Passages Of Scripture For Christians And Christians Alike

Introduction Jeremiah 31:31-34 is one of the most popular and well-known passages of Scripture for both Jews and Christians alike. It is a prophetic message of hope for God’s people, where God promises that one day he will make an unconditional new covenant to replace the Mosaic covenant that the Israelites have broken. God’s mercy and compassion shine through this prophecy as he shows that he is faithful to his promises, despite the continued failings of the Israelites. Today Christians often refer to this passage when declaring that Jesus Christ has ushered in this new covenant, and rightly so, however it is important to first consider the prophesy in light of the time it was written and what it first meant to the Jewish people who†¦show more content†¦In the verses immediately preceding this passage (v. 23-30) God declares what life will be like for the Israelites when he finally restores them, whilst immediately afterwards God promises the Israelites that as long as cre ation endures he will never forget them (v. 35-37). This Book of Consolation is sandwiched between strong warnings of divine judgment to Judah (Jer 1-29), and a prophetic description of the fall of Jerusalem (Jer 34-35). The fact that these verses declaring the creation of a new covenant were located between messages of judgment served to highlight Jeremiah’s key themes of God’s mercy and faithfulness despite Israel’s apostasy. This theme is consistent throughout the entire Old Testament. In addition, the hope of future restoration is carried through the larger Biblical narrative, where perhaps the book of Revelation is the most common example. At the end of Revelation there is a promise of future renewal of heaven and earth (Rev 21:1-4). In addition, the new covenant is finally fulfilled by the work of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament (Luke 22:20, 1 Cor 11:25, Hebrews 8:6-12). Literary Character of Text Jeremiah’s book is prophetic in nature, and has been written primarily in poetry with some prose. Jeremiah 31:31-34 has been written in poetic form, where God is speaking directly