“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; 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. (Jeremiah 31:31,32)
The
original covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood that ancient Israel rejected
was replaced by the Aaronic Priesthood of the ‘preparatory gospel’ (see Exodus
19:5-24; D&C 84:23-27). Having
rejected the higher priesthood, the Lord caused ‘the law of carnal
commandments’ to continue with the house of Aaron which included the Mosaic
law’s outward performances and animal sacrifice (v 27). This Mosaic law was to
point them to Christ who was to come in fulfillment of that covenant. It would
seem that ancient Israel broke even that covenant with their idolatry which
turned them away from preparation to meet their God.
I
wondered what would make the new covenant more efficacious until I read the
promise and noticed a word that intrigued me: “But this shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel…..and I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their HEARTS….” The law of Moses was written on
tablets of stone. The new covenant will be written in people’s hearts….and this
will make all the difference.
Ancient
Israel missed the spirit of the law when they followed the ‘carnal’
commandments written on the tablets of stone. The dictionary defines the word ‘carnal’
as: not spiritual, merely human, temporal, worldly.
It
seems that when something resides in your heart, it becomes difficult to ignore
because it becomes spiritual. It is no
more a commandment that needs to be followed by the letter of the law but
rather the spirit of the law and the spirit makes all the difference. If you
study the 630 Mosaic laws that the Jewish nation spun out of the Law of Moses
and ended up following you will see what I mean. All those laws were of a
physical nature.
Consider
the function of the heart that does more than pump blood. I researched and
found interesting definitions of it. Spiritually, the heart is the deep inner centre
of your being where your true identity, emotions, and moral choices live. It represents
the hidden part of you that goes deeper than surface thoughts or logic. It is
where you decide your values, commitments, and the direction of your life. It
acts as a bridge for empathy, compassion, and a higher power.
In
the Christian view the heart is the dwelling place of God. It is the secret
room where a person meets the divine. Jesus taught that both good intentions
and evil actions spring from the heart. It includes your thoughts, your deep
desires, and your everyday choices.
A
heart set on the things of this temporal world will cause a man to act in ways
detrimental to spiritual growth. Someone who lives by ‘carnal’ dictates covers
his sins, gratifies his pride and vain ambitions and exercises unrighteous
dominion over others (see D&C 121). Now consider how the state of the ‘heart’
influences people when it is set on the things of God:
That
person will act in ways beneficial to spiritual growth, including –
1. Repenting of their sins;
2. Humbling themselves;
3. Seeking the kingdom of God first;
4. Exercising love and charity toward
others.
These
actions cause-
1. The heavens to draw near;
2. The Spirit of the Lord to be near;
3. An increase in power and authority.
The
‘new covenant’ is the gospel covenant that the Lord will renew with the
gathered Israel through faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, the gift of the
Holy Ghost and the Temple covenants. It is a renewal of His relationship with
Israel through an inward change. As He puts His law in their minds and writes
it in their hearts, they truly come to know Him and He forgives and remembers
their sins no more. In reference to the new covenant, Paul called Jesus Christ “the
mediator of a better covenant” (see Hebrews 8:6-13).
And
it will all start with the ‘heart’……
It
is also interesting to me that the Saviour died spilling crimson drops of blood
that was pumped by His heart….a connection of sorts? Just food for thought….
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
