Old vs. New (Jeremiah 51 / Hebrews 9)

Jeremiah 51 re-emphasizes the destruction of Babylon. God's purposes will stand (50:45). Man's effort will not change God's mind (51:58). We know that prayer changes things. However, God's mind is made up in this case and even prayer to God will not save Babylon's coming destruction. In Jeremiah 52, God's city, Jerusalem, falls to the Babylonians. God's own people undergo judgment for repeatedly rebelling against Him (52:2-3). All of us stand guilty before a holy God (Romans 3:23). None of us can escape God's judgment. Take some time to think about the upcoming Great White Throne judgment for unbelievers and the upcoming Bema Seat judgment for believers.

Hebrews 9 reinterates the old covenant/new covenant theology. Christ's blood was the better way. Animal blood was not sufficient for a heavenly sacrifice (9:23). The old way included a high priest, animal sacrifices, and a tabernacle. The new way has Christ, our Heavenly High Priest as being our sacrifice so that we can now commune with him for an eternity in a heavenly tabernacle. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (9:22). Without the new sacrifice, we would still be lost in sin. Try to look at this passage and others to identify more ways in which the new covenant is better than the old covenant.