Spirit and Truth:
Israel’s Covenant Failure
Copyright 2008 by Philip Thompson
Copyright Notice: This paper my be reproduced and distributed only if the author's name remains intact along with the entirety of the document. Otherwise, all other reproductions should be limited to quotations from the source document.
Text: Jeremiah 7:1-34
Proposition: God expects you to be loyal to His covenant.
Introduction: There was a day when Americans could go about their daily lives, confident in their safety from outside attacks. The average citizen went to work with relative calmness. Few things could shake someone like a New York businessman into fear for his life. This personal peace came from a strong confidence in the military and governmental powers of the United States. The confidence of the people of America lasted only as long as the peace. Following September 11, 2001, the average American realized that no government could keep him safe.
Judah was in great need of such a shake-up during the time of Jeremiah. Time after time, she had seen other nations fall during their attempted strikes on her. Eventually the northern kingdom fell because of its sin, but Judah still remained. What made Judah so special? Maybe God had put a divine shield around the country that maintained His Temple? Speculation began to rise. Little by little, the tiny nation became convinced of its impregnability from enemies. A major help to these ideas was the reform of Josiah; he began a process of restoring the Temple to some of its former glory. During this period, the people had more reasons than ever before to believe that God was on their side. The Temple and its sacrifices were now restored, and God should be appeased. The people of Judah were now even able to keep the feasts of the Lord! In the midst of all the excitement, God sent a prophet to give His people a wake-up call. The people had placed their confidence in a building and in some observances without returning to the covenant loyalty that God expected from them. Jeremiah ascended to the Temple Mount, probably around on of these feast days (ExBC, 427), to proclaim God’s message to the people. He anxiously stood at one of the gates and delivered his first sermon. His message centered on the need of the nation of Israel, but it is a truth that Christians need to be reminded of today; God expects you to be loyal to His covenant.
I. Failure in covenant loyalty brings God’s punishment.
A. God views covenant disloyalty as sin.
1. Failure is shown by misplaced trust. Jeremiah’s message bluntly stated the obvious when he said “ye trust in lying words.” In this statement, Jeremiah is presenting “a direct challenge to the popular religion” (Smothers, 48). The early part of this message centers on the concept of misplaced trust. Notice this emphasis in verses 4, 8, and 14. This area of sin is a big deal to God. He entered into a covenant relationship with these people, and they were trusting in mere ceremonies for safety. The people of God found security in things other than God. How did these people commit this sin? This sin was not entirely committed by a refusal of the worship of Yahweh, as in the days of Manassah, but in trust in lying words. The whole concept of “lying words” goes completely against the grain of biblical revelation. In fact, throughout prior revelation, the Lord is consistently pictured as diametrically opposed to such words (cf. TWOT, #2461a). His covenant loyalty is based on His truth (Gen. 21:23; I Sam. 15:29; Ps. 89:33). With this background, it is obvious that God is not part of the message of the words of this lie. The lie in this passage is made clear in verses 4 and 14. In verse four, the prophet defines the lying words by simply repeating the phrase “the temple of the Lord” three times. As in the vision of the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 6:3), the threefold repetition of a word is designed to place the object in great esteem, even to the point of worship. At what time did God ever place his “house” (v. 14) as an object of trust for the Israelites?
Illustration: When I was in Israel during the summer of 2005, my tour group visited the city of Arad. In this small southern city we were able to see the remains of a small temple replica built during the time of Manassah. The “brazen altar” was built to the exact specifications of the altar at the Temple in Jerusalem. Archaeologists also unearthed two stone tablets that were found in the “most holy place.” Our tour guide told us that scholars are uncertain as to the exact reason for the construction of the mini temple. However, it would seem that the building was constructed to protest the desecration of the temple by the wicked kings of Judah.
All these actions by the people of Judah only went to demonstrate their false trust. The people had missed the entire point of the Temple, for the Temple “is not defined adequately as a building. Its theological significance resides in the Lord” (NIVAC, 103). In reality, this misplaced understanding and trust was actually in direct disobedience of God’s commands in the Decalogue.
2. Failure is shown by disobeyed commandments. Failure to keep the commandments of the Lord, both ceremonially and morally, had been a consistent problem with the children of Israel. In this passage, Jeremiah points out a large number of moral failures by the people of Judah; they had transgressed the Law in many points and had forfeited their right to not only the land, but to the Temple, and to their God. The first commandment (Ex. 20:3) had been broken by the peoples’ walking “after other gods” (Jer. 7:9). The second commandment (Ex. 20:4-5a) had been broken because they had offered “incense to Baal” (Jer. 7:9). The third commandment (Ex. 20:7) had been broken in its true sense. The whole idea of taking God’s name in vain is the misuse of His name. This command goes far beyond the use of God’s name as a swear word, but especially to the use of God’s name in order to twist His arm (e.g. Acts 8:19) or to clear oneself from guilt that is not repented of (Ex. 20:7b). The people were trying to use the Temple as a cosmic rabbit’s foot in order to conjure God’s protection for them as they went about sinning and disobeying His word. They had used the Temple as a “den of robbers” (Jer. 7:11) for too long.
Illustration: When I was a child, I had an older brother who lived a rather wild life. He was a very manipulative kind of guy, so he was able to convince my parents of many different things. One day, he decided that he was going to get me in trouble because I had ratted him out about something he was up to. In his frustration, he did something and blamed it on me and, sure enough, I got in trouble for it. I begged, pleaded, and explained, but I still got an ill-deserved spanking. Afterwards, I ran outside crying and hid in the shed. My older brother found me shortly thereafter and began to gloat. I screamed at him and threatened him, but my little frame seemed to do little to intimidate him. It was at that point that an idea came to my mind. Before I knew what I was doing, I took up a snow shovel and threw it at him with full force. The blow knocked him to the ground and I took off to my fort in the woods. My fort was underneath a maze of tunnels in a brush pile. After I crawled through the tunnels, I came to what I called the den. This was the one place where I knew he would never see me or find me.
Judah’s use of the Temple in this manner had broken the third commandment. However, the people of Judah had also failed to obey the sixth commandment (Ex. 20:13). The people in Jeremiah’s day were accused by God of “murder” as well (Jer. 7:9). Also, as they did “commit adultery” (v. 9) they were in direct violation of the seventh commandment (Ex. 20:14). The eighth commandment (Ex. 20:15) was being broken too (Jer. 7:9). Finally, the ninth commandment (Ex. 20:16) had been broken because the nation of Judah would “swear falsely” to others around them (Jer. 7:9). Ultimately, the Decalogue was God’s “covenant demand” (NICOT, 278) upon the people. It would seem that Judah’s callous attitude towards God’s commandments reflects the deceitful condition of their hearts (7:24; 17:9). The only cure for the heart problem of the people was the New Covenant which God would make with them (31:31-34). The people had broken the old covenant and the creation of a new covenant was made necessary (31:32).
3. Failure is shown by idolatry. A key covenant failure is also found in Judah’s worship of other gods. Although this could be treated simply as law breaking, the context makes it clear that God’s judgment was coming on the people especially because of their idolatry. In fact, the theme of idolatry takes up the majority of the chapter. In one sense, the Temple had become an idol to the people (vv. 4, 8, 10, 11, 14). Also, Baal worship had become a problem (v. 9). The worship of the “queen of heaven” (Ishtar) had also become popular (vv. 17-19). Not only the average people, but the people of Jerusalem, the city in which God placed His Temple, were worshipping this god. Ishtar’s cultic ceremonies involved all kinds of immoral practices as well as sacrifices (v. 18). Apparently, Josiah’s reforms had only touched the civil obedience of the Law, but not the individual practices of the people. The families of Judah had opened their homes to the gods of the pagans. Finally, the people had desecrated every vestige of God’s presence in Jerusalem. There were three particular facets that the Jews associated with divine presence. First was the temple with the shekinah glory and the Ark of the Covenant. All three of these had been desecrated by the false worshippers (v. 30). No longer could the Temple be viewed as a pure symbol of God’s presence with His people. Second, the mountains around Jerusalem, which had at one point been a symbol of God’s presence (Ps. 125:2), had now become a place for idol worship (“high places”, v. 31). Thirdly, the Hinnom practices of the people angered God (vv. 31, 32). The people of Judah had been openly sacrificing their children to Molech in the third valley of Jerusalem. This “third valley” of Jerusalem is one of the three valleys (Kidron, Tyropoeon, and Hinnom) that connect to surround Israel with a shin (שׁ). To the Hebrews, this letter stands for God’s almighty presence with them at Jerusalem (cf. Gen. 17:1-2 שַׁדַּי). The desecration of Jerusalem could not stand with the covenant keeping God of Israel. In the end, God’s anger was kindled to the point where he used the valley of Hinnom as a type, not only of the coming shameful judgment of Israel, but even of the judgment of the world. These people had become sincerely committed to a false way of worship; however, their sincerity could not save them.
Illustration: When I lived in Maryland, I worked with my friends at my home church on Thursdays. I would often clean up the sanctuary and other classrooms as well as mow the grass. One day I saw a large dolly with a black bucket on it. I knew that the pastor wouldn’t like it sitting in the fellowship hall all Sunday, so I decided that it would be a good idea to move it to the shed on the other side of the church. I checked the lid and I felt sure it was on tight. As I was pushing it out of the door of the church I felt sure I was doing the right thing. Suddenly, I hit a bump at the exit and black asphalt sealer spilled all over the carpet and onto the sidewalk. It was only then that I realized that the bucket was not strapped onto the dolly. Needless to say, I had a little trouble explaining my predicament to my fellow church workers. What I am getting at is that I was sincerely trying to do the right thing, but I was not doing it the right way. I was sincere, but I was sincerely WRONG.
The sincerity of the people of Judah in their worship forms only ended up sealing their punishment by God. Yahweh expects His people to be pure from other gods (cf. I Jn. 5:21).
B. God will punish those who do not remain faithful to His covenant.
1. His punishment is certain. God does not put up with the sin of covenant disloyalty. Instead, God faithfully fulfills His part of the covenant obligation that demands His just dealings with sin. All of the misplaced trust, direct disobedience, and idolatry had brought the people into a place of certain judgment. God could no longer hold back the flood-gates of His wrath, but would release them in the form of a foreign army. He would bring ultimate humiliation on the name of Israel for the humiliation they had brought upon His name. Yahweh’s certain judgment is based on His omniscience. He tells the people that “I have seen it” (v. 11); their actions had not gone unnoticed. Although they were attempting to hide as robbers in a cave, the Lord would not pass over their door. At any moment, His wrath could righteously fall upon them. Also, Yahweh’s certain judgment is based on His name (v. 14). Instead of God’s name in the city being a means of protection, His name became the reason for the peoples’ punishment. Notice the certainty of the language (“I will” vv. 14, 15). God was not going to back down from His covenant promises (Deut. 28:33, 37, 45, 49-53). God’s loyalty to His covenant with the people of Israel demanded that He punish their sins. The similarity between the divine wrath in this chapter and the holy anger of Jesus as He threw the moneychangers out of the Second Temple is evident. (1) Historically, both events occurred around a feast day. (2) At both times, the people were under the threat of an oppressor (Egypt…Rome). (3) Both groups of people had come to a sense of security and protection, even to the point of absurdity (Jer. 7:4; John 8:33). (4) Jesus proclaimed the fact of misplaced temple trust in the Temple area and ceremonial observances, even to the point of quoting Jeremiah. (5) Both prophets faced a similar reaction (Jer. 26:8; Mark 11:18). (6) Both point up the fact that outward religion is not God’s requirement for righteousness (Jer. 7:21-24; Matt. 23:23). Jesus and Jeremiah press the reader of the accounts to acknowledge the fiery wrath of God that burns against the evil done on the Temple Mount (Jer. 7:20), that will not be stopped once it will start.
2. His punishment is complete. In the past, kings like Pekah, Rezin, and Sennacherib had come up against Judah. God had used these men and their armies to turn His people back to Himself; however, this time things would be different. In the past, God had stopped the foreign invaders from taking the city of Jerusalem. The next time invaders would come, Jerusalem would be destroyed. It is also noteworthy to mention that the completeness of God’s judgment against the people of Judah is twofold. Initially, it is easy to see that Judah would be completely physically destroyed. He gives the people a vivid picture of His punishment in verse 14. God will make Jerusalem like Shiloh. This topic is very important to understanding this passage. During the period of the judges, the Philistines were fighting with Israel at a battlefield called Even-Ha`ezer (I Sam. 4:1 KJV “Ebenezer”). The Israeli army was too small to defeat the enemy army, so they sent for the Ark of the Covenant from the town of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle and the Ark resided. The people viewed the Ark (and by inference, the presence of the Lord at the Tabernacle) as a good luck charm that would help them defeat their enemies. God clearly demonstrated that He did not work this way; He caused the Israelites to loose their battle. A messenger ran through the city of Shiloh and down the little hill to the Tabernacle. When he told Eli, the High Priest, what had occurred, Eli died. Shortly following Eli’s death, as best the archaeologists can reconstruct the event, the Philistines swept through the city and destroyed the Tabernacle. Even to this day, archaeologists struggle to find remains of the Israelite city that existed there during this period (Iron I). In Jeremiah’s day, the plateau that the Tabernacle used to stand on would have lain desolate and bare. Could there be any greater picture of the completeness of God’s punishment of Israel? God does not bend to the ways of men, but will judge unrighteousness regardless of the difficulty of the circumstances. Jeremiah goes on to that the judgment of God will be so complete that it will leave the carcasses of the slain Jews as garbage, to be burned in the Valley of Hinnom and eaten by wild animals (vv. 20, 32-33; cf. Deut. 28:26). God will completely sorrow (v. 34) and humble the people that do not fulfill their covenant obligations to Him. Verse 34 is especially of interest. As Calvin noted, marriage serves as “a part for the whole” (417). The end of marriages due to the desolation refers to “all those things necessary to perpetuate mankind” (Calvin, 417). However, the complete judgment of God on Israel was not only done physically, but it was also done spiritually. The people were cut off from divine fellowship. In this passage, Jeremiah is told by God to stop praying for the people (v. 16). Judah’s sin was so bad that God would no longer listen to prayers of intercession for the people; Yahweh had finally come to respond to His people as the Gentiles (goyim) around them (“nation”, v. 28). Their lives of sin and disregard of the covenant had caught up with them and they were in the process of being judged by God.
Application: People often turn to trust in religious observances and other fleshly techniques when they are not being loyal to their covenant with the Lord. Even Christians, who have entered into a wonderful covenant relationship with God, insist on twisting God’s arm of blessing. When a person treats God like this, it reveals his heart. Do you find yourself trying to live a certain way to gain divine approval? Do you treat your prayers as tritely as a cosmic gumball machine? Is God the genie in your magic lamp? Can you take Him out when you want and put Him back when you are done with Him? You may be saying, “I would never do such a thing,” but many of you could be doing this every week when you come to church. Examine your hearts and see if this is the way you are treating God. Do not allow even the most important things in your life, like prayer and Bible reading, to become a spiritual talisman. Also, even though we are under an unconditional covenant and there are many other differences between our covenant and the one that the Israelites were under, it is important that we follow the guidelines laid down before us by our God. God wants you to be loyal and obey these commands. Are you following the light of His Word today or have you spiritualized the significance of the Bible away? Finally, are you an idolater? Have you placed someone or something in front of God? Is it a girlfriend or boyfriend? What about your car or your house? Whether it may be your education, work, or family, remember that God is to come first in your life. God will certainly chastise you if you do not follow Him alone. It is Christ alone that will gain the smile of God. All the people here must look to Him for hope because we are all guilty of breaking God’s covenant. To[night/day] you may be saying to yourself, “I just do any these things. The only reason I go to church is to gain favor with God. I do not obey God’s commands and am always putting myself in front of God. I need forgiveness. I have never entered into a covenant with God.” Oh, friend, please come today and let someone show you from the Bible how you can have all these sins forgiven and be right with God. Jesus can make your worst wrongs right.
II. Continuation in covenant loyalty accesses God’s promises.
A. God requires obedience to His covenant.
1. Obedience involves repentance. In this passage, Jeremiah calls the people to turn from their sins. They could not continue just to keep on practicing their idolatry and just add the worship of Yahweh on top of it. Herein was the greatness of there sin. These rebellious people were worshipping at the altar of Baal one evening, and celebrating the Passover at the Temple on the next morning. It is in this vein of thought that the prophet sarcastically addresses the people that gathered on the Temple Mount as those that come “to worship” Yahweh. The whole idea of the word “worship” (shachah) (v. 2) and “stand before” (‘amad lepanay) (v. 10) comes from the concept of a vassal bowing before his suzerain (cf. Isa. 51:23). This prostrate position was symbolic of the importance of his covenant relationship with the ruling king. The word in this context is certainly used to sarcastically chide the rebellious people of Judah. They were not in submission to their God. Jeremiah even uses the covenant name of God in connection with this word to strengthen its effect (the covenant name for God appears 14 times in this chapter). These striking problems with the worship and lifestyles of the Israelites demonstrated that the real problem with the people was not that God had left them, but that they had left God. Their lives of disobedience to the covenant would be held guilty before the One Who completely fulfilled His covenant obligation. God required the people of Judah to change what they were doing, and come in an entirely different direction, the direction that pleases Him. This new direction in life could be contrasted with the unpleasing ways that the people were following at that time. Notice the emphasis of this command in the passage; the word is used first in verse 3 and then followed with the double use of the word “yatab” (כִּ֤י אִמ־הֵיטֵיב֙ תֵּיטִ֔יבוּ) in verse 5. The Temple could not make the people pleasing in God’s sight. The only thing that could ever make the people right before God is the sacrifice of Christ. Only the One Who lived His life going about “and doing good” could vicariously make the people right before God (cf. TWOT #863). The people would have to turn to Him in repentance before they could experience the enjoyment of the covenant once again. This turn of the people to the ways that are pleasing to God would be obvious in several ways. First, Judah must listen to the Word of God. From the very outset of the message (v. 2), Jeremiah is calling the people to hear God’s word. The unrepentant heart is shown in unwillingness to listen to God’s commands (vv. 24, 26, 27). Next, the people must express sorrow for their actions. In verse 29, God commands Jerusalem to cut off her hair. The expression is not only one of utter sorrow and morning, but also one of failed devotion to Yahweh. The word hair (nezer) is part of the word for Nazarite. “The long hair of a Nazarite was a sign of his consecration to Yahweh (Num. 6:2-8). The removal of the hair signified an abandonment of his consecration (Judg. 16:15-22)” (NICOT, 293).
2. Obedience involves return to God’s commands. As mentioned previously, seven of the Ten Commandments are noted to have been broken by the people of Judah in this passage. It is for this reason that Jeremiah calls the people back to the responsibilities of the covenant. God was simply asking the people to fulfill what He had asked them to do from the very beginning. The prophet told the people that God wanted them to “execute judgment (Deut. 10:18) between a man and his neighbor (Lev. 19:15) … oppress not the stranger (Ex. 23:9), the fatherless, and the widow (Ex. 22:22), and shed not innocent blood in this place (Deut. 19:10), neither walk after other gods to your hurt (Deut. 8:19):” (vv. 5b-6). There was no tricky rhetoric in the prophet’s speech. Jeremiah was nearly word-for-word, lifting specific texts from the Torah. The people had no right to create their own covenant with Yahweh. He was the suzerain and they were the vassal. In fact, the Temple was one of the greatest symbols of this truth. In the times when kings would conqueror a weaker nation and bind them with a treaty (Judg. 1:28), the victorious king would bind the defeated king with an oath of obedience. The terms of the conditional covenant would be set forth. If the defeated king did not follow the conditions of the agreement (usually tribute money), the victorious king would return to finish the job. The treaty was ratified by two parties and two copies of the agreement were made. One copy went to the victorious king’s most holy place and the other went to the defeated king’s most holy place. In essence, the Temple was the joint holy place of both God and Israel. Every time a Jew looked at the Temple, he should have seen more than just the joint holy place, but also the conditional treaty that made such a place possible. If the people would just return to Yahweh’s covenant, they would be saved from His wrath.
3. Obedience involves remembrance of God’s faithfulness. In the midst of the account, God calls His people to remember His faithfulness to the covenant (v. 13). Maybe this recollection would spawn a seed of guilt in their minds. If God’s people could realize the depth of God’s covenant commitment, then they could reciprocate that loyalty in a proper manner. Even in the midst of the flagrant sins of the nation, God still represented Himself as “the LORD their God” (v. 28). He never stopped working to bring His people back. God gave the people double the words that it should have taken for them to repent (v. 13a dabar…dabar), but they did not turn. The idea behind the word “rising up early” is that of the wearied traveler that wakes up early to reach his destination; he works hard and bears the brunt of the journey on his body so that he can make it to his goal (TWOT #2386). What a beautiful picture this makes of the wonderful longsuffering mercies of God! He did not stop for a day to call His people back to Himself. He took the initiative to bring His people back (Biblical Viewpoint, 62). In all His calling, the people did not hear (shama) Him. This Hebrew word is especially interesting. It is possible that this word hearkens back to the passage in Deuteronomy (ch. 6) that the Hebrews call the “Shema.” This section records the importance of loving God and teaching one’s children the way of the covenant. Instead, the people had not heard, but had rebelled against the covenant that God remained faithful to. Verses 22 through 25 record Jeremiah’s explanation of the work of God for the people as well. He brought them out of Egypt, entered into a covenant with them, and sent prophets to bring them back into covenant loyalty. God’s unfailing covenant mercy serves as the greatest rebuke to the covenant failures of His people.
<
