“The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord” ...” Look,’ the Lord says, “you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless” (Jeremiah 7:4,8).

Israel is unified, prosperous, and at peace when King Solomon dedicates the glorious new temple. God then appears to him with this encouragement -- and a critical warning: 

I have consecrated this temple by putting My name there forever. My eyes and My heart will always be there…But if you or your sons turn away from My commands and decrees…to serve other gods, then I will cut Israel off from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for My name. Israel will become an object of ridicule... And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will scoff and [know the Israelites] have forsaken the Lord their God (1 Kings 9:3-9, emphasis mine).

In the roughly two centuries since Solomon, the southern kingdom of Judah has been ruled by more bad kings than good and has almost wholesale adopted idolatry. Jeremiah is the last of 200 years of God-sent prophets to plead for repentance before judgment. Exile is coming…and soon. 

Are the people worried? Nope. After all, they reside in Jerusalem, God’s city. They have the temple in their midst - the very place God promised He would dwell! To Jeremiah’s repeated warnings of imminent judgment because of their detestable sins, the Israelites hold onto this:

“[We have] the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” (7:4)

Do you hear the mantra-like quality of their chant? See the stroking of the rabbit’s foot, the crossing of the fingers behind the back? Leave us alone, Jeremiah; God won’t do that. His temple, His presence, His name, after all, are HERE. 

God’s warning to Solomon has long since been forgotten. The people have come to put their trust in a building instead of the God Who said He would dwell in it. The temple has become a good luck charm. “‘We are safe’” no matter what “detestable things” we do (9:10). 

Rub that rabbit’s foot. Cross those fingers. Jerusalem is indestructible. 

Are we like Israel? Have we seen God’s blessings and His faithfulness but have slowly, steadily turned away to serve our careers, family, reputation, and financial security until they’ve secured the place in our hearts reserved for God? We keep up lip service to God, sure. But eventually, what God values becomes so far out of our mainstream that Jeremiah’s calling out of Israel’s sins (7:6, 9) might as well be directed to us. Stealing, adultery, perjury, murder? Check. Oppressing aliens, orphans, and widows? Just look at our attitude to immigrants and those on welfare. Sacrificing to Baal? Well, no, but then again, he’d probably feel right at home here as we're continually tempted to worship and sacrifice to a variety of small-g gods.

For two centuries, God faithfully (and so patiently) warned Israel through His prophets that, unless they repented and changed their behavior, judgment would come. These same warnings speak just as clearly and powerfully to us today. But just as Israel had their temple (i.e., God is on our side), so we keep rubbing various rabbit’s foot charms, chanting whatever mantra we’re trusting in. Save your warnings, preacher! I was baptized as an infant. I was confirmed in my church. I walked an aisle for salvation. I go to church. I’m a good person. 

God’s message through Jeremiah to Israel is the same one He speaks to us: “You are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless” (7:8). Whose words are we listening to: God’s Word or the deceptive words of our various lucky-charm mantras? 

Lord, let us not be so convinced of our special connection to You that, like the Israelites, we don’t see our fate coming. As they continued to sacrifice in their Temple but failed to live godly lives, help us examine what we’re trusting in. If it’s anything besides You, help us repent and refocus. Amen.