Inside Out Living

Forgiveness is a really curious thing. All this week we have been thinking about consequences in life. Now, forgiveness is like the exact opposite of consequences. When we are forgiven, the one who forgives decides not to bring about potential consequences against us. For example, some insurance companies offer what is called accident forgiveness. It used to be a guarantee that your rates would go up if you were in an accident, but if you have accident forgiveness, you don’t have to face that consequence.

While Israel did endure consequences and discipline from the Lord for their actions, they did eventually experience restoration. The restoration was based on God’s sovereign decision to forgive and to bless His people on account of His covenant faithfulness. It wasn’t as if their consequences had changed because they had changed.

In the same way, we can experience forgiveness for our sins because of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross. Because of God’s sovereign decision to forgive and extend grace, we are freed from the guilt and consequences associated with our sin.

At the start of this week, we read about the coming of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34. In God’s expression of hope to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel, we read more details of the coming covenant (Ezekiel 11:14-21). As part of the new covenant, God will do a heart transplant in His people, removing the old heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh that obeys God. This is a picture of what happens in the lives of Christians today. When we come to faith in Christ, God regenerates that life and puts in them a new heart and his Holy Spirit, who now enables them to follow God.

Another element of the new covenant mentioned in this passage is the emphasis on personal relationship with God. “Then they will truly be My people, and I will be their God” (11:20b). While Israel belonged to God as His covenant people, whom He had redeemed, under the new covenant the personal connection we have with the Lord is stronger because of the Holy Spirit, who indwells each believer.

The readings for this week will deal with Israel in exile. While there are still some who remain in Jerusalem, the main shift of the Scriptures has been on those who are living in exile in Babylon. Particularly we see this in Ezekiel, whose ministry was directly to God’s people living in exile. Because they were dark days for God’s people, both those left in Jerusalem and those in exile, there is a recurring theme of hope that we will be looking at this week.

Today's Devotional:

The days in which Jeremiah ministered were certainly dark days. Judah as a nation was falling apart and God’s covenant people, the Israelites, had essentially abandoned God at this point. However, as you read today, because of God’s faithfulness there is still hope.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 delivers the promise of a new covenant. It is the covenant that Jesus spoke of during the last supper (Matt. 26:28). It is the covenant that was sealed with the shed blood of Christ. And it is this passage from Jeremiah that was quoted by the author of Hebrews as he contrasted the new and the old covenants (Heb. 8:8-12)

It is a better covenant (Heb. 8:6) because it involves an internal change. Instead of being focused on external obedience and works, Jeremiah says that God will write His word on their hearts. We, as members of this new and better covenant, have the word of God emblazoned on our hearts through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

It was this promise of a future covenant that gave hope to the faithful few in Jeremiah’s day and it continues to give us hope as well.

Deuteronomy 4:26-31 foreshadows the future collapse of Israel and subsequent captivity in Babylon. God’s covenant faithfulness toward Israel is so great that He does not abandon them even when they are in violation of the covenant. What a comfort it is to know that God does not abandon those whom He loves. And yet even though He does not abandon, He does discipline those whom He loves. So what does discipline from the Lord look like?

I recently realized that I have allowed my body to get out of shape. So in response, I have begun to again discipline myself to train my body through exercise at the gym. This is what James speaks of when he says that “When our faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything” (James 1:3-4). God’s discipline of us is through various trials in order to build up our spiritual endurance or our faith and trust in Him. Will you submit to God’s discipline and allow it to accomplish a beautiful work in your life?

The theme that has been running through this entire week is a willingness to do things God’s way. Worship for Israel was very detailed. God had directed through Moses how they were to worship Him.

As Christians and members of the new covenant, we do not have this amount of detail from the Lord for our worship services. At best we have some principles in the New Testament and the model of the first century church in the book of Acts. Even though the amount of detail differs, the need for a willingness to worship God according to His way remains.

In your worship, is it more about God or more about your wants and needs? Are your preferences in worship more important than God’s desires? What are you doing to cultivate a willingness to do things God’s way? Spend some time with God today, as Moses did, asking Him to show you where you need to submit more to His way.