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This must have struck the people of Israel as a very curious promise. What could it men to have their hearts circumcised? Circumcision was a right and duty securing entry to God’s covenant for the children of believing parents. Surely the circumcision of their hearts would be of a similar nature?
That a spiritual act is envisioned here is evident by the focus on the heart and soul, the inward and intangible aspects of a person’s life which are, as we have seen, such prominent features of the worldview of God’s Law.
God promised that a day was coming when He would do something to renew their hearts and souls so that they would be able to know His blessings and keep His Law (Deut. 30.7-10). Israel was familiar with the existence of the Spirit of God, since He was reported to have attended to the original creation and had been given to their elders for a season. But here God was pointing the people forward to a time when the Spirit would come among them in a more universal, personal, and permanent way.
Ezekiel foresaw this day (Ezek. 36.26, 27), as did Joel (2.28ff). Jesus specifically promised the Spirit to all His followers as an indwelling, teaching, and convicting presence, so that they could know eternal life (Jn. 14-16).
While the Law is not as specific concerning the Spirit as subsequent revelation would be, it did point the people forward to a day of greater fulfillment, when God Himself would do something within their souls to fulfill all the promises and demands of His Covenant.
That “something” would be the gift of His Spirit (Acts 2, Gal. 4.6).
T. M. Moore
The book of Ecclesiastes is a crucial resource for understanding the Biblical worldview against the backdrop of our secular age. T. M.’s studies in Ecclesiastes have been prepared for personal or group use. They are available at no charge in our Scriptorium Resources page at The Fellowship of Ailbe. Click hereto download all 13 studies in this series..
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.