JEREMIAH CHAPTER 7
God told Jeremiah to go to the entrance of the Lord's Temple and give a message to the people. He said to tell them to listen because the Lord wants them to quit their evil ways and he will let them stay in their own land. The Lord will only be merciful if they stop their wicked thoughts and deeds and are fair to others. The Lord told them they were mistaken if they thought they could worship Baal and commit evil and then come to the Temple, only to go back and do evil again.
Next the Lord told Jeremiah to go to Shiloh where he once placed the Tabernacle and see what he did there as a result of the wickedness of the people. He warned the people but they did not listen, so he destroyed the Tabernacle and Shiloh and will do the same in Jerusalem and will send the people into exile.
The Lord saw that the people continued to worship idols in Judah and he was angry. He even saw children being taught to gather wood for sacrificial fires and women knead dough for offering cakes to idols. So God said he would pour out his terribly fury on the city, its people, animals, trees and crops. He said the place would be known as the Valley of Slaughter and the joy that was once in the city of Jerusalem will no longer be heard in Judah because the land would lie in complete desolation.
BIBLE NOTES SHOW (taken from the NLT Bible): Parallels between how the people of Judah viewed their Temple and how many in today's world view their churches.1. They didn't make the Temple part of their daily living. We may go to beautiful churches, but often we don't take the presence of God with us through the week. 2. The image of the Temple became more important than the substance of faith. Going to church and belonging to a group can become more important than a life changed for God. 3. The people used their Temple as a sanctuary. Man use religious affiliation as a hideout, thinking it will protect them from evil and problems.
The Queen of Heaven mentioned in verse 18 was a name for Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and fertility. After the fall of Jerusalem the refugees from Judah who fled to Egypt continued to worship her. A papyrus dating from the 5th century B.C. found at Hermopolis, Egypt, mentions the Queen of Heaven among the gods honored by the Jewish community living there.
The shines of Topheth (meaning "fireplace")mentioned in verses 31-32 , were set up in the valley of the son of Hinnom where debris and rubbish from the city were thrown away. This altar was used to worship Molech- a god who required child sacrifice. Their valley of sacrifice would become the Valley of Slaughter by the Babylonians. At the place where the people had killed their children in sinful idol worship, they themselves would be slaughtered.
HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Can you see any parallels between the lives the people were living and our ways today? We may not slaughter our children to idols, but we are evil in many ways. Some ways as simple as going to church for the wrong reasons. I don't think God grades us on the depth of our sins like a report card. A sin is a sin in his eyes.
On the positive side, all through this chapter God gives warnings. He gives us warnings today too. All we have to do is look for the signs and come back to him. Have you ever sat in church and zoned out through the service? Have you found yourself looking forward to the goodies and coffee afterward? Has being seen in church become more important than the worship? If so, then you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Listen carefully to the words that are being said to you at church. Look around at the craftsmanship in those stained glass windows and become aware that there is beauty all around you. And this beauty is there to honor your Lord and Savior. He invites you to be a part of the joy of worship. Let it sink in to your heart and brain. Let his presence overcome you and wash over you next time you pray. The feeling will be indescribably wonderful!
Yours in Christ,
Mary
Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Pray for Gabe.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and for her sister Wanda’s soul which went to heaven.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with a form of MS.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.
God told Jeremiah to go to the entrance of the Lord's Temple and give a message to the people. He said to tell them to listen because the Lord wants them to quit their evil ways and he will let them stay in their own land. The Lord will only be merciful if they stop their wicked thoughts and deeds and are fair to others. The Lord told them they were mistaken if they thought they could worship Baal and commit evil and then come to the Temple, only to go back and do evil again.
Next the Lord told Jeremiah to go to Shiloh where he once placed the Tabernacle and see what he did there as a result of the wickedness of the people. He warned the people but they did not listen, so he destroyed the Tabernacle and Shiloh and will do the same in Jerusalem and will send the people into exile.
The Lord saw that the people continued to worship idols in Judah and he was angry. He even saw children being taught to gather wood for sacrificial fires and women knead dough for offering cakes to idols. So God said he would pour out his terribly fury on the city, its people, animals, trees and crops. He said the place would be known as the Valley of Slaughter and the joy that was once in the city of Jerusalem will no longer be heard in Judah because the land would lie in complete desolation.
BIBLE NOTES SHOW (taken from the NLT Bible): Parallels between how the people of Judah viewed their Temple and how many in today's world view their churches.1. They didn't make the Temple part of their daily living. We may go to beautiful churches, but often we don't take the presence of God with us through the week. 2. The image of the Temple became more important than the substance of faith. Going to church and belonging to a group can become more important than a life changed for God. 3. The people used their Temple as a sanctuary. Man use religious affiliation as a hideout, thinking it will protect them from evil and problems.
The Queen of Heaven mentioned in verse 18 was a name for Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and fertility. After the fall of Jerusalem the refugees from Judah who fled to Egypt continued to worship her. A papyrus dating from the 5th century B.C. found at Hermopolis, Egypt, mentions the Queen of Heaven among the gods honored by the Jewish community living there.
The shines of Topheth (meaning "fireplace")mentioned in verses 31-32 , were set up in the valley of the son of Hinnom where debris and rubbish from the city were thrown away. This altar was used to worship Molech- a god who required child sacrifice. Their valley of sacrifice would become the Valley of Slaughter by the Babylonians. At the place where the people had killed their children in sinful idol worship, they themselves would be slaughtered.
HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Can you see any parallels between the lives the people were living and our ways today? We may not slaughter our children to idols, but we are evil in many ways. Some ways as simple as going to church for the wrong reasons. I don't think God grades us on the depth of our sins like a report card. A sin is a sin in his eyes.
On the positive side, all through this chapter God gives warnings. He gives us warnings today too. All we have to do is look for the signs and come back to him. Have you ever sat in church and zoned out through the service? Have you found yourself looking forward to the goodies and coffee afterward? Has being seen in church become more important than the worship? If so, then you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Listen carefully to the words that are being said to you at church. Look around at the craftsmanship in those stained glass windows and become aware that there is beauty all around you. And this beauty is there to honor your Lord and Savior. He invites you to be a part of the joy of worship. Let it sink in to your heart and brain. Let his presence overcome you and wash over you next time you pray. The feeling will be indescribably wonderful!
Yours in Christ,
Mary
Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Pray for Gabe.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer and for her sister Wanda’s soul which went to heaven.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with a form of MS.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.
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