Jeremiah 7 “Worship and Daily Life”

Jeremiah 7 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Take My Life and Let It Be – Reawaken Hymns
• Hillsong United – From The Inside Out

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• Introducing Worship to Kids – Animated Bible Stories for Kids – Lesson for Kids
• Sea of Miracles VBX 2018 I Will Follow You – Song for Kids
• Never Let Go Of Me | Shipwrecked VBS | Outback Rock VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

The Lord gave Jeremiah a message to proclaim at the gate of the temple to all who entered and exited through it (vv. 1–2). God told the worshipers that if they would amend their ways and their deeds, He would allow His presence to remain in the temple (v. 3). The phrase “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord” (v. 4) was a chant the Jews used in times of trouble, calling for God’s help. They believed that by repeating it like a charm, the Lord would remember His temple and come to their aid. But the Lord told them not to trust such deceptive words (v. 5).

If they truly desired God’s help, they had to live rightly, deal honestly with their neighbors, care for the vulnerable and oppressed in society, and turn away from idolatry. Then the Lord would dwell among them, and they would live securely in the promised land forever (vv. 6–7).

However, the people had turned away from God’s will and were committing all kinds of sins. Yet they deceived themselves, thinking that as long as they offered sacrifices in the temple, they would be safe (vv. 8–10). Concerning this, the Lord rebuked them, saying that they had turned His temple into a den of robbers (v. 11). Just as He had judged and destroyed Shiloh—the place where His tabernacle once stood—so would He judge and destroy the temple in Jerusalem (vv. 12–15).

The Lord then told Jeremiah not to intercede for the people of Judah, because their sins were so severe that judgment could no longer be averted (vv. 16–20).

God continued to denounce Judah’s false worship. What God desired from them was not burnt offerings but obedience. He commanded obedience for their own good—that they might prosper. Yet they turned their backs on Him, worshiped idols, and persisted in all manner of evil, thinking that offering sacrifices alone would make them right with God (vv. 21–26).

Finally, the Lord told Jeremiah that even though he would proclaim His message, the people would not listen. Jeremiah was to declare the coming judgment nonetheless (vv. 27–28). The people of Judah had become utterly corrupt, beyond repentance, and would face a dreadful end (vv. 28–34).

Meditation:

At times, God commanded Jeremiah to do things that were almost unbearable. To stand at the gate of the temple and proclaim judgment against it was to risk his very life. Because of this prophecy, the temple leaders likely blacklisted Jeremiah as a dangerous man, and the people of Judah would have deeply resented him. They wanted comfort and reassurance through temple sacrifices, but Jeremiah’s words exposed their true motives. While indulging in sin, they sought to relieve the discomfort and guilt in their hearts through ritual acts of worship. Through Jeremiah, God lamented that what they were offering was not true sacrifice but theft—and that His temple had become a den of robbers.

The phrase, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord,” was like a magical chant used by the people of Judah. They believed that no matter what they did or what situation they faced, if they prayed toward the temple, God would hear them for the temple’s sake. This kind of prayer revealed the corruption of their spirituality. What the Lord desired was right living, yet they poured all their devotion into ritual sacrifices instead.

Prayer is a personal fellowship with God. A sacrifice is not a tool to wash away guilt; it is the process of healing a broken spirit before God. Through prayer and worship, we receive the power of holiness, and by that power, we are called to live according to God’s will. That is why the Lord says He desires obedience rather than burnt offerings. Offering a burnt sacrifice is easy; it only requires giving up a portion of one’s possessions. But obedience is hard—it means surrendering one’s desires and submitting them to God daily.

God’s command is not meant to make us uncomfortable or miserable. Rather, when we come to know Him and live in obedience to His will, we experience the truest freedom and the most blessed life. Yet when we fail to see this, we walk the same path of destruction as the people of Judah, following our corrupted desires. The Lord’s words, “They did not obey me or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward” (v. 24), sound all too familiar to us today.

Prayer:

Lord, have our prayers, worship, and praise become confined within the walls of the sanctuary? Does our deep fellowship with You truly flow into our words and actions? Have our worship services become mere tools to ease our guilt rather than offerings of a sincere heart? Today, let our lives become living sacrifices—holy and pleasing to You—in all that we do. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: God wants our hearts and actions to match our worship. True worship means living God’s way every day.

• For Preschool-Elementary
  • When do you like to sing and pray to God the most? Do you think God only listens in church?
  • What are some ways we can show our love for God at home or at school?
  • Why do you think God cares more about how we live than the songs we sing?
    
• Youth
  • Jeremiah spoke out against false worship even when it was dangerous. What does courage in faith look like for you today?
  • How can worship become more than just “singing songs” or “showing up” at church?
  • What are some practical ways you can live out your worship to God in your everyday routine—at school, with friends, or online?