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 within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” vs. 33
Jeremiah 31:31-34
During the first part of his ministry Jeremiah had a message of doom for the rulers of Judah, saying that if they continued the course they were following, destruction was sure to follow. And while he never really abandoned that message, in his later years we see in his words a radical vision that totally transforms our relationship with God. It’s a new paradigm that does away with the law-based system that Israel had adopted during their wilderness experience and in the days of the monarchy. No longer will their status be determined by their obedience to external ordinances and commandments. The day came when the law would be written in their hearts, and they would be drawn into a deep and profound unity with the Divine. As we read the gospels it is apparent that this vision became a reality in Jesus. In him there was that movement away from Moses and into an intimate fusion with grace and peace. In him, as John wrote, “the Word became flesh,” God became one with humanity. Now it’s not easy to live that way. Some of us prefer the rules and the laws. But what a blessing it is to come to know the God who dwells within!
Thought for the Day: Why do some prefer living by law?
0 Comments