Receiving God's Grace

 

[The Lord said] “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.’” (Jeremiah 3:15–18 ESV).

 

The Prophet Jeremiah records a word from the Lord that has enormous implications for us today. Our reading today is a part of this larger biblical prophecy about a future time of restoration when the Ark of the Covenant will no longer be needed or remembered. He writes: “… in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. (v. 16). Jeremiah’s ministry covered the years between 627 and 586 BCE. This would have been the time when the prophet’s ministry was unfolding from a massive geopolitical power shift. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was collapsing, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire was rising to dominance under Nebuchadnezzar. It was during this time (586-587 BCE) that the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem itself would be taken captive. The Ark of the Covenant was the supreme physical symbol of God's presence among the Israelites in the Old Testament. Yet during this time it was lost to the ages and has yet to be recovered.

 

As we look back at Jeremiah’s prophecy it is much easier to understand than for the people of his day. They were, after all looking forward with the historical events of Jesus’ coming and ministry. However, Jeremiah understood. He knew that in this future prophetic era, people would experience God's presence directly rather than needing a physical artifact or old ritual system. The clarity of this fulfillment took place when the curtain separating the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom at Jesus’ death.

Virtually every Christian theologian views this as pointing forward to the New Covenant, where Christ and God's dwelling with humanity replace the old shadow-forms of the temple and its relics.

 

We should be encouraged. The God of Israel was in the process of redeeming His people. Jeremiah’s message was that there was coming a day when the nation would repent and, consequently, God would not look upon them in anger, but He would show grace to them. This would also include all the nations, not just Israel. This is the final act of God to restore His creation. Oh what a day that will be! Until then, He has given us His presence in the Holy Spirit. We are not alone in our journey. God is always with us!