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Psalm 23: When God is My Shepherd

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There’s a story about a tour group traveling in Israel, enjoying the surrounding scenery, when their bus comes to a stop. As they looked to see what caused the stop, they noticed a flock of sheep crossing the road. They watched as the large flock moved past, until a man brought up the rear. One of the passengers, curious, asked their tour-guide, “I thought the shepherd always walked at the front of the flock?” The tour-guide answered, “Yes, but that was the butcher.”

Did you know that there are two who are interested in sheep? There is a “butcher” who desires to have you. The Bible says that Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). However, there is also a Good Shepherd who wants to lead you. David wrote how things are much different with the Shepherd. The following is what I learned from my study of Psalm 23:

“The Lord is my Shepherd.” It is not “the Lord is a shepherd,” but He is my shepherd. This must be a personal decision. It is not enough to say “he is my pastor’s shepherd,” or “he is my neighbor’s shepherd.” Nothing in this Psalm will mean a thing, unless the Lord is my shepherd. Yes, it is nice to say the Lord is a shepherd, but it is powerful to say that He is my shepherd.

“I shall not lack anything.” Does this mean that I will get everything that I want? No, it means that I’ll have everything I need. If I don’t have it, maybe I don’t need it. Have you ever thought of it that way before? I hadn’t. Maybe we don’t get that treasured item, because it is not truly good for us. But a good shepherd knows what his sheep need and when they need it. So, when God is my shepherd, I will not lack anything. I will have everything I need, when I need it.

“In pastures/ meadows of green grass, He will cause me to lie down.” I have been told by people who know sheep that a hungry sheep will not lie down. When sheep are lying down, it means they have been fed. When was the last time you were fed spiritually? Last week? Why is it that we put so little value on our spiritual health? The shepherd cares. He’ll feed us. Notice what He feeds us with: green grass. I may not always choose the healthiest nourishment on my own, but when God is my shepherd, I will not only be fed, but I will be fed with the best!

“Beside quiet/ restful waters, He (intentionally) leads me.” The verb means “to lead to a watering place and cause them to rest there.” I’ve read that Rottweilers (because of loyalty and a high endurance to pain) may, when playing at a lake, continue running into the water chasing a ball past the point of exhaustion, even to the point of drowning. Their owners are told that they must make the dog take a break regularly. Sometimes we can be like Rottweilers. The world says that there’s “no rest for the weary,” but when God is my shepherd, “there is a place of quiet rest”—and He intentionally leads me to restful waters.

“My soul He brings back/ restores/ returns/ refreshes.” After being fed by green pastures, and rested by peaceful waters, our soul is refreshed or renewed. This is the same verb that God used when He called His people to “return” to Him. Life is hard on us and sometimes we can feel lost. But when God is my Shepherd, He restores my soul—He returns my soul—He refreshes my soul—in preparation for an incredible journey:

“He leads me in the tracks/ entrenchment of Righteousness, for his name sake.” These “tracks” are basically wagon tracks and, because of the alternate meaning of “entrenchment,” it gives the idea of ruts in the road. Now think about this one for a moment. We all have been stuck in a rut of some kind before, but David is talking about a very different kind of rut: we will be led in the well-worn straight and narrow path of righteousness. You see, when God is my shepherd, He makes the way of righteousness a rut in my life!

“Also, when I shall walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I will not fear evil, for You are with me.” This is not death—this is the shadow of death. This is when you feel like all hope is gone. You can’t see God leading, you can’t see where you are going, and you can barely see where you just came from. This may be the darkest period in your life. But, when God is my shepherd, even when I walk in the darkest period in my life—the deep darkness of the valley—I do not have to fear any evil because the Good Shepherd never leaves the sheep’s side.

“Your rod and Your staff comfort me.” The rod (a larger staff often used as a weapon) would be used to keep danger from getting into the flock and to teach the sheep not to leave the flock. If they did leave, the staff could guide them back or be used to lift them up out of trouble. Therefore, I don’t have to fear the dark valleys of life because, when God is my shepherd, He keeps me out of trouble and keeps trouble out of me.

“You shall spread out/ prepare/ arrange before me a table (for private use) in the sight of my enemies.” According to historians, this is one of the ways a person would welcome you into their home as a guest. This is saying that God will welcome you into His house as a guest even as all your enemies, those who showed hostility towards you, watch. So, when God is my shepherd, He will publicly accept me as a guest in His house.

“You anoint my head with oil.” One reason shepherds did this was to keep bugs off the sheep. It was like an insecticide. This is also more frequently used to set someone apart from the rest, often as a sign of an honored guest. This tells us that, when God is my shepherd, I will not only be a guest, but I will be set aside as an honored guest.

“My cup overflows (is saturated).” Everything God sets apart is blessed. Everything God blesses overflows. In His presence there is no end to blessings. What a thought: when God is my shepherd, I receive more blessings than I can handle.

“Surely good things and goodness/ kindness shall pursue me all the days of my life.” “Follow” gives me the idea of a puppy dog: following you around the house just to be where you are. The verb literally means, “to pursue, in order to overtake, especially with hostile purpose.” This gives me the idea of a rabid dog. We spend our lifetime seeking happiness and good things. But when God is my shepherd, good things and kindness will hunt me down with the purpose of overtaking me! Oh, to be persecuted with goodness!

“I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” This is what it is all about. This is the purpose of the journey: Our shepherd brings us all the way from the green pastures and still waters, through the paths of righteousness and the valley of the shadow of death, to His house, where we will live forever.

This is why Satan wants to be your butcher: to keep you out—to keep you lost. Because when God is your shepherd, when it’s His voice you are following, you will end up home.

The Purpose of Prophecy

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We are living in very exciting times. It seems as though prophetic signs are happening all around us. It is also possible, though, that we have become hyper-sensitive to things prophetic. What I mean is, while there are definitely signs occurring, not everything hyped up as a prophetic fulfillment is actually from a prophecy in the Bible.

Of course, I think sometimes we misunderstand the purpose of prophecy. I know I have. If you are like me, you might look at prophecy as “telling the future.” Because of this, we often think that prophecy was provided in the Bible simply to give us a future road-map. Another way to think of it is that it was given to us so we can solve the “puzzle” and know what will happen next. But is this what the Bible says about prophecy?

To start, we must understand that prophecies were always meant to be a blessing to us (see Revelation 1:3 and 22:7). Every prophecy in the Bible was given to benefit the people of God, not to scare or intimidate. The definition of the word “prophecy” is “an utterance of God.” A prophet is one to whom God speaks (Jeremiah 23:21) and then delivers God’s message to the people (Deuteronomy 18:18; Exodus 7:1). Anytime God speaks to His people through a prophet is considered prophecy.

This is why Paul says that the gift of prophecy is meant for believers (1 Corinthians 14:22)—because it is God’s message to them. Although we may be more familiar with the prophecies in which God reveals future events, there are many more prophecies that were given to the people as warnings of their wickedness. In fact, one of the major reasons for prophecies was to expose their sins and ward off captivity (Lamentations 2:14, see also 1 Corinthians 14:24). More prophecies in scripture consist of some kind of warning and a plea to return to God.

In fact, in Jeremiah 23:21, 22, God says that if the prophets had truly spoken His words, the people would have turned from their wicked ways. It is actually a false prophet who preaches peace and that no harm will come from sinning (Jeremiah 23:16–18; Jeremiah 28:9). We know it cannot be God speaking such words because He says, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23). Again He says in 2 Chronicles 7:14—“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This is why we should not treat such prophecies with contempt (1 Thessalonians 5:20), because they are often given to us to warn us, change us, and save us!

But what about the ones that do reveal the future? Part of the reason we have been given future prophecies is so we can know the times in which we live. Jesus, after telling the disciples some of the signs of His coming, said, “when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates” (Matthew 24:33). In Luke 21:28, He says, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Basically, the signs were to tell us that Jesus is coming soon.

Notice, though, that Jesus doesn’t say, “when you see a sign fulfilled, figure out what will come next.” The signs weren’t meant to be puzzle pieces for us to figure out, but were a means to warn us that Jesus’ kingdom was near! Our reaction to seeing a sign, according to Jesus, should be raising our heads in preparation to greet Him when He comes. If anything, any prophetic fulfillment we recognize should prompt us to deepen our relationship with the King Who is coming!

More than this, though, future prophecies have a greater reason. According to Isaiah 46:9 10, knowing the future, and telling it with 100% accuracy, is something only God can do. In a somewhat humorous challenge to idols, God explains again that knowing what is to come is an attribute to being God (Isaiah 41:22–24). This idea is also established in Daniel 2:47.

The fact that He can reveal the future, and is always right about it, proves He is God (this is also why God’s prophecies of the future are so specific and not vague). It is not surprising, then, that God would say, “when this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God” (Ezekiel 24:24). That phrase, “then you will know that I am the Lord,” shows up more than 50 times in the book of Ezekiel alone. Each time it is in the context of when something takes place as God said it would, then they would know He is God. Therefore, prophecy was meant to be recognized when it is happening, not necessarily figured out before. It is meant to prove that God knew it would happen. This is the greater purpose of prophecy: when we see what God said would happen, happening, we will trust Him even more.

Yes, it is good to study and know what the prophecies are so we can recognize them when they happen. Understand, though, that some claim that a prophecy is from God when it isn’t. Deuteronomy 18:21, 22 says that if someone proclaims something in the name of God, but it does not take place or come true, then God did not speak through them. Because of this, we must be faithful to test everything to make sure it is from God (1 Thessalonians 5:21)—remember, Jesus warned there would be false prophets (Matthew 7:15), which means there will be false prophecies as well.

God’s prophecies are found in scripture (not on Facebook or Google). They are specific and they will be fulfilled exactly as He said. And when you recognize one being fulfilled, you can know that God’s kingdom is near—it can serve as a reminder for you to hold on to Jesus.

It is not for us to try to figure out how the future will unfold (the Pharisees tried this with their interpretations of the Messianic prophecies and still did not recognize Jesus as the fulfillment). We are not to wait until some greater prophecy is fulfilled to get right with God. There are plenty of signs that show He is near. So let us look to the sky—and prepare to meet our Savior!

New Covenant, Part 3: The “New” of the New Covenant

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In the first part of this study, we confirmed that there is indeed a new covenant in Jesus. In the second part, we saw some of the things that stayed the same between the old and new covenants. In this final part, we will look at what has changed and what it means for us.

It is interesting that, so far, quite a bit about the new covenant is the same as the old covenant. Not as much has changed as some have claimed. Of course, God did say He wouldn’t alter it or defile it (Psalm 89:34). However, there is one aspect of the former covenant that was changed, though not removed, in the new covenant. Our first hint is in Jesus’ statement that the new covenant would be “in His blood” (Luke 20:22; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24). Thus, the answer to what is new about the covenant can only found in His blood.

As we had learned in the last blog, Jesus’ statement has led some to believe that His death made an end to the law and obedience. However, we also saw how neither of those had changed at the cross. So what has changed?

To begin, we go to this interesting passage in Exodus: “Then [Moses] took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. and they said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood [from the animal sacrifice – see verses 5, 6] and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance to all these words’” (Exodus 24:7, 8 – notes and emphasis mine).

According to this passage, one of the aspects of the old covenant was that it was inaugurated through the blood of animals. We find this same idea written in Hebrews 9:18–22, where the author makes the concluding statement, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” It is no coincidence that, at both the beginning of the first (old) covenant as well as the start of the new covenant, there is mention of the “blood of the covenant.” In the old covenant, it was the blood of animals. Therefore, it is Jesus’ blood makes the new covenant new.

This change was prophesied long ago. In a messianic prophecies found in Isaiah 42:6 and 49:8, it says the Messiah would be given “as a covenant for the people.” In other words, Jesus, the Messiah, would become the covenant to us. Another interesting messianic prophecy is found in Daniel 9:27—“He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.” This may seem confusing at first, but should become clearer as we look at what Jesus did.

We know that the Last Supper was to symbolize His death, and it would be on the cross where His blood would be shed. So how could this change the covenants? (Again, we established that Jesus did not do away with the law on the cross, but rather our debt.)

As we learned, the sacrifice of animals was necessary during the old covenant. In fact, the whole sacrificial system, including the priesthood, was for forgiveness under that covenant. The priests would mediate on behalf of the people by presenting their sacrifices before God inside the Holy Place. However, that system was obviously flawed. Besides the fact that God promised to make a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34), it was mediated by men who were temporary (they died), and flawed (they sinned), and the paid by insufficient blood (animals—which cannot pay man’s debt of sin). Then Jesus died and everything changed.

When He died, the temple curtain (that separated the Holy and Most Holy Places) was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 25:51). This very direct miracle interrupted the sacrifices, but for a moment, because a greater sacrifice had taken place. But, Jesus didn’t die because of His sins, but He died for our sins (Isaiah 53:5)! He became the sacrifice for us.

Instead of relying on the blood of animals, Jesus presents His own blood as payment. “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:12–15).

Not only did Jesus become the payment of the new covenant, but also the mediator. Psalms 110:4 (a messianic prophecy) said that Jesus would be “a priest forever.” As a result of Jesus’ sacrifice—and resurrection!—all of the flaws of the old covenant were covered. As Hebrews 7:23–25 says, “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost, those who draw dear to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

It is in this way that there is a new covenant in Jesus: His sacrifice and priesthood makes the first one obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). No longer do we need to sacrifice animals for our sins—Jesus paid it all! No longer do we need a human priest to mediate on our behalf—Jesus is our High Priest! This means that after three and a half years of ministry (half of seven), Jesus ended the need for sacrifices and offerings, by becoming the offering. This is what makes the new covenant new. What changed was our payment and our priest.

Did you notice that when Israel entered into the covenant with God, in Exodus 24, Moses poured the blood on the people (I know, gross isn’t it?). They started their relationship covered in the “blood of the covenant.” After the cross, we are to start our relationship with God covered completely in Jesus blood.

Yes, the new covenant is much better. Not because it might have done away with all the rules and requirements—because when you love God, His “rules” are not burdensome (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). It is better because it is 100% effective. Because His sacrifice covers sins committed under the new and the old covenants. Because Jesus, our Creator, is our Sacrifice, our Savior, and our Mediator. The new covenant in Jesus’ blood is greater because it is the only way eternal life is possible. Praise God for the new covenant!

New Covenant, Part 2: What Has NOT Changed

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Jesus made it very clear that there was a new covenant in His blood. It was also very clear, in Jeremiah 31:31–33, that God would make a new covenant with His people. So there is no question that, in Christ, we are now under a new covenant. In that promise of a new covenant, however, we saw that both the old and the new covenant had the same relationship-based language (what the covenant was about): God would be our God, and we would be His people. Since that is the same, I wondered what else might be the same, and what has changed?

It is easy to assume that since the covenant is new, then everything is different. However, since we have already learned that the language is still the same, we must also be open to the likelihood that there are other aspects of the old covenant that have not changed. Indeed, in my study on the covenants, I have found that not everything has changed.

For instance, in the very beginning—the first mention of the covenant made with Abraham—God established that one of Abraham’s (and his descendants’) requirements for the covenant was circumcision. Many today believe that this requirement is no longer relevant. Yet, notice what Colossians 2:11 says: “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, but the circumcision of Christ.”

This says that there still is a requirement of circumcision—just not the kind we assume. Paul describes this “new” idea of circumcision more clearly in Romans 2:28, 29—“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the spirit, not by the letter” (emphasis mine). He is describing an inward circumcision of the heart. And, believe it or not, this is what God truly desired in the old covenant. Consider these passages:

  • “Circumcise therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn” (Deuteronomy 10:16).
  • “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6).
  • “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts…” (Jeremiah 4:4).
  • “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh… all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.” (Jeremiah 9:25, 26).

God still desires that we are circumcised in the heart—removing the selfishness and pride in our lives—which means not being stubborn towards Him, but loving Him with all our heart and soul.

Of course, I found that in most discussions of the new covenant, one thing is consistently brought up as being done away with: the Ten Commandments. Typically, the argument is made that the law was nailed to the cross and we are no longer under the law, but under grace.

First, it is true that the Ten Commandments were part of the old covenant (Exodus 34:27–29 says they are “words of the covenant.” See also Deuteronomy 4:13). However, in the promise of a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–33) we find the first chink in the armor of that argument: it does not mention that the new covenant will do away with the law, replacing it with grace, but instead, God says, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (emphasis mine). According to this, the new covenant does not remove the law. If anything, the law will become more a part of us. Instead of being written on stones kept inside an ark that few people ever see, He desires to write it inside us. It will become something we want to do.

What about the text that says that the law was nailed to the cross? The text in question is Colossians 2:14. Interestingly, it does not say that the law was nailed to the cross, but that “the record of debt” that stood against us was nailed to the cross. The Greek word translated as “record” or “handwriting” is cheirographon, and literally means “a handwritten statement, especially a record of financial accounts.” According to the original language of the text, what was nailed to the cross was our debts, and its legal demands (death–Romans 6:23)—the things that really stand against us—not the law. Which makes sense. Christ’s sacrifice for our sins could only cancel our debt (paid for our sins) and not the law (which reveals our sins—see Romans 7:7).

But we are under grace now and not the law, right? This is based on the passage—“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). However, this text does not say that the law has been done away with, it only says that we are no longer under it. Plus, we cannot ignore the next verse: “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15). In fact, an honest reading of Paul’s writings would reveal that, although we are no longer saved by keeping the law, the law still stands: “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31. See also Galatians 3:17–19). Furthermore, Paul says that those who are not under the law are being “led by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:18), which still implies obedience.

Besides, if Christ death on the cross got rid of the law, why would He say, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17—emphasis mine)? Or, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15)? In Jesus’ own words, He did not abolish, or remove, the Law, but fulfilled it and asks us to continue keeping it.

John teachings also contradict this idea: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3, 4). He also says that when we love God we will keep His commandments and “his commandments are not burdensome.“ (1 John 5:2, 3).

Finally, if the law was gone and no longer part of the new covenant, then why are the end-time people of God described as those “who keep the commandments of God” (see Revelation 12:17 and 14:12)?

No, Jesus’ sacrifice did not remove the law. His sacrifice paid the debt that the law reveals in our lives. Therefore, the new covenant has not changed the law either—it still stands. Again, it makes sense. A covenant always includes the requirements for both parties. In both the old and new covenants, God’s part is being our God; He will protect us and is saving us. Likewise, our part is still loving Him with all our heart (circumcision of the heart) and following Him (obedience). The new covenant did not change this.

New Covenant, Part 1: How New Is It?

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In an upper room, hours before He would be crucified, Jesus was eating what many refer to as the Last Supper with His disciples. During that meal, Jesus took a couple of items from the meal and told His disciples how they would now symbolize aspects of His soon sacrifice: broken bread and poured out drink. As He took the cup and presented it to His disciples, He said something very interesting, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). He told them that there was a new covenant in His blood.

His statement has brought out some very interesting ideas as to what the new covenant is and what it has replaced, or done away with. Needless to say, not all of the ideas that are taught agree with each other. It is easy to think that we can just pick one that sounds most logical (or suits our current thinking), but I am learning that merely choosing a side based on my own wisdom isn’t being a good student of scripture. I need to study for myself (like the Bereans of Acts 17:10, 11) and see what God says about the subject. So I did.

In order to keep this blog from becoming huge (it was a big study), I will share what I have learned over the next few blogs. In this one, I will start where I began with my own study by asking, if there is a new covenant, what was the old covenant?

First, a covenant in the Bible is an agreement between two people. In most cases in the Bible, two individuals are involved with each party having some requirements to hold up their end of the covenant. Once a covenant had been entered into, it could be broken (and often was) but breaking it came with consequences.

Now, of the many covenants of the Bible, not many really impact us today. There are covenants between two humans: Like the one between Laban and Jacob (Genesis 31:44 — however, this one was made based on lack of trust), or the one between Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 18:3).

There are also a few covenants mentioned between God and individuals: God made a covenant with Noah for deliverance from the flood (Genesis 6:18); He made a covenant with Abraham promising to make him a father of nations (Genesis 17:2, 4); and He made a covenant with Phinehas promising a permanent priesthood (Numbers 25:12, 13).

Finally, there are covenants made between God and a group of people (mainly the Israelites – see Exodus 31:16, 19 and 34:10 for examples). He made only two covenants that impacted all of mankind, one of which was promising to not destroy mankind again by a flood (Genesis 9:9–17). Yet, could any of these covenants be made new with Jesus’ sacrifice? How could they? None of these were impacted by the cross (ie: Jesus didn’t die to keep a flood from happening again).

However, the other covenant God made that impacts all of mankind is often missed. At first glance, it appears to be made with an individual, Abraham. However, it is also made with his offspring (some translations say “seed”). It may be easy to assume that Abraham’s offspring simply refers to the Israelites, but we must remember Galatians 3:29 — “And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” Abraham’s offspring represents all who follow God as Abraham did—in faith. This covenant was not made with a specific nation, or a specific blood-line, but with all who chose to walk with God. In fact, as we read it, we will realize that entering into this covenant is entering into a relationship with God.

The foundation of this covenant is first mentioned in Genesis 17:7 – “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offsprings after you.”

In this covenant God says, “I will be your God.” It is a covenant of relationship. And this covenant language continues throughout the Bible (here are a few examples):

  • Deuteronomy 29:12, 13 – “…that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the Lord your God, which the Lord your God is machine with you today, that He may establish you today as His people, and that He may be your God, as He promised you, and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
  • Jeremiah 24:7 – “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”
  • Ezekiel 37:23, 26, 27 – “… I will save them from all the backsliding in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. … I will make a covenant of peace with them … My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
  • Zechariah 10:6 – “…and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”

Why do I believe that this covenant is the covenant that is made new? Besides the frequency of its language (especially when connected to a covenant) throughout scripture, notice what Jeremiah 31:31–33 says: “Behold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that i made with their fathers … For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (emphasis mine).

Here is God’s promise to make a new covenant and notice how the language is very similar. We can already see some differences, yet the underlying relationship language is the same as the covenant made with Abraham. In addition, in Hebrews 8, when talking about the new covenant replacing the old covenant, the writer quotes this very passage!

Finally, this is what the last book in the Bible has to say: Revelation 21:3 – “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” When all is said and done—when sin is no more and the earth is made new—this is the relationship God will have with His people. It’s the same relationship spoken of in the original covenant with Abraham and his offspring.

Thoughts on Paul, Thorns, and Grace

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Any study on grace would eventually arrive at Paul’s personal struggle and God’s promise of grace. This struggle is laid out for us in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10. For the first six verses of chapter 12, he talks about visions and revelations from God, and his desire to boast about them. Then mentions that, to keep him from becoming conceited, he was given a “thorn in the flesh.” He says he pleaded with God to take it away three times, yet God wouldn’t remove his “thorn.” Instead, God gives a very interesting reply to Paul’s request: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9).

It is clear that Paul was struggling with something. Some have suggested that it was poor vision (mainly because of a lone statement in Galatians 6:11). However, I have always had a difficult time believing this was his “thorn.” Here are my thoughts on why: most often, when Paul speaks of the “flesh” he is speaking of the sinful nature, not the physical body itself. So it is more likely that he is talking about a sinful nature issue, not a physical issue. In addition, according to Paul, this issue in his life was there to keep him from becoming conceited. Poor vision, or any other physical impairment, does not necessarily keep someone from becoming spiritually conceited. (I have known a few proud people who wore glasses.) Besides, this poor vision issue is only mentioned once, while other, more serious struggles are mentioned more frequently.

A more humbling trial would be one that is of the spiritual nature; possibly a character flaw he wrestled with. Consider Paul’s frustration in Romans 17:15–25. In this passage he begins by saying, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very things I hate” (vs 15), and finishes with, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (vs 24). In addition, in this very passage, Paul mentions these hated actions are done “in the flesh.”

It would make sense that Paul, a former Pharisee, did not like any lagging spiritual problems, so he pleads with God to remove it. Yet, God’s reply was, “My grace is sufficient.” Would God’s grace be needed for poor vision? Is grace simply a bifocal substitute? More to the point, can weak eyesight keep a person out of heaven? Of course not, so why would grace be the answer? Grace is needed for sin. It is necessary for spiritual “thorns.” God’s encouragement to Paul was that His grace is sufficient to save a frustrated former Pharisee who was still struggling with spiritual imperfections. This is again evident in Paul’s response to God’s answer of grace: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (verse 10). Each struggle Paul mentions in that list were struggles he met as he ministered and followed the path God set before him. These are spiritual struggles—not vision impairment! Therefore, I believe there is a greater argument in Paul’s writings to establish a spiritual “thorn” that would require such grace from God.

Why does this even matter? This gives me more hope. I can go to the eye doctor and get a new prescription, or get Lasik surgery, to improve weak eyes. But my walk with God is riddled more with weak faith, lack of courage, biased love, and other spiritual inconsistencies. No doctor on earth can help me with those struggles. For that I need grace. Praise the Lord, that’s exactly what grace is for! And God will say to us as well, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”