 |  |
"Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and
make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
(xviii.31).
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will
take away the stony heart ..." (36: 26).
The word "new" occur four times in Jeremiah. The outline of the four references is
interesting:
A |
26: 10. The new gate of the Lord's house. Jeremiah's prophecy rejected.
B
| 31: 22. The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth.
B
| 31: 31. I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.
A |
36: 10. The new gate of the Lord's house. Jeremiah's prophecy rejected.
The meetings at the new gate, where the prophecy of Jeremiah was considered, led up
to statements by the Priests in the first case showing their rejection of Jeremiah's
message, and in the second case, when a book containing a record of Jeremiah's
prophecies was presented to the king, it resulted in the king throwing the book on the fire.
But in Jer. 31: 17 we read, "And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord", and as we
have seen, God will make a new covenant with Israel and give them a new heart and a
new spirit.
The prophecy that there will be a complete change, and that Israel after returning to
the Lord will be restored and be God's people, is a cause for rejoicing and thanksgiving.
So the Psalmist reacts by exhorting Israel to sing a new song and to praise the Lord.
Psalms 96:-99: in each case show that the picture is the return of the Lord to this
earth and God's reign beginning:
A | 96: 1. O sing unto the Lord a new song.
B | 96: 13. He cometh to judge the earth.
C | 97: 1. The Lord reigneth.
A | 98: 1. O sing unto the Lord a new song.
B | 98: 9. He cometh to judge the earth.
C | 99: 1. The Lord reigneth.
See other references: Psalms 33: 3; 40: 3; 144: 9; and Isa. 42: 10.
We quoted Jer. 31: 22 above, "for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth",
and as we study the book of Isaiah we find other similar statements. "Behold, the former
things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you
of them. Sing unto the Lord a new song ..." (Isa. 42: 9, 10). Then, in Isa. 43: 19, he
says again "Behold I will do a new thing: now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert".
Another reference is in chapter 48:, but the whole chapter needs to be read.
Although Israel is obstinate God still pleads with them, and for His own name's sake He
will not cut off Israel. We will quote a few verses: