the law on our hearts

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Jeremiah gives us a vision of Israel's renewal in beautiful terms. The renewal here is so complete that it is more accurate as a vision for the completion of history; God's final appearance. In those days God's ways will be so clearly written on our hearts that we will simply know what to do and how to live; we won't need to be taught the right ways anymore. Notice that forgiveness is what opens the way to know God: when we know deep down that God forgives us, we want to live the right way in response to that amazing love.

One interesting phrase I want to lift up is this sour grapes phrase. It's a strange little saying, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and their children's teeth are set on edge." The interesting thing is that this phrase comes up more than once in different prophets' writing. Almost every time it's used this same way: people won't use the saying anymore because in the future God will not carry punishment forward anymore. Instead each person will only be responsible for their own sin. The great thing for us is that in Jesus we truly know we are forgiven, both our sin and the sin we've been a part of. That knowledge frees us to live in love for others.

God bless,
Sam


Jeremiah 31:27-34

27The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. 28And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29In those days they shall no longer say: “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” 30But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge.

31The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33But 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. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.