Under the new covenant, Israel will no longer depend on human teachers—God will write His law on their hearts and all will know Him directly.
Scripture says they will no longer need to teach every man his neighbor or brother, saying, “Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.” God will put His law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, replacing the old external instruction. Les Feldick teaches that this is a still-future covenant made with the houses of Israel and Judah, not with the church.
Jeremiah 31:31 — God identifies the parties of the new covenant as the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
Jeremiah 31:33 — God writes His law in Israel's inward parts and hearts, showing the inward nature of the new covenant.
Jeremiah 31:34 — Israel will no longer need to be taught to know the LORD because all will know Him directly.
Jeremiah 31:31-32 records God's promise: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD.” Then the LORD describes the new arrangement in verses 33-34: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” This is how Israel's learning will change: the source of knowledge moves from external instruction to an inward, heart-level work of God.
Les Feldick teaches that in Jeremiah 31:31 the phrase “the days come” is still future from our time, even though Jeremiah wrote it around 600 B.C. He insists the new covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not with the church (Clips 0, 7). Under that covenant, every Israelite will just have the heart of God within them, so no one will have to be taught or told what the law commands (Clips 1, 6). Les points specifically to Jeremiah 31:33-34: God writes His law in their inward parts and hearts, and they will no longer teach their neighbor to know the LORD, because all will know Him automatically from the least to the greatest (Clips 2, 3, 4). Les adds that this future blessing applies to only a remnant of Israel—about a third—while the rest are cut off (Clip 4).
Because God's law will be written on their hearts and inward parts, all will know Him directly. As Les Feldick explains, under that covenant they will not have to be instructed or told what the law commands; every Israelite will just have the heart of God within them. This fulfills Jeremiah 31:34: “they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them.”
Les Feldick pushes back on theologians who claim church-age believers are under the new covenant. He says if you read the Bible in plain English, that cannot fly, because the covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In his words, it is for “Israel! And no one but.” This is directly tied to Jeremiah 31:31, which names the parties of the covenant.
It is still future from our time. Les says Jeremiah wrote the promise in 600 B.C., but “the days come” remains future even today. The day is coming when Israel's unbelief will end and God will make this covenant with them, putting a new heart within them so they no longer need instruction. Les also notes that only a remnant of Israel, about a third, will enter this future blessing; the rest will be cut off.
Still Future for Israel
Les points to Jeremiah 31:31 as a promise still future from today, when Israel's unbelief ends and the new covenant is made with the house of Israel and Judah.
Heart of God Within Every Israelite
Les says under that covenant no one has to be taught because every Israelite will have the heart of God within them and will be an obedient, cleansed people.
Law Written in Inward Parts
Les reads Jeremiah 31:33 as the heart of the new covenant—God puts His law in their inward parts and writes it on their hearts.
A Different Covenant, Not the Law
Les contrasts this covenant with the one Israel broke, emphasizing it is not the Law but a new inward work where God writes His law in their hearts.
All Will Know the Lord Without Instruction
Les explains Jeremiah 31:34 means no more neighbor teaching “Know the LORD” because everyone will know God automatically, from least to greatest—but only for a remnant.
Revelation 20 Explained: Satan Bound, the Millennium & Final Judgment
It just seems as though everyone has gone under the pagan influence that began at the time of Abraham. A difference? Absolutely! Everything is different. God is going to turn His back on all the other nations of the world, and He's going to deal with the one little nation that comes from this man, Abraham.
New Heart Makes Instruction Unnecessary
Les says the time is coming when Israel will not need to be instructed because God will put a new heart within them and be their God.
For Israel, Not the Church
Les rejects the common claim that the church is under the new covenant, saying the plain words of Jeremiah show it is for Israel and no one but.
Jeremiah 31:31: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
God announces the new covenant, making clear it is with Israel and Judah.
Jeremiah 31:32: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
God distinguishes the new covenant from the law covenant made at the Exodus, which Israel broke.
Jeremiah 31:33: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
The law will be internalized, written on hearts, answering how Israel will know God's will.
Jeremiah 31:34: And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Human teaching will cease because all Israel will know the Lord directly, from least to greatest.
No. Under the new covenant they will no longer teach every man his neighbor or brother, saying, Know the LORD, because all will know Him from the least to the greatest. God will write His law in their hearts and inward parts, making external instruction unnecessary.
Jeremiah 31:31 says God will make it with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Les Feldick points out that the plain reading of the text shows the covenant is for Israel and no one but, not for the church.
It is still future from our time. Les says the day is coming when Israel's unbelief will end and God will make this covenant with them, but only a remnant—about a third—will enter that blessing; the rest will be cut off.
Watch the Teaching: The Boundaries of the Promised Land: What Does the Bible Say?