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to get toward the end now. But look at verse number 31, Jeremiah 31 and verse number 31, 31, 31. It says, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. The title for the sermon this afternoon is a new covenant. Now, if you listen to the preaching in Jeremiah 30, what I had explained to you is that there are some believers, brethren, yes, even Baptist, independent fundamental Baptist, that look at Jeremiah 31, 30, and they look at that as far as end times. And they apply that about a future, a still yet unfulfilled future restoration for the nation of Israel, okay? And I had tried to prove to you that really that wasn't about the future, but it was about our past, it was about their future, it was about their future, but it's about our past as far as the Jews been taken to captivity for 70 years and being then brought back into the land. Well, when we get to Jeremiah 31, there are verses here that they also will apply to the end times. And while there is an element of end times touched upon here, which I will explain to you what that is, once again, this chapter by and large is still about Babylon. It's still about the captivity. It's still about them being brought back into the land. And as far as the book of Jeremiah goes, you know when we started Jeremiah, how negative of a book it was. You know, God is constantly, you know, rebuking that wicked nation. Well, Jeremiah 31 is probably, I'm not sure if it is, I would say it's the most positive chapter, but it's definitely a very positive chapter, very positive outlook for the Jews compared to the rest of the book, okay? And once again, it's about God restoring his people. All right, so let's start there in verse number one, Jeremiah 31 and verse number one, it says, At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. Now, one thing I want you to notice here, Jeremiah was primarily preaching to the southern kingdom of Judah, right? We know that historically, the northern kingdom of Israel was already taken into captivity over a hundred years before the Babylon. They were taken into captivity by the Assyrians, okay? Now, yes, most often than not, Jeremiah is preaching to the southern kingdom, but you notice here in verse number one, he actually starts with all the families of Israel. They shall be my people. So this message isn't just for the southern kingdom, but it's also a message for the families that make up the northern kingdom, okay? So Jeremiah's preaching to these two divided kingdoms as a combined kingdom, as it were, okay? The reason for this, if you look at end of verse number 31, it says, and they shall be my people. Of course, God has his people, his saved people in these different nations scattered throughout the world, and those that believe in the Lord, those that are saved by grace through faith, those people are the people of God, okay? Now, verse number two, it says, thus saith the Lord, the people which were left of the sword and found grace in the wilderness, even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. And once again, I mentioned to you that this is where people start to apply the following verses about a future restoration to come. You know, if you hold to a dispensational theology, dispensational interpretation of the Bible, you're gonna consider the next verses to be about them coming back into the land and believing on Jesus Christ, and, you know, they're all gonna be saved kind of thing, okay? But let's have a look at this. Verse number three. The Lord have appeared of old unto me, saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting hope. Therefore with love and kindness have I drawn thee. Again, I will build thee and thou shalt be built. So you can definitely see this is a positive message. God says, you know what, I'm going to build you. You're gonna be built up again. And then it says these words, O Virgin of Israel, thou shall again be adorned with thy tabrets and shall go forth in the dances of them that make merry. So it's saying, look, it's gonna be great times once again. The Lord God is telling us. Now, I want you to notice, who is God speaking to here? If you notice verse number four, it says, O Virgin of Israel. Now, when you think of the word virgin, do you think of maybe an older lady or do you think of a younger lady? No, you think of a younger lady, right? A younger lady. So who is the Lord speaking to? Well, it's important that he uses this phrase, O Virgin of Israel, because if you go back to Jeremiah chapter three, go to Jeremiah chapter three for me, and this is just one example that I can give you. I'm sure if you've been here, listening to the Jeremiah series, you know that God has many times referred to Israel a certain way. But if you go to Jeremiah chapter three and verse number nine, Jeremiah chapter three and verse number nine, when God is condemning the nation, when he's rebuking the nation, in verse number nine it says, and it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom. So God is describing this nation as a whore, in what way that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And we know those stones and stocks were the idols, you know, false idols that were set up to be worshiped. And so the generation that is going to be taken into captivity is a whorish generation, okay? And now God is speaking in Jeremiah chapter 31 about O Virgin of Israel. So is he speaking about the same generation that he called a whore, that he called adulterous? No, once again, being taken into captivity is a 70 year period. So the people that are being taken into captivity, that's a whorish adulterous woman as it were, but then they would have, in 70 years, they would have, you know, two or three generations to go by and that new generation would be considered in God's eyes as a virgin, a young virgin, a new generation that God will bring back into the land and restore, okay? So this is important because you can see that there's a big difference between being whorish, adulterous, and being a virgin, okay? If this is about the end times, and you know how they apply the seven year tribulation, well, then this would be saying that as the Jews are being persecuted by the Antichrist, they're this whorish adulterous woman, and then within seven years, all of a sudden, they're a virgin. It's the same generation. You know, you couldn't call that generation a virgin if they believe in a false religion, if they've been worshiping the Antichrist, and then all of a sudden, God's calling them a virgin. That would make no sense for the end times, but doesn't it make perfect sense about Babylon, about 70 years, where it's a brand new generation that's being brought out, a younger generation, a newer generation, which haven't defiled themselves, you know, worshiping false gods, where God could say about that generation, about that new nation coming out, that that is my people and that they are a virgin of Israel. So it makes a lot more sense, right? Throwing that into the end times just really messes it up, right? Makes no sense whatsoever. Anyway, look at verse number five. Back to Jeremiah 31, verse number five. Thou shall yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria. The planters shall plant and shall eat them as common things. For there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the Mount of Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye and let us go up to Zion, unto the Lord our God. And so God is saying, look, there's a coming a time, you know, they're gonna be restored, they're gonna be rebuilt, and they're gonna be once again worshiping the Lord. You know, the watchman's gonna call out and they're just going to be out there worshiping the Lord in Zion, okay? And so, yeah, you know, this is a very positive message. God is telling them things are gonna get returned back to normal when you come back out from Babylon. Verse number seven, for thou saith the Lord. Now this is really important because if you just go back to verse number one, back to verse number one, it says, and they shall be my people. I want you to really understand who these people are. Is God speaking about a people who are rebellious against God? Is He speaking about the unsaved? Because again, what do many of our Baptist brethren say about the Jews today who are non-believers of Jesus Christ? Don't they say those are God's chosen people, they are God's people, okay? Well, what's good about Jeremiah 31? And again, God is saying in verse number one, and they shall be my people, God is saying that. But what's great about the next verse in verse number seven, God defines who His people are, okay? He defines who they are. Verse number seven, for thou saith the Lord, sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations, Publish ye, praise ye, O say the Lord, save thy people. Say, who's thy people? Save thy people, the remnant of Israel. So can we say that all Israelites, all Jews, everyone that's of that nation, can we say those are the people of God? No, who are the people of God? Save thy people, the remnant of Israel. So God's people is not just everybody that makes up this one nation of Israel, God's people are the remnants of Israel. Listen, when you think of the word remnant, don't you think about a very small, very few, a very low percentage of people compared to the majority? And you know, in every nation, as I covered last, on Jeremiah chapter 30, every nation has a remnant, okay? Now keep your finger there, and please turn to Daniel chapter 12. Daniel chapter 12. Because this remnant are the believers in every nation. Yes, even the nation of Israel, the Old Testament nation of Israel, the Old Testament nation of Judah, even the nation of Israel today, okay? It is made up of unsaved people, and then a remnant, a small amount of saved people. And God is saying in Jeremiah 31 verse seven, save thy people, again, who is the people of God? Everybody that's bored of a certain ethnicity? No, the remnants of Israel. Now what's good about Daniel chapter 12? Look at verse number one. God again defines his people, okay? God defines, and I'm showing you these verses because if someone says to you, those are God's people, you can turn to these passages, and you can say to someone, let me show you how the Bible defines God's people, okay? Daniel chapter 12 in verse number one, and again, this is about the end, this is about the end times, Daniel chapter 12 verse number one. It says, and at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, so there it is, thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, and this is definitely about the great tribulation, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time, and at that time thy people shall be delivered, so who's the people? Everyone that shall be found written in the book. So God's people are not just people of one nation that say, look, this is about Daniel's people, it's about the Jews. They say the end times, it's all about the Jews. No, it defines for us who God's people are, everyone that shall be found written in the book. That book is the lamb's book of life. You know, if you're saved, your name is written there, and that means you are God's people, and so Daniel's people in Daniel chapter 12, it's not the Jews, you know, unbelieving Jews, Daniel's people is everyone that his name's found written in God's book, okay? So you can see with Daniel and you can see with Jeremiah, God explains to us who his people are. Yes, ideally it would be from that physical nation because they had the knowledge of God, but then the Lord is really narrowing down to who his real people are, it's the believers, it's the remnants, okay? Back to Jeremiah chapter 31, verse number eight. Jeremiah chapter 31, verse number eight. Behold, I will bring them from the north country. Now again, we've been reading Jeremiah, every time we've been reading about the north, who is God referring to? Babylon. Babylon, the Babylonians, yeah, okay? So again, where are these people being, when they've been restored by God, where are they? They're in the north country. They're in the Babylonian empire spread out throughout that empire, right? And again, Jeremiah's constantly bringing forth the fact that that is a northern king or a northern nation, okay? This is not about the end times with Jews being scattered all across the world and they're being brought back into the land, okay? They're coming from the north country and gather them from the coasts of the earth and with them, the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together, a great company shall return thither. Okay, so once again, the exile, it's not the exile, but you know, the restoration that's coming out of Babylon, this is what this passage is teaching us about. Verse number nine. They shall come with weeping and with supplications and I will lead them, I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble for I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn. Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations and declare it in the isles afar off and say, he that scattereth Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. So who was stronger than Israel? Babylon once again, right? Babylon was stronger, they came in, they defeated them in warfare, they took them into captivity, they destroyed the city of Jerusalem and burnt down the city, burnt down the temple and the Lord is saying, look, I'm going to restore you back from the one that was stronger than you, okay? Verse number 12. Therefore, they shall come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord for wheat and for wine and for oil and for the young of the flock and of the herd and their soul shall be as a watered garden and they shall not sorrow anymore at all. Then shall the virgin, there is again, rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together for I will turn their morning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priest with fatness and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord, okay? So once again, a very positive outlook here, a very positive message, okay? Jeremiah's preaching to those that are in captivity so they know their future generations are one day going to leave that northern kingdom and be brought back into the land, they're going to be blessed, it's gonna be a great time. Unfortunately though, if you know the history of the nation of Israel, that yeah, they came back into the land, they rebuilt, they re-established themselves, they rebuilt their houses and all those kinds of things and then approximately 100 years later, we read the book of Haggai, they're back to their old ways. Back to their old ways, okay? They're back to not giving their full heart and love toward the Lord, they're back into those old ways and then we have the end of the Old Testament and in the book of Haggai, sorry, Malachi, sorry, Malachi, we have the promise of John the Baptist coming into the world and prophesying of Jesus Christ coming into the world, okay? And we are tired of this sermon, the new covenant, okay? The new covenant because you'll soon see that this is, you know, God is explaining a bit of a history of Israel here, he explained there's gonna be great times as they come into the land but then there's gonna be a sadness, there's going to be a sorrow that takes place, okay? Look at verse number 15, it says, thus saith the Lord, a voice was heard in Rehman, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rehhel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children because they were not. All right, so all of a sudden, in the midst of this celebration, in the midst of good times God is saying one day there's coming this time where it's gonna be a great sorrow, Rachel weeping for her children, why? Because they were not, okay? So if something is not in the Bible, quite often the Bible uses this kind of phraseology, it means they have died, okay? They've passed away and so we have a mother here weeping for her children because they have died. Okay, does anyone know where verse number 15 comes from? Yeah, Matthias? When King Herod kills all the children. When King Herod kills all the children, absolutely, right? When Christ has come into this world, we know that he was born in Bethlehem and the wise men came to worship the Lord and King Herod desired to see where Jesus Christ was because he said he wanted to worship but no, his aim was to kill the baby and we know what took place in history. In fact, we're gonna read about it. So keep your finger there, let's go to Matthew chapter two. Let's go to Matthew chapter two, please. Matthew chapter two, verse number 16. So you can see the chronology here, right? That there's gonna be great times, it's gonna be restored back to the land but then there's gonna be this great sorrow that takes place and Matthew chapter two says this was about Jesus Christ, this was about his birth, this was about his early childhood. So again, you wanna take this passage, all these great rejoicing being brought into the land and apply that to the end times but now you're dealing with the birth of Christ again. Where does this situation fit the best? Wouldn't this fit the best in the past when they're brought back out of captivity and then we have the situation about Christ coming into this world? I mean, that would make perfect sense, right? Applied it to the end times and now, what ours are now, God's been in the future now he's going back to the past, right? The chronology doesn't work out. Matthew chapter two and verse number 16. It says, then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wrath and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Think about the wickedness of that act. Could you think about the governments coming to the city of Sydney, fighting all the children that are two years old and under and killing them? That's the decree, that's the law. We're gonna go and kill all the little babies. I mean, that's how much Herod hated Jesus Christ. That's how much Satan was trying to destroy the ministry of Jesus before it even began, okay? And so, this was a great sorrow. This is a great sadness, right? But look what it says in verse number 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet saying, so Jeremy is Jeremiah, okay? Verse 18, in Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping and great mourning, Rachel, before it was Rachel, weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not. They passed away, they perished, okay? Now, so you understand what Jeremiah is now prophesying of. He's prophesying of the coming of Jesus Christ, right? They're gonna have a great time when they're getting restored back into the land, but then he fast forwards a little bit into history about the great sorrow to come, okay? But this would bring in Jesus Christ, which will ultimately bring in the new covenant, okay? The New Testament through his blood. Back to Jeremiah 31, look at verse number 16. Jeremiah 31, verse number 16. So even though, of course, the murder of little babies, if my youngest child was slain like this, it would break our hearts, wouldn't it? I mean, this would be, I understand why Rachel cannot be comforted. I understand that, right? I mean, this is really bad. And over the last week or so, we've been looking at certain passages that teach us that little babies that perish go to be with the Lord, okay? And this is another passage that proves that, okay? In Jeremiah 31, look at verse number 16. Verse number 16. Thus saith the Lord, refrain thy voice from weeping. So the Lord is telling these mothers who have lost their little ones, refrain from weeping, okay? And thine eyes from tears, he says, stop crying. For thy works shall be rewarded, saith the Lord. Wow, so they've lost their little children, and the Lord says, you know what? I'm gonna reward your work. I'm gonna reward you for having these little children, even though a wicked government came and took their lives. He's saying, what way were they rewarded? Look at this. And they, that's the little children that perish, shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border. Praise God. Praise God. We've been looking at this topic, right? And I covered a sermon not long ago that these little babies, these little children that perish, they're going to return back to this earth, okay? They're going to return to this earth in the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, and they're going to understand the earth under God's laws, under God's commands, under Jesus Christ's authority. They're gonna experience the earth better than what we're currently experiencing. And this verse tells us these little children that perish under wicked Herod, they're gonna return and they're going to come again into their own borders. Okay? So yeah, these little children, they go to be with the Lord, okay? They did not die spiritually and they returned back and they're going to be able to be with the Lord in the future. So you can see this element of it, yes, of course it is about end times, this element of these children coming back to the border. Okay? Look at verse number 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus. Thou has chastised me and I was chastised. As a bullock, unaccustomed to the yoke, turn thou me and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. So the yoke is mentioned once again in verse number 18, and the Lord is saying that the Israelites are going to come to a point where because they've got the yoke of captivity of the Babylonians, that they're going to realize that God has chastised them and they're going to learn from their mistakes, okay? Look at verse number 19. This is what Israel is going to say. Surely after that I was turned, I repented, and after that I was instructed. I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my vows are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord, okay? So those that have placed their faith in the Lord, this virgin of Israel that's going to come out, this new generation that's going to come out of the land of Babylon, they're going to be able to look back at the chastisement of the Lord and say, yes, we learned our lesson, we were wrong. And brethren, we will now take this in our application for us, because God still chastises his children. When you've been saved, you became a child of God. And just like the Bible instructs parents to chastise their children when they've done wrong, well, you know what? God will chastise you when you do wrong, okay? And what do you need to be? You need to be like the Israel here, this virgin of Israel, this new generation. You have to say, wow, the Lord has chastised me, right? And become ashamed and say, boy, I was wrong. And Lord, thank you for correcting me. Help me to do better in the future. Please forgive me. And God says, you know what? I'm going to have mercy upon him, save the Lord. It's a wonderful thing to be chastised of the Lord. It doesn't feel good while the chastisement's happening, okay? But when it's happening and you're going through hardship and you know it's the hand of the Lord because of our disobedience, you need to stop and say, well, Lord, where did I mess up? Lord, show me what I've done wrong. Lord, show me my sin. Show me where I failed, Lord. Help me to do better, God. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Lord. I've messed up. Help me to do better. And then you go for the chastisement and then you can have the mercy of the Lord. Mercy of the Lord. These are good instructions for parents, you know? When we do chastise our kids, once again, the kids being chastised, being corrected, it's not nice. They don't enjoy it at the moment, right? Parents don't really want to do it. Sometimes the kids might think that parents really want to chastise me, but really, parents really don't want to do that. Like, they wish it didn't have to come to that, okay? But when it does happen and the chastisement happens and the child is able to recognize what they've done wrong and say sorry, the next thing for the parents to do is just to be merciful. They've said sorry, all right, I forgive you. Let's put that behind us. We don't need to bring that up again. Let's move on and do better, you know? And be merciful toward the children, you know? You need to make sure that once you have disciplined your kids, you now show them mercy, okay? The heavy part's been done, now the merciful part is needed. What verse am I up to, Brevin? Verse number 21. It says, set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps, set thy heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest, turn again, O Virgin of Israel, turn again to thy cities. So the Lord's saying, look, come back into your cities, right, come back into this land. Verse number 22. How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? For the Lord have created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man. All right. Now, so the Lord is speaking about this nation in captivity. He's referring to them as a backsliding daughter, but he knows that when they turn again, they repent, right? They come back into the cities, they're gonna be that Virgin of Israel, they're gonna be right with the Lord, all right? Now, when verse number 22 ends, it says, the Lord have created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man. So to compass means basically to surround as it were, okay? And let me just be honest with you, I have no idea what this means. If anyone has an opinion out there, please let me know. This is something that I probably spent an hour just scratching my head, going through possibilities, trying to compare other scriptures that came to my mind, and I could not come to a full realization of what it means that a woman, a singular woman, shall compass a man, a singular man. Like, I'm thinking, how can a woman compass or surround a man? And what does that mean exactly? Well, I'm not entirely sure, okay? At least you know, you know, I'm trying to be a little bit humble here. You know, I don't know everything about the Bible. Some things are still a bit of a mystery, but I would appreciate it if you guys have some opinions. You know, please let me know after the service. Verse number 23. 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, and there shall dwell in Judah itself and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen and they that go forth with flocks. For I have satisfied the weary soul and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. Upon this I awake and behold, and my sleep was sweet unto me. Verse number 26 is Jeremiah saying that he woke up from this vision or this dream, these words of God that have come to him. He wakes up after hearing God's word, and he says, boy, my sleep was sweet unto me, okay? Because you know Jeremiah, he's been having a hard time. He's been preaching very unpopular sermons. He's been preaching things that are causing people to hate him, even his own family to turn against him, right? And we can see that there's great burden on Jeremiah just to preach God's truth, but he's getting to Jeremiah chapter 31. Like I said, it's a very positive chapter. And he says, oh man, finally, a positive sermon. And he says, man, I had a great dream. I had a great sleep. These words are sweet unto me. My sleep was sweet unto me. And so, you know, it's pleasant, you know, sometimes to preach about positive things. You know, preaching should not just be about negative things. Should we preach negative sermons? Of course. Should we preach positive sermons? Of course, okay? But as preachers, we need to be people that have a good balance of both, a good balance of both, okay? And I'm really happy for Jeremiah, because like I said, he's been having such a hard time, and now he's had a really good sleep, because he's been hearing this wonderful positive message from the Lord, the people of the land, and one, they're gonna be restored back into the land. Verse number 27. 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. And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up and to break down, to throw down and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, saith the Lord. Okay, so the Lord's just telling us that just like he brought a judgment, he tried to break them down, he tried to break down their pride, brought the Babylonian captivity, just in the same way that he has done that, he will also watch over the remnants, he'll watch over those that are in Babylon, and he's gonna help them to build, to plant, to be restored back onto the land. Again, very positive message, okay? This would have, I'm sure, not just for Jeremiah, but for those that were in captivity, I'm sure they enjoyed finally hearing some good news, you know, after such difficulties through the Babylonian captivity. So what verses 27 and 28 are comparing is the captivity versus the restoration back onto the land. Verse number 29. Sorry, in those days, they shall say no more, the fathers have eaten a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge. Now I want you to think about, what is this phrase referring to? They shall say no more. So this is like a saying that people are going around, you know, we have our sayings, we have our little proverbs, they may not necessarily be biblical proverbs, but they're just common sayings that are in the world, you know? And one of the sayings that was being said in these days was that if a father eats a sour grape, that the children are going to react, like their teeth, they're gonna experience the bitterness of the father eating the grape, even though they didn't eat the grape. The thought there, of course, is that the children are being punished for the sins of the father. The fathers have done wrong and now the children are paying the consequences. Now, in some ways, that is correct. You know, because if you grew up in a family where your parents are just wicked people, right? I mean, you know, if you grew up in a home where maybe there's like some divorce, you know, broken families, and yeah, of course, our sins, there are lasting consequences to the generations, okay? Now, it's never an excuse to turn around and say, you know, I just can't serve God, I just can't live godly because of my parents. You know, you can never really turn around and blame others because you gotta take personal responsibility for your life as well. But obviously, someone that grows up maybe in a wicked household, a broken household, you know, an ungodly household, they're gonna be at a disadvantage in life versus children that grew up in a Christian household, in church, here in God's word. And so there are these consequences where if the parents mess up, eat the sour grape, the children are going to feel that, okay? And as Jeremiah was preaching, you may recall previously in the other chapters of Jeremiah, that he's saying that this generation, it's not just them that have done wrong, but their fathers have done wrong, their fathers' fathers have done wrong, and finally, this judgment has fallen upon these children. But once again, they can't turn around and say, that's not fair because Jeremiah has also said that this generation is worse than the generation of their fathers before them, okay? So, you know, but anyway, this is a saying, this is a saying, okay? And then look at verse number 30, verse number 30. But, so now, instead of saying that saying, but everyone shall die of his own iniquity, every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge. So instead of the children's teeth being set on edge, now the saying's going to be that if you eat a sour grape, your teeth are gonna be set on edge. In other words, you are gonna be personally accountable to God, it's not going to be this consequence on future generations. Now you say, why is that statement said? What does this mean? Well, as I said, the title for the sermon was The New Covenant, okay? And this is the change from the Old Covenant, the Old Testament, to the New Testament, okay? Now let me explain this very quickly. You know that under the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant, that if Israel did not follow the commandments of the Lord, that the Lord would curse the nation. And sometimes, yeah, the outcome would be generations later. Okay? So as a nation, this has not, the Covenant had nothing to do with salvation. Salvation was still by grace through faith alone, okay? But the Covenant had to do how they would live this life that God has asked them to live in accordance to the commandments that it laid down with Moses, okay? And the blessing, the physical nation would be either blessed if they walked in accordance to God's ways or they would be cursed. All right. Well, now we have the New Covenant, now we have the New Testament. It is not a covenant with an entire nation, okay? It is with a spiritual nation, but it is at the individual level. Now, here's the thing about that. We in the New Covenant cannot be cursed by God because Jesus became the curse for us, okay? And so because of that, it changes the way judgment falls. So now, when you sin, God is holding you personally accountable under this New Covenant, okay? Again, separate this thought from salvation for a moment, okay? But in the old covenants, if the nation sinned, everyone was cursed, everyone faced the consequences. We saw in Jeremiah, even the godly, even the saved, even the righteous are being affected in a negative way because of the curse that has fallen upon the entire nation. But now, under the New Covenant, okay, our sins have been remitted of in Jesus Christ. We're called to live a godly life and God will chastise you at that individual level if you are not walking for the Lord, okay? So I hope that makes sense a little bit that the two sayings have to do with the two covenants, okay, the differences in the covenants and how God chastises or curses people within those covenants. Verse number 31, because straight away, it kind of explains it, right? "'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.'" Now, again, people that take this and apply it to the end times will say, see, this new covenant is with the physical nation of Israel and Judah. This is not, they'll say, I've never understood this, but I've heard it many times. It is taught. I'm not setting up a straw man and knocking it down. I've heard this many times, okay? People say this new covenant has not come into effect yet. They'll say this new covenant has to do with Israel in the millennium. That's interesting. That's interesting, okay? Well, let's keep going. Verse number 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 break, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord.'" So it's not the old covenant, it's a brand new covenant. "'But this shall be the covenants that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in the inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people.'" But again, who are the people of God? They want to apply this to the entire nation, all the Jews in the millennium. But again, we saw who the people of God are in this chapter. It's the remnants of Israel. It's those that have believed on Jesus Christ. It's those that have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Don't forget the context of what we're reading, right? And then it says, verse number 34, and they say, see, this has to be about the end times. "'And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor 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 will remember their sin no more.'" So they say, see, today or in the past, we have to share about the Lord. This is why we go door to door, soul winning, preaching the gospel. We're trying to tell people about God, right? But this is about a time when nobody needs to do that because they shall all know me. But again, look at this. You know, when you look at this, every man his neighbor, every man his brother, saying, know the Lord. Again, in verse number 33, God is saying, and I will be their God and they shall be My people. So what are we looking at here? Don't forget what God just spoke about, that He's going to create a new covenants in comparison to the old covenants, okay? In the old covenants, okay, there was a priestly line, right, the Levitical line, and yes, they were to serve in the temple, but their job was also to teach people what was holy and unholy. Their job was to teach people the Word of God. You know, God had prophets walking the earth, preaching things like Jeremiah, and so they did have to teach their neighbors, they did teach, have to teach their brethren the things of God, okay? But in the new covenant, brethren, if you enter the new covenant, you are already saved. You already know God. And so I don't need to teach other people about God because you know God. And not only that, you have the Holy Spirit indwelling every believer, so with the Word of God, with the help of the Holy Ghost, we can all know God. We don't need this prophet or we don't need these priests in play. We have the great high priest after the order of Melchizedek. And so this has explained to us a change of covenant, a change of how we learn about God, okay? This isn't about the millennial and everybody can see Christ ruling and reigning so everyone just knows Him. You know, it's crazy because we can see very clearly Jesus Christ is teaching us the difference between the covenants, how they operate, right? Now, why is, again, why is this not, and again, it surprises me that people look at this, did I read verse, yeah, I did read verse 34, because, you know, and try to apply this about the end times. Like, it boggles my mind, brethren, because, you know, when you study your Bible, what I really want you to pay attention to, especially when you read your New Testament, anytime the Old Testament is quoted, the New Testament is teaching you what the Old Testament was about, okay? And so, you know, what's a wonderful blessing is that this portion of scripture is repeated to us in the New Testament. So let's go there, let's go to Hebrews chapter eight. Let's go to Hebrews chapter eight. Hebrews chapter eight. So, Hebrews chapter eight and verse number six. Hebrews chapter eight and verse number six, which says, but now have he obtained, this is about Jesus Christ, a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established, was established, past tense, right? So from the time the book of Hebrews was written, this better covenant was established, past tense, right, upon better promises. So this is about the past, when Christ came, not about the future, still to come, new covenant that's coming, okay? Now, what is this talking about? Verse number seven. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them he saith, behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. So why did God have to create a new covenant? Because was the covenant wrong? Was the Testament like, was it faulty? No, it wasn't the Testament, it wasn't the covenant that was faulty. He says in verse number eight, for finding fault with them, okay? It was the people, it was sinners. You know, they've got that sin nature, we have that sin nature, okay? And so this is why God had to create a better covenant. Actually, before I keep reading this passage, look at verse number six again, Hebrew chapter eight, verse number six. I just wanna, because again, some people are just, I don't know, I don't know where, I just don't know where they're coming from, okay? Because they'll say, well, this is the new covenant, which is for Israel and Judah. What we have is not the new covenant, what we have is the New Testament. Has anyone heard that before? I've heard that before, okay? Now again, what does it say in verse number six? Now have he obtained a more excellent ministry? By how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant. Okay, so he's the mediator of a better covenant. Go to Hebrew chapter nine now, Hebrew chapter nine and verse number 15, Hebrew chapter nine and verse number 15, and for this cause, he is the mediator of the New Testament. Okay, so Hebrews 9, 15 says, he's the mediator of the New Testament, Hebrew chapter eight says, he's the mediator of a better covenant. So it's the same thing. The better covenant is the New Testament. It's the new covenant, okay? It's not like, well, you get the New Testament because you're the Gentiles, and the Jews, they get the new covenant. Again, these aren't strong. I've heard these things, brethren, okay? And again, I don't know if any churches are teaching, I'm just saying I've heard this from brethren when I discuss things with them, especially at end times. They're always trying to jump, that's just the Jews. Let me show you in Jeremiah, yeah, but Hebrews, it's already established. This has already happened. Back to Hebrew chapter eight, please, and we didn't finish it. Verse number nine, verse number nine, Hebrew chapter eight, verse number nine. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their mind and will write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. So you can see here in Hebrews, it's repeating the words of Jeremiah chapter 31. And again, who are the people that have been quoted here in the book of Hebrews, and they shall be to me a people, the people that make up the New Testament, the better covenant? Those are the people of God, those that are saved by grace through faith. Doesn't matter if you're a Jew or a Gentile, if you've been saved, if you're part of this better covenant, this New Testament, if Jesus Christ is your mediator, you are the people of God. He can say that he is your God, and you can say, he can say about you that you are his people, okay? So again, you know, we just look at Hebrews, we look at Jeremiah. Is this about some future events, or is this a covenant that's already established by Jesus Christ as our mediator? I mean, I just feel like, I don't need to teach this as a pastor. Like, I just feel like it's so easy. And I'm not trying to boast or anything like that. Okay, Jeremiah, okay, Hebrews explains it. Okay, it's New Testament. Oh no, it's still about the future. I just don't understand, Reverend. I don't understand the mindset. I really, this is why, you know, I've always been an odd one out. Because I don't like to just swallow anything and just be, okay, that's what it is. I need to see it in the Bible. I need to read it in the Bible. And if the New Testament is clarifying something, well, I'm just going to go with the New Testament writer. I thought that was inspired by the Holy Ghost, rather than your opinion, which I don't know where you got that opinion from. Look at verse number 11 in Hebrews chapter eight, verse number 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. There it is again. Is that about the millennium? No, it's about the new covenant still. Oh man, I don't know, Reverend. I get tired sometimes just arguing these points, all right? Because I just feel like I'm wasting my time. But it has to be said, all right? Verse number 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Look at this. In that he saith a new covenant, he hath made the first old, now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Because the old covenant has vanished away, okay? Jesus Christ as a mediator and the new covenant, the better covenant, okay? He did this when he came into this earth. And you know, Jesus Christ, when he was having the last supper with his disciples, he said in Matthew 26, 28, for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. So when did the New Testament come into effect? With the shedding of Christ's blood, right? You're in Hebrews, go to Hebrew chapter nine again. Hebrew chapter nine, which we saw that he's the mediator of the New Testament, okay? Hebrew chapter nine, verse number 15. Hebrews 9, 15. And for this cause, he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a Testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of our testator. For a Testament is a force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. So what does this teach us? This teaches us that the New Testament came into effect when the testator died. When Jesus Christ died, when his blood was shed, that's when the New Testament has started. That's when it was established, okay? And the old has waxed away, old, okay? It's waxed away, okay? It's not, we're no longer under the old covenant. The new covenant that's been prophesied of Jeremiah is the New Testament, you know, with the blood of Jesus Christ, the better covenant, those that believe in Jesus Christ, if you're saved today, you're part of this new covenant. And so when God says that this new covenant I create with Israel and Judah, that includes us, because God is speaking of a spiritual Israel, the Israel of God that we read about in Galatians, this spiritual nation, this is the people of God. Those that have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, the remnant, brethren, these are the people of God, okay? And so when we read Jeremiah, yes, it's a promise to that physical nation as well, should they believe on Jesus, should they believe on the mediator of the New Testament, they will be saved and they too would be the people of God. I hope that makes a lot of sense. This stuff is not about the future, this stuff is about what's took place. In fact, it's about the most, what boggles my mind is, it's about the most important aspect of our Christianity. It's about the most important aspect of our faith, the New Testament, the sacrifice of Christ, how then you take that and say, that's the future covenant, some special thing that God has in plan. Man, I just don't understand. I don't understand where they're coming from. You know? And I hope you appreciate that you have a pastor that's willing to just go against the common narrative, right? And to show you where the Bible shows us that these things, you know, like the truth of these things, where they really fit, okay? So then the Bible makes complete sense to you. Back to Jeremiah 31, please, verse number 35. Jeremiah 31, verse number 35. 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 forever. Thus saith the Lord, if heaven can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cut off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. So I've had people, again, turn to this passage to show me this is about the future millennium, okay? Because it's saying here, if heaven can be measured, like if a man can, not the Lord, Lord can measure anything what he wants, right? But if a man can measure heaven, which we can't, okay? Or if a man is able to search deep in and find the foundations of the earth, right? Then he will also cast off all the seed of Israel. So what God is saying basically is this, I will never cast off Israel. That's what he's saying, okay? Because the heavens are immeasurable, because you're never gonna search the depths of the earth and see the foundations of the earth or things like that, all right? And so they'll say, see, God's done with his people. They are still, looking at a physical nation, they are still God's people today, right? You're saying that God has cast them off when God is saying here that he will never do that, okay? But again, look at the special, look at the words that God uses. Does it say, okay, let's read it again, verse number 37. The second half of verse 37. I will also cast off all the seed of Israel. All the seed, seed's a very important word right there, okay? I'm not gonna cover the seed right now, but I've covered that before, okay? But all the seed, okay? Now, what God is saying is not that he's gonna not cast any of the seed, but all the seed will not be cast away, okay? So some of the seed will be cast away, in other words, okay? But not all of it, okay? Now, again, these are words that are used specifically in the New Testament to teach us a few things. So keep your finger there and go to Romans chapter 11, please. Go to Romans chapter 11, verse number one. Romans chapter 11, verse number one, which says, I say then, have God cast away his people? Hey, that's kind of answering the question that Jeremiah is bringing up about casting all the seed, right? Have God cast away his people? God forbid, for I am also an Israelite of the seed, there's the word, the seed of Abraham and of the tribe of Benjamin. So what do we learn here? That there are some people that God has not cast away, but only, and Paul describes, I'm one of those. I'm one of those that has not been cast away. Drop down to verse number 15. Why is Paul one of these? Verse number 15, Romans chapter 11, sorry, verse number five, Romans chapter 11, verse number five. Because then it says this, even so then at this present time, also there is a remnant. Remember, remnant, God's people are the remnants. God's people are the seed of Abraham, okay? God's people are people that will not be cast away, all right? But then look at this, who is this remnant? According to the election of grace. Brethren, how are we saved? By grace, through faith. Who are the remnants? Those that have been saved by grace. Listen, the Jews today on that land, in that physical land, they are not saved by grace. They are not the remnants. Look, they've been cast off because they're not believers of Jesus Christ. Verse number six, and if by grace, then there is no more of works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. But look at verse number seven. What then? Israel have not obtained that which he seeketh for. Listen, Israel, think about the physical nation of Israel right now. They have not obtained that which he seeketh for. Then it says this, but the election have obtained it and the rest were blinded. So the election have obtained what they're looking for, salvation by grace, okay? But Israel has not obtained it, okay? So when we look back at Jeremiah, what is he saying? That his people are the remnants, his people are those of faithful Abraham, the seed of faithful Abraham. How do we go into that? By the election of grace, we become that seed of Abraham, we become that seed by believing on Jesus Christ. It's through faith. It's a remnant of every nation. It's a spiritual nation that you've entered into through the new covenant, not through some old covenants that has waxed away, okay? So when we go back to Jeremiah chapter 31 in verse number 37, when he says, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel, yeah, he's not gonna cast off believers. This is not teaching us he's not gonna cut off Jews. He's saying he's not gonna cut off believers, those that are in the new covenant, okay? Again, this is eternal security right here being taught to us, okay, by the prophet Jeremiah. Okay, Jeremiah, if I haven't explained that very well, brethren, please ask me afterwards, please. Verse number 38, verse number 38. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Hananiel unto the gate of the corner. And the measuring line shall yet go forth over it upon the hill of Gareb and shall compass about to goeth. And the whole valley of the dead bodies and all the ashes and all the fields unto the brook of Caidron unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east. You may remember that valley of dead bodies, you may remember that part of the judgment of God on Judah was when the Babylonians would come, that there would be just these dead bodies just laying on the field. They wouldn't even be able to have time to bury those bodies and give them any kind of respectful funeral, okay? And so God is saying, look, when you come back into the land, when I'm restored, you're gonna come back into all these places, you're gonna go back into those valleys where God has sent you the judgment, you're gonna rebuild, right? And then it says, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east shall be holy unto the Lord and it shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more forever. All right, so we know that the city of Jerusalem would be rebuilt. We read about these things in the books of Ezra, of the rebuilding of the temple in Nehemiah where they rebuilt the walls of the city. And so basically God, again, reinforcing the fact that they're gonna be brought back into the land after the Babylonian captivity. And the positive, the major positive note of this passage isn't just that they'll be brought forth out of captivity and back into the land, but that God will one day establish that new covenant, okay? That new covenant, which is for the remnants of Israel, it's for the seed of Abraham, it's for the protection of grace, it's for those that have believed on Jesus Christ, okay? And have been saved through the New Testament, all right? So through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, as I said, the title for the sermon was A New Covenant. Thank God for the new covenant. Thank God that salvation is so easily and readily available to us should we believe in Jesus Christ. And isn't it unfortunate that it's only ever gonna be a remnant of nations that believe in Jesus? So think about these things. We are a remnant, we are small, we are a small number of people, but God wants to use us to be great for him, okay? God wants us to use us to go out there with the gospel of Jesus Christ, right? With the message of grace, salvation by grace. And let's make sure that we, as God's people, do the things that God has asked us to do and learn from the mistakes of the Israelites of old, how they had failed God, how they had not lived up to the covenant, to the agreement that God made with them.