Concerned With Obedience
Jeremiah 7:1-4 (KJV)
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
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.
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.
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
I can just see in my mind’s eye as Jeremiah stands at the gate, the multitudes of proud Jews shuffling against one another in the rush of Temple worship. Jeremiah, under direction of the Holy Spirit of God, points to the magnificent structure and proclaims, “Trust ye not in lying words saying, The temple of the Lord is this.” Again Jeremiah points to the priestly persons. Those who claim a special relationship to God and declares, “Trust he not in lying words saying, The temple of the Lord are these.” A third time Jeremiah points, this time at the sacrifices and the instruments used to accomplish them and cries, “Trust ye not in lying words saying, ‘The temple of the Lord are these.”
God, through Jeremiah, dislodged all the idols upon which these people, who so proudly believed themselves to be worshippers of the living God, trusted.
Many years ago I preached a message to the effect of what I just described. Afterwards a man approached me and said I would never be able to pastor a larger church if I continued to preach messages like that.[1]I suppose that he has been proven correct. But I am reminded that Jeremiah wasn’t considered the most popular preacher of his day either. His message was meant to convey to the people the mind of God. He did not preach for the comfort of his congregation but their correction.
He was concerned with obedience to God more than with acceptance among people.
I think I will continue to try to be like Jeremiah.
[1]He was referring to the content of the message and not the quality of the declaration.
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Jeremiah 7:1-4 (KJV) Concerned With Obedience
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