me to reject them, says the Lord.” -(TLB)
“A new covenant was promised and needed because Israel did not and could not keep the covenant God made with them at Sinai. That covenant was not designed to be enough; it was preparation for the new covenant to come.” ~David Guzik
Why were there so many covenants with the Lord in Scripture? Because man was unable to uphold their end of the covenant, not because God could not. Man was unfaithful, but God remained faithful. Man broke the marriage contract, but God continued to love and care for mankind, nonetheless.
Over and over again Scripture reminds us that God’s love for us never changes, and He remains faithful despite the fact that we do not. Let us look at a few passages that remind us of God’s continued faithfulness. I hope that these passages will encourage you today.
Remember these ten lessons about God’s faithfulness:
1.) God’s love for you is enduring: “How enduring is God’s loyal love; the Eternal has inexhaustible compassion. Here they are, every morning, new! Your faithfulness, God, is as broad as the day.” -Lamentations 3:22-23 (VOICE)
2.) God never changes: “But You are the same, You will never change; your years will never come to an end.” -Psalm 10227 (VOICE)
3.) God’s love for us never changes: “Because I am the Eternal One, I never change; as a result, you children of Jacob have not been destroyed though your blessing may have been delayed.” -Malachi 3:6 (VOICE)
4.) God remains faithful, even if we do not: “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He is not able to deny Himself.” -2 Timothy 2:13 (VOICE)
5.) God is faithful to forgive us: “But if we own up to our sins, God shows that He is faithful and just by forgiving us of our sins and purifying us from the pollution of all the bad things we have done.” -1 John 1:9 (VOICE)
6.) God’s love and faithfulness are boundless: “Your love, O Eternal One, towers high into the heavens.
Even the skies are lower than Your faithfulness.” -Psalm 36:5 (VOICE)
7.) God is full of mercy: “All praise goes to God, Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. He is the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort.” -2 Corinthians 1:3 (VOICE)
8.) God is patient with us: “Meanwhile, the Eternal One yearns to give you grace and boundless compassion; that’s why He waits. For the Eternal is a God of justice. Those inclined toward Him, waiting for His help, will find happiness.” -Isaiah 30:18 (VOICE)
9.) In His faithfulness, God desires to protect us: “Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers, will protect you under His great wings; His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.” -Psalm 91:4 (VOICE)
10.) God truly cares about what happens to us: “When you face stormy seas I will be there with you with endurance and calm; you will not be engulfed in raging rivers. If it seems like you’re walking through fire with flames licking at your limbs, keep going; you won’t be burned. Because I, the Eternal One, am your God. I am the Holy One of Israel, and I will save you. I have traded in nations to win you back, Egypt, Cush, and Seba, in exchange for your freedom. Because you are special to Me and I love you, I gladly give up other peoples in exchange for you; they are trivial by comparison to your weighty significance.” -Isaiah 43:2-4 (VOICE)
“The glory of God’s faithfulness is that no sin of ours has ever made Him unfaithful.” ~Charles Spurgeon
My friend, God always remains faithful, even when we are not. To be unfaithful would be against His nature, for He by nature He is faithful and true, kind and compassionate, understanding and forgiving. He cannot change who He is, and thank God for that fact. Take the time today to give thanks for God’s faithfulness to you personally. Great is His Faithfulness!
“I want you to know that the Eternal your God is the only true God. He’s the faithful God who keeps His covenants and shows loyal love for a thousand generations to those who in return love Him and keep His commands.” ~Moses (Deuteronomy 7:9)
My Prayer:
Adonai Elohim, my Great Lord, thank you for being faithful to me, despite the fact that I have a tendency to be unfaithful to you. I am so grateful that you never give up on me. I am thankful for your tender loving care, for your mercies that are new every morning, for your patience and mercy. You are so good to me. Lord, you are amazing. You are so faithful and caring. I am so blessed to call you Father, and I cannot sing your praises enough. Thank you for being exactly who you are. I love you. ❤
Growing with God 