How truth can become a self-serving lie (Jer 7:1-15)

The great truth of the Reformation was the understanding that our salvation and relationship with God are based on His grace alone. We can come to God because He redeemed us from our self-centred way of life through Jesus Christ. Given our human tendency to try doing something great and good to earn God’s acceptance, this is an important truth that is both humbling and liberating. Yet sadly God’s unconditional love can also lead to complacency, a problem Judah experienced.

When truth becomes a magic mantra

As a small and insignificant people between two superpowers (Egypt in the south, Assyria/Babylon in the north), they took courage that God’s presence, visibly represented by the Jerusalem temple, was in their midst. A century earlier, this gave King Hezekiah hope when faced with the besieging Assyrian army in 701 BC (Isa 37:14-20)[1] and this is what the psalms about Zion exult in: God living among His people is greater than human enemies and disaster (e.g. Ps 46:1-11; 48:1-14).[2] Yet by Jeremiah’s time, God’s people came to expect His deliverance as a matter of course, as their automatic right (hence their chant, ‘this is the temple of the Lord’ – Jer 7:4, i.e. God is in our midst, no harm can come to us). It took someone like Jeremiah coming from outside Jerusalem to discern by God’s help how meaningless this mantra has become, a magic bullet and a charm to protect.

Blessings in the context of a relationship

God reminds the people that those promises of deliverance are given in the context of the relationship. It is not that God’s help is earned by obedient living, rather it is abusive to demand the privileges of the bond with Him without engaging faithfully in the relationship. It is a basic assumption of the Old Testament that true love of God involves love of neighbour. That is why just and fair treatment of others, caring rather than oppressing the vulnerable among God’s people (the stranger, orphan and widow) are as important in loving God as His exclusive worship (Jer 7:5-7). John’s letter in the NT puts it this way, how can we say we love God whom we cannot see, if we do not love our neighbour whom we can (1 John 4:20)? The problem, then, is that the people really do not care for God and act as if He did not matter (they break several of the Ten Commandments against neighbour, as well as worship other gods), but then come to Him in the temple and appeal to the relationship for protection (Jer 7:8-11). Thus, the temple where God dwells is treated like a robbers’ den, a safe haven, where justice does not reach and where judgement is suspended.

The lesson from history

The Lord, however, makes it clear that He is not bound by such an arrangement (Jer 7:12-15). When Israel settled in the land, their first sanctuary with the ark was at Shiloh (about 30km north of Jerusalem), but because of the sins of the priests there (Eli’s sons), the ark was taken by the Philistines, and it was likely that the sanctuary was also destroyed around this time (1 Sam 3:31-34; 4:10-11). Judah will have known about the ruins of the old sanctuary in what became the northern kingdom of Israel and probably felt smug that they were better than their northern brothers who were eventually taken into Assyrian captivity in 722 BC.[3] God’s verdict, however, is that they are no better themselves and can expect a like fate.

A call to live for God

Today, the emphasis on God’s grace in many churches has similarly become a complacent appeal to the privileges and blessings of a relationship with God without the willingness to engage in that relationship at a deeper level. It is tempting for all of us to look for God’s help, comfort, and support when we are in need, to ask Him to fix our difficulties as we pursue our own goals while we keep Him at arm’s length and live only half-heartedly for Him. Jeremiah’s ‘temple sermon’ calls us back to seek a genuine interaction and close walk with God that is expressed in faithful living. It is only then that we will truly know the depth of His love and grace.

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[1] Note that Hezekiah speaks of God ‘enthroned above the cherubim’ (Isa 37:16), a reference to the ark whose lid was covered by two angelic figures (cherubim), which was seen as the throne of God in the temple, His palace.

[2] Zion is another name for Jerusalem and Mount Zion refers to the hill where the Temple was built. Zion carries this association of God’s presence dwelling there and the assurance that the city will be protected as a result.

[3] Ephraim was one of the biggest tribes in the central part of the northern kingdom and it is often used to refer to Israel.

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