They Shall All Know God

As the writer continues his quotation of Jeremiah 31, he begins to emphasize the results of God's people having their minds and hearts engraved with His law. First, under the old covenant, time after time, God told them He would be their God and they would be His people. But their unfaithful ways stood in the way of this becoming a consistent reality. But with the coming of the new covenant, having been given new hearts with His law engraved upon them, they will be changed and finally be worthy to be called His people.

Second, under the old covenant, while the people knew God with their minds, they did not know Him with their hearts. That is, while God made Himself outwardly known to them, they did not love Him nor pursue His ways. But under the transforming power of the new covenant, the people will be gradually changed until the consummation of all things, when all will truly know the Lord, i.e., love the Lord their God with all their hearts and with all their souls and with all their minds.