Jeremiah 31:31-34

“No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” vs. 34

It was obvious to Jeremiah that the old ways weren’t working. The country was about to be invaded by foreigners and public officials were notoriously corrupt. People were drifting away from the covenant with the Lord, and even the Law had lost its effectiveness. Something new was needed, a fresh start, and it needed more than a new list of commandments and regulations. Jeremiah could just as well have said that the people of God needed a reformation to break out.

Some are surprised to see such a teaching in what we call the “Old Testament,” but only because we presume that the Spirit of God was on holiday until the day of Pentecost. Actually the Spirit was a vibrant presence in the ministries of Israel’s prophets, and what exploded on the scene with Jesus had been in the works for centuries among people of faith. 

But no matter how wonderful new teachings might be, once they become established, it doesn’t take long for them to lose their transformative power. That’s even happened with the good news that was connected to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The message of forgiveness was swallowed up in bureaucracies until the Spirit inspired new prophets and reformers. And in them hope blossomed anew!

Thought for the Day: What would a new Reformation look like now?