Jeremiah 7:1-11 (ESV)
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’
“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.
“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.
Explanation:
I sit here very sobered by the words we read today in Jeremiah. As we will discover in our look at the book of Malachi, a very similar message was communicated about how irreverently the people of God treated their relationship with God. God says they would claim that the temple of God, a place of worship and God’s presence, was truly the Lord’s temple. Yet their deeds would communicate otherwise. An authentic worship of God would not only convict their hearts, it would motivate them to pursue changing the things that did not honor God. They claimed to have a genuine sanctified (set apart) life that worshiped and followed their God, yet they were not reflecting His loving nature in any way. They would walk in many sinful ways and refused to make amended (corrected) steps to walk once again in the ways of God.
The sobering truth is when I take these words and then apply them to my life, I can instantly see very intensely some similar behaviors and attitudes. Sometimes I have a lack of reverence for God, both in my worship and my deeds. Now that I am a temple of God, a place I desire for His presence to dwell, I must alongside the grace of Christ, dedicate my heart, mind, and strength to submitting to the ways of God. This is a true act of worshiping God with my whole life. Without a doubt, there will be the mercies of my Lord and Savior when I get this wrong, but then the message of God to return once again to Him still stands.
Application:
What attitudes and behaviors do you find yourself at times sharing with the people of God in today’s verses?
What would a humble, submissive response to this rebuke from God look like in the life of anyone claiming to be in relationship with God?
Why does it matter that our worship of God is authentic and not false, as we become a temple of God, a place that is called by God’s name?
Devo Plus:
Read Malachi 2:17-3:5. How is this message similar to what was communicated in today’s reading?
Prayer:
God, I come first seeking Your forgiveness for how I can irreverently treat my relationship with You. You are worthy of all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and at times I do not worship You with these things. I can find myself worshiping so many other things, and not being a place where Your presence can dwell. I desire to be a place that radiates Your presence. Help me to see what things need amending, and strengthen me to walk in Your ways.