Jeremiah's Message

October 12, 2025 Background Scripture: Jeremiah 7:1 - 26 Lesson Passage: Jeremiah 7:1 -11, 21-23 Last week's lesson looked at Jeremiah's calling and the hostile reaction of the priests and other prophets towards him. That was a peculiar combination of critics given that Jeremiah was born into a priestly family and called to be a prophet of God at an early age, In this week's lesson, we examine the contents of one of Jeremiah's messages that sparked their hostile reaction. This message was delivered at one of the gates that led into the temple area. The Lord sent the message to those who were entering the temple. The message proclaimed that God would not allow the people to continue to enter the temple and offer empty worship. God demanded that their hearts and lifestyle line up with their worship. God denounced their hypocritical attitude that they could live as they pleased and still worship God in the temple. A true relationship with God is manifest first in a changed heart whereby a person's desires and motives align with the will of God. Only then will outward worship be sincere and pure without hypocrisy. God is not moved by external acts of worship that come from an unrepentant heart. An unrepentant heart chases after evil. Religious activities by a sinner cannot atone for an unclean heart. God demanded that His people live as He commanded in the Law. Namely, that they would sincerely love Him with all their being and demonstrate benevolent love towards others. The demonstration of love towards God would require them to totally abandon their idols. They were going to the temple to worship while they were still worshiping idol gods. The demonstration of love towards others would manifest as being just towards everybody and non-oppressive to widows, orphans, and strangers. God did not allow them to live in the land of promise simply as a birthright, He gave the land to their forefathers forever. However, they were required to live there as people of God as specified in the Law. They wanted the benefits of living in the promise land while they lived there in a manner they chose. Sinful and selfish living would bring the wrath of God upon them. God warned their ancestors to not bow down and worship idol gods. Since the days He brought their ancestors out of Egypt, He had sent prophets to warn them about sinful living. Now, this generation was following in the footsteps of their ancestors who rebelled against God. They were attempting to live in rebellion against God and worship God as though they had not turned their backs on Him. God sent Jeremiah to expose and denounce their hypocritical living. God reminded them to look at the history of their ancestors who had abandoned God's ways. They worshiped idols and attempted to worship God at the tabernacle. God totally wiped out any signs of the place where the tabernacle once stood as His dwelling place. This was done because of the wickedness of God's people, their ancestors. Wickedness was not a matter of them being mean and evil all the time. Their wickedness was in living as they pleased while pretending to honor and worship God. That was an affront to an all-knowing God. God declared that He would likewise destroy the temple in Jerusalem if His people failed to repent. God went even further and forbade Jeremiah from interceding in prayer for the people because their actions showed no remorse. God did not demand worship from His people. He demanded holy living from them. The Law described holiness, so they knew what God expected of them. But as it is with us today, the more we understand what God requires of us, the more our flesh rebels against it. Even today, Jeremiah's message still resonates in us and convicts us! C. Hudson September 19, 2025