The Bible Recap - Day 221 (Jeremiah 7-9) - Year 4

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible recap. Today opens with Jeremiah Prophecy to the people of Judah while standing outside the entrance of the temple, which is why chapter 7 is referred to as his temple sermon. The people have come to worship the God who lives inside the temple, but outside the temple walls, they're sacrificing to idols and false gods, as though God isn't also outside the temple or can't see through walls.

Starting point is 00:00:35 Apparently, the people were treating the temple like it was some kind of protective icon. Verse four shows them repeating a phrase like an incantation. It almost seems like temple worship instead of worshiping the God in the temple. And God rebukes them for it. They seem to think that because the temple is there with them in the south,

Starting point is 00:00:53 that's why they were protected against the Assyrian attack that the Israelites in the North experienced. They've turned the temple into an idol. And in addition to that, God says they're pretty much breaking all the other commandments. Deft, murder, adultery, lies, worship of other gods. He says they're making his house into a house of robbers. You might recognize that passage because Jesus quotes it in Matthew 21 when the people of his day are doing similar things to oppress

Starting point is 00:01:21 the poor and steal from the people. God drills down to the heart of things. He calls them to change the way they treat others and the way they treat him, and promises to bless them if they do. He promises to cast them out if they don't. What will they do? We get a hint based on what God tells Jeremiah after that. He tells him not to pray for the people. Prophets often intercede on behalf of the people, but here God tells him, don't waste your breath, it's too late, talk to them about me, but don't talk to me about them. God's assignment to Jeremiah to review the people is one that will fail to produce that

Starting point is 00:01:59 result, but that will still achieve God's plans. We've seen this before with other prophets. The people have trusted in their own minds, walked in their own counsel, did what their stubborn hearts wanted instead of surrendering to God and His word, and as a result, they've moved backward in their walks with Him, not forward. In chapter 8, God continues to speak out against their autonomy.

Starting point is 00:02:22 Verse 6 says, Everyone turns to his own course. Autonomy is idolatry. It's looking to ourselves for guidance instead of to God and his word, but true wisdom and humility come from receiving the word. And verse 9 points to this. It says,

Starting point is 00:02:39 behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord. So what wisdom is in them? Even the scribes and the wise men of that day behold, they have rejected the Word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them? Even the scribes and the wise men of that day will be exposed as fools and liars. They had access to the Word and disregarded it. The consequences of their sins are so harsh that some will prefer to die instead of live. And while God's methods may seem extreme, they're always righteous. Jeremiah is so heartbroken over all of this.

Starting point is 00:03:08 I've heard that when it comes to sin, we should be angry at our own and heartbroken over others. That's not to say we shouldn't be heartbroken over our own sin. It's more to say we should stay humble. How easy is it to look at the sins others commit and feel disgusted as though we're not sinners too. It's arrogant. So Jeremiah's response is fitting.

Starting point is 00:03:29 He stays humble. He aches over Judas actions. And God makes it clear that he's heartbroken too, because he continues to point out that he wants their hearts, not their begrudging obedience. Besides, the only kind of obedience that is complete and true is obedience that blows from a heart of love. God says, if all they are is circumcised in the flesh, they're no better than the pagan nations

Starting point is 00:03:54 who don't even know him. He wants transformation at a heart level. What was your God shot today? I loved that moment at the end of chapter nine where he tells us about himself directly. We saw a lot of judgment in these three chapters and it's easy to just skim over it and determine that he's harsh and unforgiving.

Starting point is 00:04:12 But here's what he says about himself in verses two through 25. Let him who boasts, boasts in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight. God leads with love, and he delights in love, justice, and righteousness. He's always acting out of his motives to display love,

Starting point is 00:04:41 justice, and righteousness on the earth. God not only does what he loves, but he is what he loves. And I can't think of anything better to be or do. He's where the joy is. You guys are the very best at spreading your word about TBR. Thanks to you, so many people who never would have read through the Bible have joined us and are loving it. So, here's a pro tip for all of you who love to share the joy. When you're inviting your friends to join us, have them start at the start, as opposed to jumping in where we currently are. That's the whole point of doing this chronologically, so we can follow the whole storyline. The plot is important. So whether they plan on reading

Starting point is 00:05:22 through the entire Bible or the New Testament, encourage them to start at the beginning of that section. We've lined up all the details for them on the Start page of our website. So the best way to make sure they get off to a good start is to send them to thebibelrecap.com-broadslashstart. The end. you

The Bible Recap - Day 221 (Jeremiah 7-9) - Year 4

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