“Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the Lord of hosts is his name: ‘If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.’” (Jeremiah 31:35-36)
This passage reflects on the creation narrative in Genesis 1:16-17. First, it reaffirms that God, not chance, put the sun and moon in the sky. Second names, this God as the Lord of hosts, distinguishing the one true, living God from all the recognized deities of the regions. Third, he reaffirms his eternal covenant with Israel.
Note that the longevity of his covenant with Israel is contingent upon the longevity of the fixed order of the heavens. That is a solid covenant. I find it interesting that the longevity of this covenant comes immediately following God‘s declaration that he will make a new covenant with Israel. Since the order of the heavens has not changed, I conclude that the new covenant does not abrogate the covenant God made with Israel at Sinai. That does not mean the new covenant doesn’t exist or that it relates to Israel. It simply means the New Covenant, in my words, adds to the Old Covenant.
Application: 1) If Israel will continue to be a nation before the Lord, as long as the sun and moon are in the heavens, I need to think soberly about how I view and interact with Israel. 2) If God has made a new covenant with Israel, it is incumbent upon me to try to figure out how the Old and New Covenants work together in relation to Israel.
Father, thank you that you are a God who is faithful to your covenants. Thank you for bringing me into your family through the new covenant. I trust that you will be completely faithful to that covenant, and that I will benefit eternally from it. Amen.
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