SUMMARY
God speaks of the divine promises in unconditional terms.
ANALYSIS
The upshot of these oracles of promise is that God honors the covenants made with Israel’s royal and priestly leadership, as promised long before (see 1 Samuel 7:14-16; Numbers 25:10-13). God will honor them forever (Jeremiah 33:14-16 is essentially repeated from 23:5-6). God understands the divine self to be bound to these covenants and so, given the divine faithfulness, God cannot back away from these commitments.
These promises are grounded in the covenantA covenant is a promise or agreement. In the Bible the promises made between God and God's people are known as covenants; they state or imply a relationship of commitment and obedience. More with Noah (Genesis 8:21-22; 9:8-17), as was the new covenantBecause Israel had broken the old covenant, the prophet Jeremiah declared that God would establish a new covenant, one that would be written on the heart. The New Testament is often referred to as the New Covenant because Jesus came to fulfill the law and... More (Jeremiah 31:35-37). No one could break that covenant, and hence, it is impossible that God could break the covenants with David and the Levites (or house of Aaron). The increase of their offspring is as certain as the impossibility of counting the sand and the stars.
In the face of those who would claim that Israel’s election has been forfeited (33:24), the promises are even more sharply articulated, going way back to the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (33:25-26). The offspring of Israel from every future generation can count on these promises come what may. The future of this people will be marked by an ongoing experience of the mercyMercy is a term used to describe leniency or compassion. God's mercy is frequently referred to or invoked in both the Old and New Testaments. More of God.
