Jeremiah 31:31-34 - God's Memory

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors 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.

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people 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. 

34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘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.”

Isn't human memory fascinating? It's so crucial to our lives that without it, we couldn't even manage simple tasks like walking or swallowing. Yet, our memories have a funny way of working. Have you noticed how we're more likely to remember the bad stuff and forget the good? We often dwell on our failures and flaws, while our successes and talents slip our minds.

Let me ask you something. When you think of David from the Old Testament, what's the first thing that pops into your mind? Is it the scandal with Bathsheba? Or do you think of David as "the man whose heart belonged to God"?

David’s story beautifully highlights the difference between human memory and God's memory. If you read 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Kings, you'll see how God remembered David long after he had died, doing great things "for the sake of David." God clearly remembered David and acted because of those memories.

But was David perfect? No way! He committed serious sins – even murder and adultery! Yet, despite these, God consistently remembered that David’s heart was devoted to Him.

Here’s something amazing about God's memory: Jeremiah 31:31-34 talks about a new covenant where God promises, "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." This means a time would come when God would forget every sin He forgave. The writer of Hebrews echoes this prophecy in Hebrews 10:16-17, stating that Jesus Christ fulfills it. When God forgives us through Jesus, those forgiven sins vanish from His memory.

Maybe you're thinking, "God couldn't possibly have any good memories of me. Why would He act with goodness or mercy towards me?" Even if that feels true right now, it can change. When we sincerely and humbly give our hearts to God, and allow Him to wash our sins in baptism, He forgives—and when He forgives, He forgets our wrongs.

Acts 2:38:  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Remember Hebrews 10:16-17, quoting from Jeremiah:  “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

Isn't that incredible? It's a beautiful reminder of God's amazing grace and mercy.