Jeremiah 11:1-4

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 3 You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant 4 that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you.

Early in my walk, I heard a preacher on a tape tell us that there is an Old and a New Testament in the Bible. Not a scoop by any stretch but it all changed when he described each one as a covenant. Suddenly, all made sense and now I can scarcely open the Bible to any page without seeing something about one of the covenants, be it the one with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and us.

As long as we both shall live. That familiar phrase from a wedding service explained the permanent nature of a covenant. The Israelites had other ideas. They loved the idea of God being their partner but were unsure about lifting a finger to uphold their end of the bargain. The prophet Jeremiah had a stern warning for them as a result. They would be carried off. Our covenant means that Jesus fulfilled all things and our faith alone and grace alone means that we are saved. Blessed be those who hear the words of the NEW covenant today.

Dear Lord, thank you for the unshakable love you have for us and we can trust your covenant promises. Help us to worship you in response today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.