9 Dec. Jeremiah 7:1-11

9 Dec. Jeremiah calls for repentance

“This is the word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah: ‘Stand at the gate of the Temple and preach this message there: “Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of the nation of Judah! All you who come through these gates to worship the LORD, listen to this message!”’”

“’”This is what the LORD All-powerful, the God of Israel, says: Change your lives and do what is right! Then I will let you live in this place. Don’t trust the lies of people who say, ‘This is the Temple of the LORD. This is the Temple of the LORD. This is the Temple of the LORD!’ You must change your lives and do what is right.”’”

“’”Be fair to each other. You must not oppress strangers, orphans and widows. Don’t kill innocent people in this place! Don’t follow other gods, or they will ruin your lives. If you do these things, I will let you live in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep for ever.”’”

“’”But look, you are trusting lies which is useless. Will you steal and murder and be guilty of adultery? Will you falsely accuse other people? Will you burn incense to the god Baal and follow other gods you have not known? If you do that, do you think you can come before me and stand in this place where I have chosen to be worshipped?”’”

“’”Do you think you can say, ’We are safe!’ when you do all these hateful things? This place where I have chosen to be worshipped is nothing more to you than a hideout for robbers. I have been watching you, says the LORD.”’”

          (Jeremiah 7:1-11)

 

 

In today’s passage, God tells Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the Temple in Jerusalem and declare this message: “Change your lives and do what is right! Then I will let you live in this place... Be fair to each other. You must not oppress strangers, orphans and widows.” (Jeremiah 7:3-6)

He asks the people of Jerusalem to repent of their sinful ways: “Don’t kill innocent people in this place! Don’t follow other gods, or they will ruin your lives. If you do these things, I will let you live in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep for ever.” (Jeremiah 7:7-8)

He then accuses the people of following other gods who are unreal, and turning the Temple into a hideout for robbers: “Will you steal and murder and be guilty of adultery? ... Will you burn incense to the god Baal and follow other gods you have not known? ... This place where I have chosen to be worshipped is nothing more to you than a hideout for robbers.” (Jeremiah 7:8-11).

In the New Testament, Jesus used these same words from the Book of Jeremiah when he cleared the Temple courts of the moneychangers’ tables in the week leading up to Passover in 30AD: “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be called a house for prayer for people from all nations.’ But you are changing God’s house into a ‘hideout for robbers.'” (Mark 11:17 quoting Isaiah 56:7 & Jeremiah 7:11).

The Jewish crowds watching in the Temple courts would also have been well aware that Jesus, by his actions, was fulfilling Zechariah's prophesy about the start of the 'End Times': "At that time there will not be any buyers or sellers in the Temple of the LORD All-powerful." (Zechariah 14:21)

The photo (by Berthold Werner) shows a model of the Temple in Jerusalem.

You can read more from Jeremiah Chapters 7 to 11
https://www.thebiblejourney.org/.../jeremiah-calls-for.../

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