January 6, 2003
Jan. 27
___Jeremiah 7:1-15
When trust is misplaced
___By Bill Roe
___As indicated in the previous lesson, the book of Jeremiah is not written chronologically. For that reason, the material covered in our focal passage this week needs additional material to complete the story. That material, located in Jeremiah 26:1-24, addresses the reaction to the message preached in chapter 7.
___Jeremiah's message in the temple may have been delivered during the fall festival in 609 B.C.
___King Jehohaz had been dethroned after a reign of only three months, and Jehoikim followed him. The Babylonian empire had taken control of the Assyrian empire. Judah was struggling, and also would soon fall under their control. Jeremiah at this time had been a prophet for some years, since his call came in 627 B.C.
___Introduction (Jeremiah 7:1-2)
___Some have classified his temple message as one of the greatest, and perhaps the greatest, sermons delivered in the Old Testament. It contains the heart of the message of Jeremiah, who was himself all heart. A portion of this message is repeated by Jesus in cleansing the temple (Matthew 21:13).
___The desire of Jeremiah was to help the hearers understand that God's desire was not ritual or superstition, but for the believers to have a personal walk with him. Great throngs of people were making their offerings to God, and the well-trained choirs were chanting their liturgies. Yet something was tragically wrong.
___Jeremiah was instructed by the Lord to stand in the gate between the inner and outer courts and to say, "Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the Lord!" Try to imagine that experience.
___Jeremiah blasts empty
___ritual (7:3-4)
___As the choir entered the area singing, "This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord," Jeremiah speaks sharply to them, saying, "Amend your ways and your deeds, I will let you dwell in this place."
___Not smooth words to begin a sermon! His words challenged the thought and practice of the day that if they fulfilled their ritual of word worship, it endeared them to God and put him in their debt.
___After all, they strongly believed their control of the temple made it impossible for others to conquer them. They had gotten this idea from Isaiah 33:20 and had proof-texted it by the defeat of Sennacherib. Thus, they had the mindset that Jerusalem would forever be God's choice and never be destroyed or conquered.
___God's decree (7:5-7)
___In our day, we would probably preface this passage by saying, "I have some bad news and some good news." Jeremiah adds the word "truly" to his original demand to change their ways, and then lists for the hearers the necessary actions--practice justice, do not oppress the alien, orphan or widow, shed innocent blood or walk after (worship) other gods. If you continue your present ways, he says, it will be to your own ruin.
___He then tells them if they follow God's command given by him, then "I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave your fathers forever and ever." Fair treatment of everyone and worshipping only Jehovah God would allow them to continue in the land given to their forefathers. Obedience would bring reward; continuing the present course would bring destruction.
___Dealing in deception (7:8-11)
___In an indignant indictment of worship divorced from life, Jeremiah makes this accusation: "You engage in theft, murder, adultery, perjury and idolatry, and then dare to come to this house and say, 'We're secure. We've got it made'--only to go your way in flagrant violation of the covenantal laws of God. You have made the Lord's house a robber's hideout, a place of re-fuge, a quiet retreat to which you can go for safety after perpetrating your crimes. And God is sick of it! Wickedness and worship he cannot take."
___Jeremiah includes the eighth, sixth, seventh, ninth, first and second commandments in his indictment of Judah. It is quite evident that Jeremiah tied their actions back to Moses and the traditions of Exodus. The covenant was still binding on the covenant people.
___A description of impending destruction (7:12-15)
___Jeremiah calls to his hearers' attention a name of shame, Shiloh. In 1 Samuel 4, we read of the defeat of Israel by the Philistines at Shiloh, a previous place of worship, and where the Ark of the Covenant was located. Thirty-four thousand of Israel were killed, the ark taken.
___The story of Shiloh was the same as Jeremiah's present message; God would not let them be defeated because of God's presence in the temple. God through Jeremiah pronounces doom on Judah, with a clear statement that unless they repent, Jerusalem will become another Shiloh. The Lord indicates in verse 13 that he has given adequate opportunities for repentance, but Judah has ignored them. Therefore, as Israel had been sent into captivity, so will Judah, unless there is repentance.
___Jeremiah's temple sermon ends with verse 15, and the parallel account of the sermon in 26:3-8 contains the same message. The people of Jeremiah's day were frantically searching for security and believed they had it as long as they had the temple. How relevant this passage is in our day! Since Sept. 11, 2001, our nation has been on edge and everyone is searching for security. Does it amaze us our problems today are the same as those of Judah? Are we as guilty as they of looking in the wrong place for security? They did not find security in ritualism, external statements of faith or the presence of sacred items. Neither will we.
___Jeremiah's message from the Lord was crystal clear; we are secure when we have a right relationship with God, and that relationship is expressed in right relationships with one's fellowmen. This can come only through the acceptance of God's call to repentance, faith and obedience. No "foxhole" religion, only an ethical fellowship with the living God!
___Dealing with Jeremiah's message (26:7-24)
___Jeremiah's message was not well-received! The response was immediate; as soon as his message was finished (a sermon of few words) the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You must die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord saying, This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant?" Does the phrase "shoot the messenger" come to mind?
___Jeremiah's future did not look bright; but the Lord had promised him safety. Standing on that promise, Jeremiah "stood his ground" before the assembled multitude. He reminded them in verse 12 that it was not his message, but the Lord's message.
___In verses 13-15, he again challenges them to change their ways and their deeds. If you do, he says, the Lord will change his mind and the misfortune he has pronounced against you will be canceled.
___He closes his entreaty by saying they have control over his life, challenging them to do with him what is good and right in their sight.
___But know for certain, he says, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on its inhabitants, for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words.
___In this closing statement, Jeremiah calls to our attention something we may neglect to consider--our individual actions always affect the lives of others. If Jeremiah were killed, it would not only have bearing on the killers, but on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
___Beginning in verse 16, the officials and all the people said to the priests and prophets, "No death sentence for this man!" They reminded them that Micah prophesied in the time of King Hezekiah about the coming destruction of Zion, and the king pleaded with the Lord and the Lord changed his mind about the punishment decreed.
___We must remember that even in our day church leaders are not infallible in their decisions, and God's words of instruction are the "bottom line."
___The closing statements in verses 20 through 24 remind the people of a prophet named Uriah whose prophecy against Jerusalem was akin to Jeremiah's. But when the king threatened to put him to death, he fled to Egypt. He was captured, brought back from Egypt, and put to death. Jeremiah did not flee, but "stood his ground" before the people. He was not killed. God fulfilled the promise (1:19) he had given in calling Jeremiah to prophesy.
___Conclusions
___We learn much from these passages in Jeremiah.
___Like him, we need to remember our security is not in the place where we worship, but in our personal, living relationship with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
___The church is important, and God's word is our guidebook. The ordinances, rituals and church activities are helpful in drawing us closer together in the Lord. However, we are not to worship and find our security in any of these.
___Let us understand that Jesus said he was not free from problems and neither are we. One of the most precious promises from the Savior was he would not leave us alone but would send the Holy Spirit to be with us forever.
___Having been a disciple of the Lord for 60 years and serving as a minister for more than 40 years, my memory bank is pressed full with a multitude of precious remembrances of the love and care and protection of the Lord. I pray with you that all of our lives might be led by God's Spirit as he led Jeremiah, and that we be found faithful as he was. God has never failed to fulfil his promise!
___Bill Roe is a former pastor and retired director of missions for Johnson Baptist Association
___Questions for discussion
___Is there danger today that form may be substituted for personal religion?
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___strike a chord about your life?
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