1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.
3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.
22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:
26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.
28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
Chapter 7 of the book of Jeremiah, also known as the "Temple Sermon", is a pivotal point in the narrative of the KJV Holy Bible. It forms Jeremiah's prophetic critique against Judah's religious and moral failures, which he declares will lead to their forthcoming destruction and exile. The chapter's main themes revolve around hypocrisy in worship, social injustice, and the false security in religious rituals.
The chapter commences with God commanding Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the Lord's house to proclaim His words. God instructs Jeremiah to call for Judah's repentance and to challenge their misguided confidence in the temple's inviolability. In essence, God is demanding a change in their ways and actions. He urges them to thoroughly amend their ways and doings, to execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, to not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and to not shed innocent blood.
A significant theme in this chapter is the false security in religious rituals. The people of Judah erroneously believe that their religious rituals and the mere existence of the temple will protect them from any impending doom. They chant, "The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD are these," (Jeremiah 7:4) as if it was a magical mantra that will ward off any disaster. However, Jeremiah rebukes this belief, asserting that genuine repentance and ethical living are what God truly desires, not empty rituals.
Jeremiah warns the people that God will deal with the temple in Jerusalem as He dealt with Shiloh, the former religious center of Israel where the Ark of the Covenant was kept before the temple was built in Jerusalem. The Ark did not save Shiloh from destruction, and neither will the temple save Jerusalem if they continue in their current ways.
The chapter further highlights the theme of hypocrisy in worship. The people of Judah were diligent in their religious observances, but their hearts were far from God. They lived lives of sin and injustice, yet they presented themselves in the temple to worship God. Jeremiah asserts that God sees through their hypocrisy. He states, "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely...And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?" (Jeremiah 7:9-10). This reiterates the message that God values moral integrity over religious rituals.
The theme of social injustice is also predominant in this chapter. Jeremiah accuses the people of Judah of oppressing the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. These actions are in direct violation of God's laws, which require His people to uphold justice and care for the vulnerable in society. The people's disobedience in this regard signifies a breach of their covenant with God, which further justifies the impending judgment.
Jeremiah's prophecy was not well received, and it led to significant backlash against him. However, it stands as a timeless message against religious hypocrisy and social injustice. It serves as a reminder that God calls for genuine repentance and righteous living, not empty rituals or mere profession of faith. It also underscores the importance of social justice in God's perspective, reiterating His concern for the vulnerable and marginalized in society.
Jeremiah warns of the severe consequences of Judah's disobedience. He prophesies that their beloved city will become a desolation, an object of scorn and a curse for all the nations of the earth. The people's disobedience had led them to a point of no return. God declares through Jeremiah that even if Moses and Samuel, two of the greatest intercessors in the Bible, were to stand before Him, His mind would not be favorable towards these people.
This chapter serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's commands. It underscores the importance of obedience to God's word, the necessity for genuine repentance, and the value God places on ethical living and justice.
In conclusion, Chapter 7 of the Book of Jeremiah is a profound critique of Judah's religious and moral failures. It challenges the false security that religious rituals can provide, highlights the hypocrisy in worship, and brings attention to the social injustices prevalent in Judah's society. The chapter serves as a timeless message to all believers, urging them to uphold justice, live righteously, and maintain a genuine relationship with God. Above all, it reiterates that God's judgment is inevitable when His commands are disregarded, and that no amount of religious rituals or professions of faith can substitute for a heart that is truly devoted to God and His ways.
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