majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 2:17,
"I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will
their names be invoked."
As the Lord announces his judgment of Israel for her idolatry, he
speaks of another day when he will reestablish his people. At that
time he will take away his people's proclivity to wander from him to
chase after other gods, such as the Baals.
This is reflected in the new covenant God will establish with his
people that we read about in Jeremiah 31:31-33. There he says, "'The
time is coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be
like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,' declares the Lord. 'This is the
covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,'
declares the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds and write it on
their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No
longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying,
"Know the Lord," because they will all know me, from the least of them
to the greatest,' declares the Lord. 'For I will forgive their
wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'"
In the new covenant is a reality that the Lord brings to our lives
today. Paul calls it becoming a "new creation", 2 Corinthians 5:17. It
reflects our being born-again, being regenerated. We have something
new the Lord puts on our hearts that changes us from within: the Holy
Spirit. About the Holy Spirit Jesus told his disciples, "It is for
your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will
not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7. All
believers have the Holy Spirit and it is his very presence in our
lives that brings change. "You, however, are controlled not by the
sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.
And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong
to Christ." Romans 8:9.
I recognize the ultimate fulfillment of the new covenant will come in
the resurrection. However, I find our mystical and existential
transformation by the Holy Spirit in this life to be one of the
greatest of all gifts the Lord has given us!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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