We perish on account of evil because we act without knowledge of the evil we contend with. Hosea 4:6 says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. In Jeremiah 7: 3-12 say the Lord instructed his Prophet Jeremiah to tell his people of Israel that there was evil in their land. God further told Jeremiah what to do; and the consequences of evil in the land.
What was Jeremiah to do?
In Jeremiah 7: 2 the Lord said to Jeremiah, stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. What the Prophet Jeremiah proclaimed is recorded from Jeremiah 7: 3-12. When God speaks, He expects us to listen as His children and what to do. God told Jeremiah to stand in the gate. It means he was to secure or protect the gate to God’s interest with God’s authority. It is an instruction to a capable or able person. It is a duty of confidence and trust in good faith.
A gate keeper must be dutiful, vigilant and watchful yet courteous. He must act only on the master’s instructions and must report back in times of challenges. It is a position of honour for through him the master will have peace in his household. These were what God expected from Jeremiah and all who God engages or appoints as His gate keepers. God needs gatekeepers to speak against the evil in our land today. Can God trust us to stand in the gate for him? How does God see us? Are we ready to be gatekeepers for God? Let us evaluate ourselves with the checklist.
What was Jeremiah’s proclamation?
Jeremiah said God was not pleased with the lives of the people of Israel and so is it for us today. God said to Israel, amend your ways and your doings, and I will dwell with you. To amend their ways and doings meant to change their way of life or doings from what it was to what it ought to be. It starts from the heart with a penitent heart. Jesus repeated this in Matthew 3:2 that repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repentance means bearing new fruits, Matthew 3:8.
God also said through Jeremiah in verse 4 do not trust in these deceptive words: This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. At the time, Israel had taken repentance for granted upon the deception that they were a holy nation, a chosen and special race hence their grievous and devious lives were unacceptable to God. They thought that because they had God’s temple in their midst which stood for God’s presence, blessings and security were guaranteed. They rather substituted sacrifice for repentance. However, God told them through Jeremiah that their notion was wrong.
David knew the truth so he said in Psalms 51: 16, for thou has no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. God meant them to accept that family names, genealogy and positions of authority are not substitutes for individual repentance. Repentance is not inherited but an individual decision to make. It is personal and not by an inheritance.
Jesus reiterated this when he said in Luke 3:8, bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Jesus was saying God will admit only a repentant soul though a foreigner (none Jews or Gentiles). God is ready to replace us with others as his sons and daughters if we continue to be stubborn in heart without amending our ways.
What did Israel need to amend?
Jeremiah 7: 6-7 gives copious examples of what Israel needed. They were not to oppress the alien; the fatherless or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, or go after other gods to their own hurt. It was a condition to enable them to dwell in God’s presence. To oppress is to act wickedly. It does not show God’s character. An alien is helpless, hence God protects him or her in their times of need. We could also be aliens one day for no future is guaranteed with certainty of knowledge.
Innocent blood is the blood of those who have not offended us. They include unborn babies or babies in general; ritual murders; honour killings; mercy killings or euthanasia; causing death to an innocent life directly or indirectly. We commit evil in our land just as Cain did to Abel; or Herod did to John the Baptist; or the world did to Jesus Christ; or Saul did to the Christians before his conversion. Going after other gods is simply idol or image worship; consulting or celebrating other gods or deities; patronizing evil spirits; adoring or giving precious time, attention or moments to something other than God. Such conduct pollutes the land with evil and unleashes the curse of evil in God’s given land.
God’s warning to Israel is relevant to us today. Our world has seen too much injustice; unparalleled levels of selfishness; occultism and spirits worship for power and fame against God’s instructions. God says if we want to inherit what He has given to us, we must amend our ways and doings, Jeremiah 7: 7. Jesus said in Luke 13: 3, 5 unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Our true inheritance is in repentance through Christ Jesus so Paul says in Acts 20: 32 and now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Let us amend our ways and doings as God wants it to be.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, graciously heal us of our deceit of inherited salvation based on our genealogies. Heal our land from evil based on our personal confessions. Hear us in your holy name, Amen!!
