The promise of eternal, universal blessing which G-d gave to Abraham, overthrowing the curse of death, was made to be the one eternal covenant to Abraham and his seed in response to Abraham's question asking G-d how he could know that he would possess the land. Abraham had fully believed God, now he desired to add knowledge to his faith.
How are we to understand Jeremiah 31:1-4 and Jeremiah 16:14-15 with Isaiah 42:13 - 44:23 in light of the covenant that G-d made with Abraham in answer to Abraham's question?
Here is the premise of our understanding as brought to us through Jeremiah's prophecy of a new, fresh form of the covenant: As Israel went into captivity to the nations under the form of the covenant given at Mt. Sinai, it could not be that same form of the covenant by itself that would draw them out of the captivity of the nations, but must be a new, fresh form of the covenant of the Torah, one that revealed salvation not only from Egypt and the nations but from sin itself.
It should be recognized from this that the terms of the covenant that G-d made with Abraham were themselves making reference to the terms of the covenant that would be given at Mt. Sinai, and at the same time, to the new, fresh terms of the covenant that would be made with the house of Judah and the house of Israel at a later time. In other words, when G-d expressed the terms of his covenant with Abraham, saying that after his nation was in captivity in a foreign nation they would be redeemed and brought out from there to serve Him, he was referring to Mt. Sinai and to the Torah form of the covenant to be revealed at that time to the whole house of Israel. It would be that Torah form of the covenant that would literally draw Israel up out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai to receive it. But though Israel would receive the Torah, how would Abraham know that his nation would go on to observe the Torah and inherit the Land and serve God there in fulfilling the eternal, universal promise of blessing?
It is the answer to this question that the prophets spell out for us. A new, fresh form of the covenant that would write the Torah on the heart and hearts of Israel would draw them up out of all nations and out of sin itself, to serve God in the Land of Promise. It is in this way that G-d's one eternal covenant with Abraham assured Abraham that he would inherit the land, that not merely his converts would inherit it, but his own seed would inherit it. For it is in this way alone that the blessing could overcome the curse.
Link here to go to the Hearing Seven Thunders site and link into the series on The Judgements in Exodus and The Revelation.
