August 9, 2017

Insights on Today's Reading

Jeremiah 7 - Even in Jeremiah's day people were making more of their religious buildings than they were of the Lord.  That's what God was angry about in verse 4.  The people had thought that simply having the Temple in their city kept them safe.  But the Lord noted how even with the Temple they were treating it as a "den of thieves" verse 11.  God never wants His people to make their church buildings as sacred when they use their bodies to dishonor Him.  We need to remember that our bodies are the "temple of the Holy Spirit" 1 Corinthians 6:19.

Jeremiah 8 - Desecrating the burial sites of Judah's kings shows the disrespect others had for the unrighteousness in Judah.  God noted that the people had "rejected the word of the Lord" and what wisdom did they have as a result, verse 9?  The sad outcome of Judah's sins was the feeling of hopelessness, see verses 20-22.

Jeremiah 9 - Jeremiah is known as "the weeping prophet" and it shows in this chapter.  It's sad, but it is also proper, that God's prophets and God's servants would cry over God's people who are going astray.  One of the sad notes of this chapter is in verse 21 where Jeremiah laments that "children no longer play in the streets" NLT.  This chapter does give a good word for all God's people to think about in verses 23-24.  God isn't impressed with a man's wisdom, might, or riches.  He is impressed with a man who will glory in God's lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness.