Jeremiah stood at the gate of the city to proclaim the Word of the Lord. Jeremiah rebuked the people for their style of worship. They had been coming into “God’s Temple” but that didn’t mean anything. The people had committed adultery, false acts of worship to other gods, and had forsaken the outcasts, the orphans and the widows. The message Jeremiah delivered is one of repentance. He indicated in 7:20 that the sovereign Lord’s anger and wrath was about to be poured out on the people. Jeremiah strongly rebuked the people by saying they have not done this very thing that God has asked of them, but they have instead followed the stubborn desires of their evil hearts.

Do you have anyone in your life who will rebuke you when you are moving away from God? Who is one person you could ask to do that for you?

Are you moving closer to Jesus or further away? Jeremiah used this same analogy and condemned the people for forsaking God and living according to themselves. He told the people in verse 24 they had moved backward in their spiritual walk – and that is a scary place to be. The Israelites knew what captivity looked like. They were aware of being treated as less than normal in society, so Jeremiah rebuked them.

Are we like the Israelites in Jeremiah 7 following the evil desires of our heart or God’s perfect will?