TOPIC:  ”Behold!, Even I Have Seen It.”

Read: Jeremiah 7: 1-20(NKJV)

1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2. “Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all [you of] Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!’ ”
3. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
4. “Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD [are] these.’
5. “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,
6. “[if] you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt,
7. “then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
8. ” Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.
9. “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know,
10. “and [then] come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’?
11. “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen [it,”] says the LORD.
12. ” But go now to My place which [was] in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.
13. “And now, because you have done all these works,” says the LORD, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer,
14. “therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
15. “And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren — the whole posterity of Ephraim.
16. ” Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.
17. “Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
18. “The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and [they] pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.
19. “Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the LORD. “[Do they] not [provoke] themselves, to the shame of their own faces?”
20. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place — on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched.”

MESSAGE

God’s Prophet was asked to ‘stand at the entrance to the Temple (Church) in order to proclaim to the worshippers (Christians) who come into the Temple (Church) to worship God’ (v.2). The message was “Amend your ways and your doings (v.3a). Why would such a message come from God to those who go to the Temple to worship Him?

God is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent. Before Him, all is naked and nothing can be hidden from Him (Heb. 4:13). He knows the heart of every man and the intent and purpose/motive behind every act of worship. His eye is too holy to behold sin (Hab. 1:13). He is so loving, not wanting any man to perish; He warns us saying “Behold, I, even I, see your deeds and motives, I know those who go to Church as a cover-up for their evil thoughts and ways, I also know those whose hearts are steadfast towards me.’ Therefore, for it not to be for us as it was for ‘Shiloh’ (unbelievers), we must heed the warnings in verses 5b-18 seriously. We must ask for God’s grace to amend our ways so that we can dwell in the land God has given to our fathers (v.7).

PRAYER: I plead for your mercy and forgiveness, Oh Lord, grant me the grace to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Amen

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