Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Renewed Covenant

Jeremiah 31:33 says: "For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra'el after those days, declares YHWH: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people." Jeremiah calls this "a renewed covenant." When we get a "new moon" every thirty days, do you think it is really a "new moon" or a renewed lunar cycle? In the same way, YHWH has made a renewed covenant with Yeshua (Jesus) as the mediator. The Torah has been placed in our hearts as opposed to on tablets of stone. Jews understood that we each have a good and an evil influence inside us. They can war with each other. When the Torah of YHWH is written on our hearts, we are to submit to it and act accordingly.

The Torah is YHWH's instruction to His people in how to live. Note that the behavior required to be His children is the same under both the Hebrew Scriptures and the renewed covenant. The blessings of obedience found in Deuteronomy 28 are for correct behavior. In the same way, the curses are for disobedient behavior. It would seem wise to know what behavior He requires. This is not "doing the best you can" or hoping that your sincerity will be sufficient. This is a matter of obedience to the Word of YHWH.

As we continue to press on in a world that is showing birth pangs for some climatic event, we want to make sure that we are obedient to YHWH's Words. Words are powerful. They have creative power. We want to act with His wisdom in all our dealings. We want to immerse ourselves in His Words. We want to speak them. We want to act on them. When we do, we will be ready for whatever the future brings.

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