Jeremiah 31 & Ezekiel 36 - The New Covenant

Similarities Between Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36

Jeremiah 31 is the famous Tanakh prophesy of the "New Covenant" which is quoted in Hebrews 8.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Compare it for a moment with Ezekiel 36 below.

Ezekiel 36:24-28

24  For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 ¶  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26  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 out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28  And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Because both Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31 refer to a time when: "you shall be my people and I will be your God" and Jeremiah makes reference to God: putting His law "in their inward parts" as Ezekiel refers to them being given "a new heart" "and a new spirit...within"; Judians argue that Ezekiel 36 refers to the New Covenant, like Jeremiah 31 does.

New Covenant Means Statutes and Judgements To Become A Way of Life

If that's right, what's interesting, is that by God giving wider access to His Spirit, it doesn't mean that people shouldn't keep the written Torah law any more. In fact, arguably Ezekiel 36 shows us that; having the heart and spirit of the New Covenant will cause people to "walk" in the statues and judgements of the written Torah, or to put it another way, for the written Torah to become their way of life. Judians believe that the New Covenant does not "do away" with the written Torah.

Any covenant (or contract) is simply a formal agreement comprised of terms and conditions which stipulates the obligations and benefits between parties arising from their relationship. If the contract ends (terminates) at a particular point in time (say after a term of five years) but the relationship continues, then another new contract can be drafted to take over where the last left off. Sometimes the terms and conditions of the new contract are exactly the same as the old contract. More often than not though, there are some natural changes to the nature of the relationship which need to be reflected in changes to the clauses which set out the obligations and benefits. A contract can be changed (for the better) during it’s lifetime by mutual agreement between the parties by a process known as a “contract amendment”.   However, in practice in either case, it is likely that most of the terms and conditions of the agreement will be substantially as they were before. Additions, deletions and modifications of the original clauses are usually the exception, rather than the rule.

As further background you may be interested to read the article about the New Covenant in Hebrews 8 because it quotes extensively from Jeremiah 31.

Go back to the start of Judianity - A "Third Way" Between Judaism or Christianity?

Even after the crucifixion, Paul kept Nazirite vows & offered sacrifices at the temple many christian theologians believe. So does Galatians really mean the Torah law is " done away"? One small & predictable adjustment to the law about circumcising gentile proselytes in Acts, caused massive turmoil in the predominantly Jewish first century church. But if most of the other laws were "done away"; why wasn't there any controversy ?

Let's now take a look at the New Testament Passover.
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