Jeremiah 31:23-40 - The new covenant will be written in the hearts of God's people.
Here is your daily Come Follow Me devotional for Ammon Hasson:
Jeremiah 31:23-40 – The New Covenant Written in the Hearts of God's People
Scripture Reading:
Jeremiah 31:23-40: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/jer/31?lang=eng#p23
Context:
Jeremiah 31 is nestled within what scholars often refer to as the "Book of Consolation" (Jeremiah 30-33), a section of prophecy that offers a profound message of hope and restoration. Jeremiah delivered these words to a people facing or enduring the devastating consequences of their disobedience—the impending Babylonian conquest and the subsequent scattering of both the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and the southern kingdom of Judah. Despite the widespread spiritual decay and the broken Mosaic covenant, the Lord, through Jeremiah, declared His unwavering love and promised a future gathering, a return from captivity, and the establishment of a "new covenant" that would fundamentally transform their relationship with Him.
Reflective Questions:
1. Jeremiah 31:33 speaks of the Lord writing His law "in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." How does this promise of an internalized covenant differ from merely knowing or outwardly observing God's commandments, and what might it look like to truly have God's law written in your heart today?
2. The passage emphasizes a future where "they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest" (Jeremiah 31:34). In what ways do you actively seek to deepen your personal knowledge of the Lord, and how can striving for this knowledge help you participate more fully in the new covenant?
Closing Tying Insight:
In a time of profound national despair and spiritual brokenness, Jeremiah's prophecy of a new covenant offered a powerful vision of hope: a restored relationship with God characterized by inward transformation rather than outward observance alone. The Lord promises to forgive sins and write His law directly upon the hearts of His people, enabling a universal, personal knowledge of Him. This divine promise invites us to move beyond mere compliance to a heartfelt, internalized commitment to God's will. Our Christlike focus today can be to actively seek to internalize the gospel through sincere study and prayer, allowing the Spirit to engrave God's laws upon our hearts, thereby deepening our covenant relationship with the Savior.