Do Not Trust in Lying Words

Jeremiah 7:1-15 

(Cf. Jeremiah 26:4–6)

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 you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!'" 3 Thus says 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 Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.'

5 "For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

8 "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 and then 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 Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the LORD.

12 "But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these works," says the LORD, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and 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—the whole posterity of Ephraim.

Israel trusted in lying words instead of looking at what they themselves were doing in opposition to God’s word and commandments.  Jeremiah was sent to stand before them a the entrance to His house, the temple, and warn them sharply about their sin and the true worship required of them.  He called for them to amend their ways, a nice way of saying hear the word of the LORD and repent!  They were warned not to rely on empty phrases to repeat as if the words would justify them while they lived in opposition to the will and words of God, just as Jesus later would confront the Pharisees about using religious phrases to excuse ignoring God’s word (Mark 7:6-8, 11-13) and so do things their way instead of His.  They were warned by Jeremiah that they would have no place in the promised land if they so desecrated His word with the resulting consequences of violating their side of the covenant.  He called them to complete change through repentance and good works of willing obedience in loving God completely and their neighbors as themselves.  He likened idolatry to not loving others and Himself in their self-love and sinful living.  Instead of trusting in lies of false prophets that have no profit as they tickle the ear (2 Timothy 4:3-4), He urged them to keep the moral commandments, starting with the first to have no other gods or worship idols in place of the Living God who delivered them.  They could not continue to live like that and then enter the house of God to offer feigned worship and sacrifices to appear righteous.  His house is not to be a den of thieves as Jesus later reminded them and us in Matthew 21:12-13 for our own profit or gain when they should have been worshiping with acceptable fire and humble hearts set on the LORD.  God had seen it all because all comes to the light (Luke 12:2, 1 Corinthians 3:13) of His eyes.  He reminded them to look at the previous results of those who acted wickedly without repentance at Shiloh to make them consider their present works and repent.  Yes, God had been calling to them all along (2 Chronicles 36:15-16) and waited vainly for their answers to His call.  The result was losing their place of worship which they did not use properly as He cast out Ephraim for their sin of rejecting Him (Psalm 78:67-69).  This example was written for our edification and warning (1 Corinthians 10:11) that we might not sin as they did in our churches but instead practice sincere worship according to His word with accompanying godly living.  Do not trust in lying words of bad teaching and self-proclaimed prophets who do not lead by rightly interpreted and applied scripture.