The New Covenant Essay Assignment
Malcolm Short
Bibl 315: Major Prophets
November 26, 2022
Interpretive Exposition: Jeremiah 31:31-34
The prophet Jeremiah, from the priestly line of Aaron, was from Anathoth, a territory of
Benjamin.1 He prophesied over Israel for at least 41 years from about 627 b.c. to 586 b.c.2 God
set Jerimiah apart and appointed him as a prophet before he was formed in his mother’s womb
(Jer. 1:4-5). His message through Jeremiah would be of judgment and blessing to nations and
kingdoms.3 The judgment came from the Babylonian conquest against Jerusalem and the other
1 Charles H. Dyer, “Jeremiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed.
J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1129.
2 Ibid., 1129.
3 Ibid., 1130.
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Judean cities because of their idolatry and sin against God’s covenant. (Jer. 1:14-16).3 The
blessing is captured by the hope of a new covenant in which God would write His laws on their
heart (Jer. 31:33) and “forgive their wickedness,” and “remember their sins no more.” (Jer. 31:34
NIV). This message, developed in Jeremiah chapters 30-33, is referred to as the “Book of
Consolation.” Josh Matthews states, “Leading up to the Book of Consolation and its central new
covenant text, there is a thread of eschatological hope running through Jeremiah’s prophetic
message of judgment.”4 The central theme in the book is that a fundamental change is needed for
Israel to return to God’s grace and the change needs to begin in the hearts and minds of the
covenant community.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 serves as a concise summary outlining the new covenant that will
replace God’s covenant with Moses at Mt. Sinai. The passage begins with “The days are coming”
(v.31 NIV), alluding to a future date when the people of both Judah and Israel will enter into a
new covenant with God (v.31). Given that God has tried to guide Israel through the Mosaic
covenant since the exodus, and they betrayed His covenantal commands as an adulterous wife
betrays her husband (Jer. 31:32; 3:6-10; 2:2-3), His new covenant will be engraved internally
within His bride (v.33). Charles Dyer asserts, “He will put His Law in their minds and on their
hearts, not just on stones (Ex. 34:1) …God’s New Covenant will give Israel the inner ability to
obey His righteous standards and thus to enjoy His blessings.”5 Following is a reiteration of
Israel’s eternal standing as God’s chosen community. God states, “I will be their God, and they
will be my people.” (v.33 NIV), a callback to several historical moments (Gen.17:8; Ex. 6:7; Lev.
26:12) when God reminds Israel of their relationship with Him. As a result of the indwelling of
God’s laws, all people of Israel will know their God. The most influential, to the least among
them, will be in fellowship with Him; therefore, they will no longer have to coerce one another to
keep His commands (v.34). The final and most significant implication of this new covenant is
3 Josh Mathews, “Jeremiah 31:31–34: The New Covenant,” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic
Prophecy: Studies and Expositions of the Messiah in the Old Testament, ed. Michael Rydelnik and Edwin Blum
(Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2019), 1039.
4 Ibid., 1046.
5 Dyer, “Jeremiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1171.
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that it will eradicate the burden of sin. God will extend His grace, transgressions will be forgiven,
and sin will be forgotten (v.34).6
This passage demonstrates that God’s faithfulness remains insurmountable. For
Jeremiah’s audience, life among sinfulness and God’s retribution in response is daunting. Hope is
found not in human triumph over wickedness but in God’s immanence within the lives of His
people. God was the sole sustainer in the old covenant, and His provision remains in focus as He
users in the new.
New Covenant v. Mosaic Covenant
The new covenant and the Mosaic covenant are centrally different. At the center of the
Mosaic covenant are God’s laws enforcing righteous behavior and at the center of the new
covenant is God himself leading His people from the inside out. Matthews asserts, “In this new
covenant situation, instead of law written on tablets of stone, or sin written on uncircumcised
hearts of stone, God’s Torah will be within His people and written on their hearts.”7 In
Deuteronomy 29, Moses warned the Israelites about their incapacity to heed the words of God.
He states, “But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or
ears that hear.” (Deut. 29:4 NIV). Consequently, they would inevitably fail to keep His
commands and be subject to reprimand, God’s judgment, indicated in the law.8 The purpose of
God’s laws was to encourage morality amongst His people. Atoning sacrifices of the Levitical
law were a gracious by-product of the Israelite’s predictable deviation from His Holiness. In
contrast, the new covenant will usher in God’s presence in the minds and hearts of His people.
Matthews summarizes, “…the Sinai covenant is viewed as provisional. Because of the stubborn,
sinful heart of God’s people, they have not been and will not be able to keep His law and His
covenant. Something else, a work of God in the future, is needed for God’s people to be able to
follow Him with a whole heart.”9 In the larger view of the metanarrative, this future work of
6 Mathews, “Jeremiah 31:31–34,” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, 1046.
7 Mathews, “Jeremiah 31:31–34,” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, 1046.
8 Ibid., 1037.
9 Ibid., 1037.
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God came in the person and work of Jesus, the Righteous Branch of David, the Messianic King.
Beginning with God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), it is revealed that God intended
to bless all people on earth through His chosen community. Though the provision and blessings
began with the nation of Israel, history has proven that these blessings have always influenced
the entirety of humanity. As participants of the new covenant, the promised blessings are
available to all who follow the eternal Davidic King anticipated by Jeremiah (23:5). Jesus has
ushered in the new covenant giving those who believe access to the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32;
John 14:26). God’s spirit reminds His people of all He said, thus fulfilling the prophecy in Jer.
31:33. Jesus’ atoning intercession establishes His role as mediator to a superior covenant than the
Mosaic covenant. Matthews states, “The great high priestly sacrifice and ministry of Jesus and
the new covenant He established and continues to mediate are presented as profoundly superior
to the old covenant and its priesthood, where Jer. 31:31–34 is quoted extensively (Heb 7:22–
10:18).”10 In conclusion, both Jews and Gentiles are recipients of the grace in the new covenant.
Paul tells the church in Corinth, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body
whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Cor.
12:13 NIV). Through God’s indwelling spirit, the heart and mind are circumcised. Through
Jesus, wickedness is forgiven, and sins are forgotten (Jer. 31:34).
Bibliography
Dyer, Charles H. “Jeremiah.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the
Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
Mathews, Josh. “Jeremiah 31:31–34: The New Covenant.” In The Moody Handbook of
Messianic Prophecy: Studies and Expositions of the Messiah in the Old Testament, edited
by Michael Rydelnik and Edwin Blum, 1035–1046. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers,
2019.
10 Mathews, “Jeremiah 31:31–34,” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, 1045.
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