Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-25

jeremiah sent forth this message of
, cheer, consolation and comfort from
prisoners cell. His prophetic words OF
doom, that we have considered in our
last two lessons, had been fulfilled,
Israel and Judah had been swept away.
! The powerful Assyrian forces had cap
tured Jerusalem and the whole nation
had been carried into exile. In the
darkest hour Of his country's history.
jeremiah had prayed for his country
and fellow citizens. God gave the
prophet vision of light that helped
scatter the darkpess and despair. He
saw afar off the coming evidence OF
Gods great love for Israel and Judah.
Although they had frequently broken
the covenant with Jehovah, so that they
no longer had any right to expect pro-
lection from Him, jeremiah was given
a vision of the coming OF a new cove
nant that would replace the old.
All reasonable hopes that any legal,
ceremonial and external reformation
could transform and preserve tne re-
ligious character of the nation had been
completely destroyed. The nation had
demonstrated that an external and
compulsory relationship had its value In
the commencement of their national
history. yet it had failed to develop
thoroughly righteous nation, for they
neglected to keep His laws. While the
nation had no legal standing with
Jehovah. the prophet saw that Gods
power was not limited and that He was
planning to save the nation. Jehovah
assured jeremiah that He proposed to
save the spiritual message which He
had given to Jewish people for all
nations by making new covenant with
the exiled nation.
Ramsay suggests that we will under
stand Jeremiah's contribution to the
religious history Of humanity If we
would change Covenant into 'reli-
gion." This ought to give us clearer
understanding of the full significance
Of the contribution OF Jeremiah 10
Israels religious ideals. There was an
evident need Of a restoration OF work.
able and liveable relation between
Jehovah and His chosen people. We
need it today in our own national life.
Their old faith was rapidly disappear
ing. jeremiah saw the coming OF
better relationship, that would take the
place of the old covenant God had mace
with the IL tribes through Moses,
when He gave them the law to be their
guide. The covenant He solemnly maoe
with the young nation had been re-
newed many times because they had
broken It numerous times. 1t lacked
the spiritual force to keep them keyed
I'D to their religious obligations and
opportunities. God proposed to Jeremiah
the establishment of new covenant
that would completely supersede the
old covenant that had failed
The New Covenant.
In rebuilding and restoring the ma
ton. bringing them back from exile,
God informed the prophet that he
would write His laws upon the hearts
of men. Under the New Covenant the
prophet saw that ones relation to Goo
would not depend upon obligations I'm.
posed from without, but that 1t would
depend upon ones personal experience
with God: that character does not
spring from respect for moral obliga-
tions which are imposed like statutes"
Under the Old Covenant God dealt with
the nation as a whole and imposed His
authority from without. Jeremiah's own
trying experiences had given him
reyela zion of the close personal fellow
ship and presence of Jehovah. His ex-
perience helped him interpret Jehovah
to men not only as the most high per-
sonality, but also as the most near
friend. His evidence of Gods care and
love in his trials enabled the prophet to
understand how God could and would
establish O New Covenant to supersede
the requirements Of the law. While 1t
was based upon love, 1t failed to reach
the hearts OF men.
jeremiah was the first to perceive and
to preach a personal and individual re-
sponsibility for sin. He recognized That
it was more than social nalady, as
they believe to large extent In the
East today. He emphasized 1t was
personal and individual offense against
God He sought to save the nation by
calling upon them as individuals to
repent and live right. In introducing
his teachings of the New Covenant
marked by spirituality, universally
apex of prophecy. 1t gave him rank
with the Hottest and greatest prophets
of the Old Testament. -
We find the writer to the Hebrews
quoting that portion Of jeremiah, as
signed for our study this week, in that
part of his epistle dealing with the bet
ter Covenant. He claims that had the
first Covenant been faultless, then no
place would have been sought for the
second" The people had failed to re-
spond to the best that was in them be-
cause they lacked the urge of a spiritual
preparation for the heart to keep them
faithful to their part of the first Cove
nant. One cannot be made righteous
by law. Faith, hope and love are
needed. BY planting religion in the
hearts, Jehovah made the New Cove
law upon the hearts of men, He passed
religion from an outward observance.
devout and sincere as 1t had been. into
a New Covenant of spiritual fellowship
of the individual soul with God, inter-
weaving itself in an active vital way
with ones will, understanding, affec-
tions, in fact his whole personality with
God and His service. The spirituality
Of the New Covenant appealed to the
spirituality Of the human soul who
longs for fellowship with Jehovah as
His God. Whenever and wherever a
repentant soul appeals to God in faith,
then the everything Lord says He will
be his God.
Under the New Covenant every be-
lever had opened to him the spiritual
fellowship with Jehovah and thorough
understanding of His word. They would
not prove faithless and untrue to God.
Faith proves itself by its works. The
true lover of God reveals his love for
Jehovah by seeking to do His will and
work in the world. One of the surest
evidence that one is a child of God is
seen in that individuals efforts to win
others for the Master. The effort to