Purkey's Bible Study Outlines

KEY VERSE: “This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33).

INTRODUCTION: Jeremiah chapters 30-33 constitutes one very bright and encouraging message. Up to this point Jeremiah’s emphasis has been upon judgment, but his message now is in sharp contrast to that. Dr. E. W. Hengstenburg calls these chapters “the triumphal hymn of Israel’s salvation.” They were written during the last 18 months of the siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 32:1).

As the last king of Judah, Zedekiah corresponds to Hoshea who was the final ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel. But, of course, the northern kingdom of Israel has long since departed and gone into captivity. At this moment Nebuchadnezzar’s army is outside the wall of Jerusalem, ready to destroy the city and burn the temple. The promises of the false prophets have been proven false. Seven years earlier Hananiah had said that Babylon would be broken within two years. But Nebuchadnezzar is not broken; he is alive -- too much alive for the people of Judah.

Jeremiah’s message is a message of encouragement. In chapter 30 he spoke of the Day of the Lord opening with the Great Tribulation Period. In verse 7 of that chapter he called it “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” But beyond the Great Tribulation are coming the restoration of the land and the return of the people to it.

INSIGHT: Dr. J. Vernon McGee has labeled Jeremiah 31 “the ‘I will’ chapter,” because “I will” occurs fifteen times. Dr. McGee said: “… the One who says it is none other than God. When God says ‘I will’ fifteen times, He is telling us what He is going to do.”

A. The Future of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 31:23-26).

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness. 24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks. 25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. 26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me. (Jeremiah 31:23-26).

“Mountain of holiness” refers to the ideal city of Jerusalem, the holy mountain home of God, the Righteous One, and Judah, His righteous remnant. As with Israel, Judah’s reestablishment would see renewed productivity of its crops and flocks (Jeremiah 31:5, 12). The people would be “satiated” means that the people will be “satisfied” (Jeremiah 31:14).

B. The Growth of Israel (Jeremiah 31:27-28).

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord (Jeremiah 31:27-28).

God would plant and multiply the “seed of man” and animal in the land of Israel. “To build and to plant” are the same terms used in Jeremiah’s call (Jeremiah 1:10).

God declared that He would greatly increase the number of people, along with livestock, living in land of promise. In the past, God had uprooted and torn down the nation of Israel. In the future, however, the Lord would plant and rebuild it.

C. The Responsibility of People (Jeremiah 31:29-30).

In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge (Jeremiah 31:29-30).

In the ancient Middle East, it was typical for Intergenerational families to live within the same household. Sadly, the severe consequences of one person’s behavior could adversely impact the lives of other family members up to several generations. It would be wrong to conclude, however, that God’s judgment was not due to personal sin. The Lord revealed that He would judge each person for his or her own misdeeds, not those of anyone else.

The proverb in this passage is also found in Ezek. 18:2. The contexts in both books indicate that this proverb is not original to Jeremiah or Ezekiel. In Israel and other ancient Middle Eastern communities, corporate responsibility was emphasized in legal and moral matters (Deut. 5:9), though individual accountability was not overlooked (Deut. 24:16; 2 Sam. 12:1–15).

In Jeremiah and Ezekiel, focus is placed on the responsibility of the individual for his or her “own iniquity”. This concept of individual responsibility is a key teaching of Jeremiah. Each person must bear responsibility for his sins.

Long-haul truckers have been called “road warriors” and “the last cowboys.” They have a lonely job that takes them far from home for long periods at a time.

But temptations lurk at many stops along the road. That’s why Truckstop Ministries began in the 1980s. The chapels are tractor-trailer rigs at some sixty locations in about one-half of the United States. Some of the volunteer ministers wish they could have been truckers themselves; some are former truckers. All want to share their faith.

A typical service may have a “crowd” ranging from none to several; an occasional motorist may even attend. A woman who had a flat tire in Hesperia, California, attended a trucker’s service, saying, “I just wanted to talk to God.” However, the primary goal is to help truckers find God and get their lives headed down the right road. No matter where their load of freight has to go, finding God is the most important thing.

Jeremiah told Judah that turning to God would bring their lonely captivity to an end. If they repented, God would put them on the long road home and bring them safely there. We Christians are on the road to a Heavenly home where temptation and loneliness will be banished forever. Although our destination is different from Judah’s, God’s promise to us is the same: our home awaits us if we let God take us there – Author Unknown.

Chapters 30 and 31 of Jeremiah indicate that the promise of return is not made just to the captives in Babylon, but to all the scattered tribes of Israel (2 Kings 17:5-6). The Lord specifies both “Israel and Judah” (Jeremiah 30:3) and “all the families of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:1). As great as that will be, it is only a preparation for something better still: a new covenant that includes both Jew and Gentile alike.

A. A Different Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33).

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jeremiah 31:31-33). 

This new covenant was going to be different from the one given to Moses at Mount Sinai. The grand distinction is that it is to be engraved upon the hearts of the people and not upon cold tables of stone.

Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (the Jewish Messiah) on Calvary the New Covenant was established. Now anyone, Jew or Gentile, may have their sins forgiven by placing their faith in Jesus Christ and become a part of the family of God.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God--
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus, as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family, the family of God.
 

By Gloria and William Gaither

B. An Effective Covenant (Jeremiah 31:34).

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31:34).

The sins of both Jews and Gentiles will be forgiven. The Lord showed Jeremiah a future time when all of God’s people would directly know Him (Jeremiah 31:34). When that time finally arrives, Jeremiah’s role as a prophet would be over. The people of Israel would no longer need someone to exhort them to know the Lord.

A critical aspect of this new relationship between the Lord and His people hinged on the forgiveness of sins. God’s law could not be written on hearts stained by sin. The people’s hearts required cleansing as a result of the Lord’s grace so they could be changed. Once God had forgiven them, He would deliberately forget their sins.

C. A Lasting Covenant (Jeremiah 31:35–36).

“Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever” (Jeremiah 31:35–36).

This covenant will never be changed or abrogated. Just as we cannot change the course of the moon or pull it out of the sky, so God’s covenant with Israel cannot be changed. On a trip to the moon we brought back two hundred pounds of rock. If we kept doing that for a few million years, maybe we would eventually move the whole thing to earth -- but I don’t think we’re going to do that! God says this is an everlasting covenant that He will make with them.

INSIGHT: In No Alteration Needed Dennis Fisher has said this:

“In every era there has been a spirit of the age that challenges our acceptance of Scripture. The temptation is to remove or alter those portions that seem old-fashioned.

Whether it's the doctrine of hell or God's view on sexual behavior, many feel pressured to reject parts of the Bible. Inevitably, some truths will be offensive in every day and age.

Centuries ago, a Jewish king was handed a scroll with a message from God. As the document was read aloud, the king took offense, and with a small knife he cut out a portion of the scroll and threw it into the fire. Eventually the entire text was thrown into the flames, yet the king and his servants who had heard the words of the Lord "were not afraid" (Jeremiah 36:24). In the end, the king lost his kingdom because of his disobedience.

When we selectively edit the Bible to suit our fancy, or neglect its teachings, we show that we do not fear God. Rather than submit to what He says, we exalt our own finite reason and fallible conscience above the inspired text.

When you're tempted to overlook or ignore a portion of the Word of God, remember: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). It tells us all we need to know to live a life that pleases Him” – Dennis Fisher, Our Daily Bread, June 28.

CONCLUSION: Jeremiah predicted a New Covenant would be made.

First, Jeremiah described what would happen when the covenant promises were fulfilled. Jesus Christ identified His death on the cross as the institution of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25). And the fulfillment of the New Covenant promises made when Jesus sacrificed Himself awaits history’s end.

Second, There is another unique feature to the New covenant. Its benefits are experienced today by those who put their trust in Jesus Christ, the promised Old Testament Messiah. It’s as though someone put one billion dollars in the bank for you, to be yours in 25 years. The one billion is untouchable before the specified time arrives -- but the depositor did say you could receive the interest now! Just so, Hebrews 10:16-17 applies the central promises of the New Covenant to believers today. God forgives the sins of those who believe in Jesus now, and He begins His transforming work in every believer’s heart. Through faith in Jesus Christ anyone may enjoy a New Covenant relationship with God. 

 By Tim Gustafson

“I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Nora was tiny, but “Bridget”—the belligerent, six-foot-tall woman glowering down at her—didn’t intimidate her. Bridget couldn’t even say why she had stopped at the crisis pregnancy center; she’d already made up her mind to “get rid of this . . . kid.” So Nora gently asked questions, and Bridget rudely deflected them with profanity-laced tirades. Soon Bridget got up to leave, defiantly declaring her intent to end her pregnancy.

Slipping her small frame between Bridget and the door, Nora asked, “Before you go, may I give you a hug, and may I pray for you?” No one had ever hugged her before—not with healthy intentions, anyway. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the tears came.

Nora beautifully reflects the heart of our God who loved His people Israel “with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). The people had stumbled into the hard consequences of their persistent violation of His guidelines. Yet God told them, “I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again” (Jeremiah 31:3-4).

Bridget’s history is complex. (Many of us can relate.) Until she ran into real love that day, her belief had been that God and His followers would only condemn her. Nora showed her something different: the God who won’t ignore our sin because He loves us beyond imagination. He welcomes us with open arms. We don’t have to keep running. -- By Tim Gustafson, From: Our Daily Bread, August 15.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” – John 1:17.