God grants a new heart of devotion, drawing the people of Judah (and ultimately all believers) back to Him in fullness.
In this chapter of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry, the LORD offers an intimate promise of transformation for His people through giving them a renewed heart of devotion. Jeremiah lived during the final decades of the kingdom of Judah, with his prophetic ministry spanning from around 627 BC up to and beyond Jerusalem’s destruction at the hands of Babylon (586 BC). His warnings and comfort took place in Jerusalem and its surrounding cities, the southern kingdom of Judah that rested in the hill country with Jerusalem at its center (and bordered by valleys such as the Valley of Hinnom, also called Gehenna). Jeremiah spoke on the cusp of and during the Babylonian exile, calling people to repent and return to God, forecasting both judgment and ultimate restoration.
Within the promise of Jeremiah 24:7, Scripture says: “I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” (v.7) Here, God declares His intention to transform the inner being of His people so that they can truly know Him. This contrasts with the corrupt hearts they had exhibited before their exile, when they practiced idolatry and various forms of rebellion. Giving Israel “a heart to know Me” hints that God will empower His people to trust, obey, and worship Him wholeheartedly, rather than merely follow outward forms of religion. The phrase “they will be My people, and I will be their God” echoes multiple covenant promises found throughout the Old Testament (see Jeremiah 7:23; Ezekiel 34:30-31; Hosea 2:23). In bridging to the New Testament, this promise of a new heart also foreshadows the renewed hearts that believers receive through the Holy Spirit in Christ (Romans 8:9-10).
God further declares that His people “will return to Me with their whole heart.” That repentance is a precious sign of genuine transformation. Whereas their prior disobedience led to the fall of Jerusalem and exile in Babylon, the LORD’s promise of restoration foretells a future in which His people experience sincere devotion. This concept is expanded on elsewhere when God says He will replace hearts of stone with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) and write His law upon them (Jeremiah 31:33). Such a promise underlines a faith-based, internal relationship with God, culminating in a full return to Him, with their entire being.
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Jeremiah 24:7 meaning
In this chapter of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry, the LORD offers an intimate promise of transformation for His people through giving them a renewed heart of devotion. Jeremiah lived during the final decades of the kingdom of Judah, with his prophetic ministry spanning from around 627 BC up to and beyond Jerusalem’s destruction at the hands of Babylon (586 BC). His warnings and comfort took place in Jerusalem and its surrounding cities, the southern kingdom of Judah that rested in the hill country with Jerusalem at its center (and bordered by valleys such as the Valley of Hinnom, also called Gehenna). Jeremiah spoke on the cusp of and during the Babylonian exile, calling people to repent and return to God, forecasting both judgment and ultimate restoration.
Within the promise of Jeremiah 24:7, Scripture says: “I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” (v.7) Here, God declares His intention to transform the inner being of His people so that they can truly know Him. This contrasts with the corrupt hearts they had exhibited before their exile, when they practiced idolatry and various forms of rebellion. Giving Israel “a heart to know Me” hints that God will empower His people to trust, obey, and worship Him wholeheartedly, rather than merely follow outward forms of religion. The phrase “they will be My people, and I will be their God” echoes multiple covenant promises found throughout the Old Testament (see Jeremiah 7:23; Ezekiel 34:30-31; Hosea 2:23). In bridging to the New Testament, this promise of a new heart also foreshadows the renewed hearts that believers receive through the Holy Spirit in Christ (Romans 8:9-10).
God further declares that His people “will return to Me with their whole heart.” That repentance is a precious sign of genuine transformation. Whereas their prior disobedience led to the fall of Jerusalem and exile in Babylon, the LORD’s promise of restoration foretells a future in which His people experience sincere devotion. This concept is expanded on elsewhere when God says He will replace hearts of stone with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) and write His law upon them (Jeremiah 31:33). Such a promise underlines a faith-based, internal relationship with God, culminating in a full return to Him, with their entire being.
They will be My people, and I will be their God.