Fri.’s Devo - The New Covenant

Read: Jeremiah 31:27-32:44; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 88:1-18; Proverbs 25:20-22 In the future, God would increase greatly the human population of Israel and Judah and their animals. In the past, God had uprooted them and tore them down with disasters, but then he would plant and build it up. In Jeremiah 1:10, God had told Jeremiah that he had been appointed to uproot, tear down, and destroy some nations and to build up and plant other nations. He would do both of them for his nation. Everyone would be responsible for their own sins. *** In the future, God would make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah and it would not be like the one he made with Moses. They broke that one. In this new covenant God would write his laws in their hearts and everyone would know the Lord. God would forgive their wickedness and never remember their sins again. *** God gave the new boundaries of the new Jerusalem. He mentioned places like Gareb where the lepers lived, and Tophet where evil people were buried and the Kidron Valley where they threw all their idols. In other words God was going to extend his reign over the lowly and the castaways. The unclean will be made clean. *** When Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians, Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard of the royal place. King Zedekiah put him there because he would not stop prophesying destruction for them. His freedom of speech was canceled. God told Jeremiah that Babylon was about to take the city and carry Zedekiah to Babylon where God would deal with him there. *** God told Jeremiah that his cousin Hanamel would come and offer him the opportunity to buy his field at Anathoth. He was to buy it. Hanamel did come and ask him to buy the field and Jeremiah bought it for 17 pieces of silver. He signed and sealed the deed before witnesses and paid him. He gave the deed to Baruch. Then he told Baruch as people listened, to take this sealed deed and put it in a pottery jar and preserve it because it was God’s promise that they will come back to this land and buy and sell houses once again. *** Jeremiah reminded them of all the things God had done for them in the past. The Babylonians will take the city and burn it to the ground. They will destroy and burn all their altars to Baal. The people refused to turn from their idols so the idols will end up being their ruin. *** God will bring his people back to Jerusalem and give them one heart and one purpose which is to worships Him. God will make an everlasting covenant with them and never stop doing good for them. He will give them a desire to worship him. And this deed that Jeremiah had signed and sealed was a testimony to the fact that they would once again buy and sell land in their land of Israel. *** In Timothy, Paul gives the description of a church leader. He must live an honorable life above reproach. He must have self-control and a good reputation. He must be hospitable and able to teach. He must be gentle and not be tempted with unjust gain. He must be a family man who loves his family and manages it well. He must not be a new believer but one who is tested and true. He must be spoken well of by people outside of the church. *** Their wives must be respected and full of faith and self-control. *** Lord, thank you for godly leaders and thank you for leading us through our trials. We trust in your covenant you have given us. Thank you for giving us hearts to worship and love you.