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Galatians 4:26-31
But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother.It is written,“ Be glad, woman, you who have never had children. Shout for joy and cry out loud, you who have never had labor pains. The woman who is all alone has more children than the woman who has a husband.”( Isaiah 54:1)Brothers and sisters, you are children because of God’s promise just as Isaac was.At that time, the son born in the usual way tried to hurt the other son. The other son was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the same now.But what does Scripture say?“ Get rid of the slave woman. Get rid of her son. The slave woman’s son will never have a share of the family’s property. He’ll never share it with the free woman’s son.”( Genesis 21:10)Brothers and sisters, we are not the slave woman’s children. We are the free woman’s children.
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Hebrews 8:13
God called this covenant“ new.” So he has done away with the first one. And what is out of date and has been done away with will soon disappear.
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Ephesians 3:6
Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.
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Romans 11:11
Again, here is what I ask. The Israelites didn’t trip and fall once and for all time, did they? Not at all! Because Israel sinned, the Gentiles can be saved. That will make Israel jealous of them.
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Jeremiah 31:18-20
“ I have heard the groans of Ephraim’s people. They say,‘ You corrected us like a calf you were training. And we have been trained. Bring us back to you, and we will come back. You are the Lord our God.After we wandered away from you, we turned away from our sins. After we learned our lesson, we beat our chests in sorrow. We were full of shame. What we did when we were young brought dishonor on us.’Aren’t the people of Ephraim my dear children? Aren’t they the children I take delight in? I often speak against them. But I still remember them. So my heart longs for them. I love them with a tender love,” announces the Lord.
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Jeremiah 50:4-5
“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time the people of Israel and Judah will gather together. They will come in tears to me. I am the Lord their God.They will ask how to get to Zion. Then they will turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to me. They will enter into the covenant I make with them. It will last forever. It will never be forgotten.
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Isaiah 66:7-12
“ Zion is like a woman who has a baby before she goes into labor. She has a son even before her labor pains begin.Who has ever heard of anything like that? Who has ever seen such a thing? Can a country be born in a day? Can a nation be created in a moment? But as soon as Zion goes into labor, there are many more of her people.Zion, would I bring you to the moment of birth and not let it happen?” says the Lord.“ Would I close up a mother’s body when it is time for her baby to be born?” says your God.“ Be glad along with Jerusalem, all you who love her. Be filled with joy because of her. Take great delight in her, all you who mourn over her.You will nurse at her comforting breasts. And you will be satisfied. You will drink until you are full. And you will delight in her rich and plentiful supply.”The Lord continues,“ I will cause peace to flow over her like a river. I will make the wealth of nations sweep over her like a flooding stream. You will nurse and be carried in her arms. You will play on her lap.
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Ezekiel 20:43
There you will remember your conduct. You will think about everything you did that made you“ unclean.” And you will hate yourselves because of all the evil things you have done.
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Romans 15:16
to serve Christ Jesus among the Gentiles. I have the duty of a priest to preach God’s good news. Then the Gentiles will become an offering that pleases God. The Holy Spirit will make the offering holy.
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Jeremiah 31:31-40
“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel. I will also make it with the people of Judah.It will not be like the covenant I made with their people of long ago. That was when I took them by the hand. I led them out of Egypt. But they broke my covenant. They did it even though I was like a husband to them,” announces the Lord.“ This is the covenant I will make with Israel after that time,” announces the Lord.“ I will put my law in their minds. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God. And they will be my people.They will not need to teach their neighbor anymore. And they will not need to teach one another anymore. They will not need to say,‘ Know the Lord.’ That’s because everyone will know me. From the least important of them to the most important, all of them will know me,” announces the Lord.“ I will forgive their evil ways. I will not remember their sins anymore.”The Lord speaks. He makes the sun shine by day. He orders the moon and stars to shine at night. He stirs up the ocean. He makes its waves roar. His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.“ Suppose my orders for creation disappear from my sight,” announces the Lord.“ Only then will the people of Israel stop being a nation in my sight.”The Lord says,“ Suppose the sky above could be measured. Suppose the foundations of the earth below could be completely discovered. Only then would I turn away the people of Israel. Even though they have committed many sins, I will still accept them,” announces the Lord.“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me. It will be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.The measuring line will reach out from there. It will go straight to the hill of Gareb. Then it will turn and reach as far as Goah.There is a valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown. That whole valley will be holy to me. The side of the Kidron Valley east of the city will be holy to me. It will be holy all the way to the corner of the Horse Gate. The city will never again be pulled up by the roots. It will never be destroyed.”
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Song of Solomon 8 8-Song of Solomon 8 9
“ We have a little sister. Her breasts are still small. What should we do for our sister when she gets engaged?If she were a wall, we’d build silver towers on her. If she were a door, we’d cover her with cedar boards.”
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John 15:16
You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit that will last. I also appointed you so that the Father will give you what you ask for. He will give you whatever you ask for in my name.
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Isaiah 11:9-10
None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion. The oceans are full of water. In the same way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.At that time, here is what the man who is called the Root of Jesse will do. He will be like a banner that brings nations together. They will come to him. And the place where he rules will be glorious.
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Romans 15:8-9
I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews. He teaches us that God is true. He shows us that God will keep the promises he made to the founders of our nation.Jesus became a servant of the Jews. He did this so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercy. It is written,“ I will praise you among the Gentiles. I will sing the praises of your name.”( 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49)
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Ephesians 2:12-14
Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world.At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. This has brought you near to God.Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us.
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Isaiah 54:1-2
“ Jerusalem, sing! You are now like a woman who never had a child. Burst into song! Shout for joy! You who have never had labor pains, you are now all alone. But you will have more children than a woman who still has a husband,” says the Lord.“ Make a large area for your tent. Spread out its curtains. Go ahead and make your tent wider. Make its ropes longer. Drive the stakes down deeper.
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Job 42:5-6
My ears had heard about you. But now my own eyes have seen you.So I hate myself. I’m really sorry for what I said about you. That’s why I’m sitting in dust and ashes.”
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Ezekiel 16:53-55
“ I will not only give you back what you had before. I will also do the same thing for Sodom and her daughters. And I will do the same for Samaria and her daughters.That will make you feel dishonored. You will be ashamed of everything you have done. You have made them feel better because you sinned more and were punished more than they were.Your sisters Sodom and Samaria and their daughters will return to what they were before. And you and your daughters will return to what you were before.
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Psalms 119:59
I have thought about the way I live. And I have decided to follow your covenant laws.
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Ezekiel 6:9
You will be taken away to those nations as prisoners. Those of you who escape will remember me. You will recall how much pain your unfaithful hearts gave me. You turned away from me. Your eyes longed to see the statues of your gods. You will hate yourselves because of all the evil things you have done. I hate those things too.
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Isaiah 2:2-5
In the last days the mountain where the Lord’ s temple is located will be famous. It will be the highest mountain of all. It will be raised above the hills. All the nations will go to it.People from many nations will go there. They will say,“ Come. Let us go up to the Lord’ s mountain. Let’s go to the temple of Jacob’s God. He will teach us how we should live. Then we will live the way he wants us to.” The law of the Lord will be taught at Zion. His message will go out from Jerusalem.He will judge between the nations. He’ll settle problems among many of them. They will hammer their swords into plows. They’ll hammer their spears into pruning tools. Nations will not go to war against one another. They won’t even train to fight anymore.People of Jacob, come. Let us live the way the Lord has taught us to.
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Ezekiel 36:31-32
You will remember your evil ways and the sinful things you have done. You will hate yourselves because you have sinned so much. I also hate your evil practices.I want you to know that I am not doing those things for your benefit,” announces the Lord and King.“ People of Israel, you should be ashamed of yourselves! Your conduct has brought dishonor to you.” ’ ”
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Hosea 1:9-11
Then the Lord said,“ Name him Lo- Ammi.” Lo- Ammi means Not My People.“ That’s because Israel is no longer my people. And I am no longer their God.“ But the time will come when the people of Israel will be like the sand on the seashore. It can’t be measured or counted. Now it is said about them,‘ You are not my people.’ But at that time they will be called‘ children of the living God.’The people of Judah and Israel will come together again. They will appoint one leader and come up out of the land. And Jezreel’s day will be great.
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Ezekiel 16:63
I will pay for all the sins you have committed. Then you will remember what you have done. You will be ashamed of it. Because of your shame, you will never speak against me again,” announces the Lord and King.
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Isaiah 49:18-23
Look up. Look all around you. All your people are getting together to come back to you. You can be sure that I live,” announces the Lord.“ And you can be just as sure that your people will be like decorations you will wear. Like a bride, you will wear them proudly.“ Zion, you were destroyed. Your land was left empty. It was turned into a dry and empty desert. But now you will be too small to hold all your people. And those who destroyed you will be far away.The children born during your time of sorrow will speak to you. They will say,‘ This city is too small for us. Give us more space to live in.’Then you will say to yourself,‘ Whose children are these? I lost my children. And I couldn’t have any more. My children were taken far away from me. And no one wanted them. Who brought these children up? I was left all alone. So where have these children come from?’ ”The Lord and King continues,“ I will call out to the nations. I will give a signal to them. They will bring back your sons in their arms. They will carry your daughters on their hips.Their kings will become like fathers to you. Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you. They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground. They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed.”
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Isaiah 60:4
“ Look up. Look all around you. All your people are getting together to come back to you. Your sons will come from far away. Your daughters will be carried on the hip like little children.
