Israel’s Failure
By now, we are well-versed with Israel’s repeated failure to live for God. Time and time again during the divided kingdom we have seen God’s people sin against Him. But this was far from unique to this period of their history. Rebellion is a trademark of God’s people winding its way all the way back through the United Kingdom, through the period of the Judges, through the conquest, through the exodus and wilderness wandering, and back through the period of the patriarchs culminating in a husband and wife eating from a forbidden tree.
This—sin—is the story of the Old Testament. But it is not its only story.
God’s Provision
One refrain of the Old Testament is “humanity cannot.” Humanity cannot do anything to be right with God. Often, they don’t even care to be right with Him and pursue their own sinful desires with reckless abandon. But even when they want to be right with God, they find they cannot be. Their sin is too great. Their hearts are too hard. Humanity cannot.
But there is a second refrain that runs throughout the 39 books of the Old Testament—a sweet refrain that is just as pervasive, but only louder: “God can.” What humanity cannot do, God can do, and He will do. People cannot make themselves right with God, but God can, and will, make people right with Him. And the way He will do this is through a heart transplant. God will give His people new hearts—ones that love Him. Ones that have the capacity to drive obedience to Him. This is the promise of hope that runs throughout the Old Testament into the New. This is the promise of the gospel.
Long before the days of Jeremiah, God had made a covenant with Israel—one that He had kept but Israel had broken, because their hearts would not allow them to fulfill it:
31 “Look, the days are coming” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt — my covenant that they broke even though I am their master” — the Lord’s declaration. (Jeremiah 31:31-32 CSB)
The fault lies entirely with God’s people, not Him at all. But after generations of failure, God was about to do something new—something much better:
33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days” — the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them” — this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin. (Jeremiah 31:33-34 CSB)
Our Need
God would change the hearts of His people, and He would do this through the work of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. What is in mind here—what Israel looked forward toward in Jeremiah’s day—is what we are blessed to experience each day—relationship with God as fully forgiven and righteous children because of Jesus.
In Christ, we have been made anew. We cannot miss this—we have the capacity to glorify God and live obediently to Him because He has changed our hearts. What Israel hungered for, we feast on. And yet, we are apt to take it for granted so often.
As you prep for this week’s session, let God’s words of this covenant sink deeper into your heart—one that He has changed—than ever before.
Preschool Tip: Our preschoolers understand on some level what it is like to fight the wrong desires of their hearts. They know what it is like to know they should share but fail to. While their concrete natures may make it challenging to talk about “new hearts,” they can come to terms with their need for God to change the way they often think about things—to change their desires to be like His.
Kids Tip: This session serves as a great set-up to the transition to the New Testament we will experience soon. Use this time to review how Israel failed so many times and why they did—they needed to be changed. Then peek ahead to the New Testament—how Jesus would come to bring about that change for those who have trusted in Him.
-From Brian Dembowczyk at TGP website
#JesusJams for today!
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Christ Connection: Jeremiah said that God was going to forgive sin and change people’s hearts. Jesus made these words come true. God forgives our sin when we trust in His Son, Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to take away our sin. He changes us and gives us power through His Spirit to obey Him.
If you have a bible at your house, turn to the book of Jeremiah. Read it with your family this week! If you don't have one, that's okay! CLICK HERE.
OPTION 1: Draw your future plan Ask the children to think about what jobs they would like to do when they grow up. Encourage children to draw a picture of themselves doing one of those jobs. Invite preschoolers to share their self-portraits and what they hope to do with the rest of the group.
Remind kids •Those are great plans! Did you know that God has a plan for you, too? God made you and has a special job for you to do. In our Bible story today, God told a priest named Jeremiah that he would be a prophet. God chose Jeremiah to do this special job before he was even born!
OPTION 2: Match jobs Print the “Special Jobs” printable and cut apart the cards. Lay the cards in a grid pattern, faceup for younger preschoolers or facedown for older preschoolers. Encourage preschoolers to take turns turning over two cards at a time to find a match. If the cards are not a match, turn them back over and allow the next preschooler a turn. Play until all the matches have been revealed. Talk about the jobs represented on the cards as preschoolers play. Remind kids •There are many kinds of special jobs. God gave Jeremiah a special job. God wanted Jeremiah to be a prophet. Jeremiah had to listen to God and tell people what God said. Jeremiah told about a new and better covenant. God was going to forgive sin and change people’s hearts. Jesus made these words come true. God forgives our sin when we trust in His Son, Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to take away our sin. He changes us and gives us power through His Spirit to obey Him.
OPTION 3: Make play dough hearts Provide play dough and heart-shaped cookie cutters. Lead preschoolers to form hearts with their play dough. Remind Kids • Jeremiah said that because of sin, people’s hearts are tricky. God had a plan to change people’s hearts. How did God plan to fix what sin broke? God planned to send Jesus. God forgives our sin and changes our hearts when we trust in His Son, Jesus.
Unit 15 Discussion:
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