Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

Today opens with Jeremiah Prophecy to the people of Judah while standing outside the entrance

of the temple, which is why chapter 7 is referred to as his temple sermon.

The people have come to worship the God who lives inside the temple, but outside the temple

walls, they're sacrificing to idols and false gods, as though God isn't also outside the

temple or can't see through walls.

Apparently the people were treating the temple like it was some kind of protective icon.

Verse 4 shows them repeating a phrase like an incantation.

It almost seems like temple worship instead of worshiping the God in the temple, and God

rebukes them for it.

They seem to think that because the temple is there with them in the south, that's why

they were protected against the Assyrian attack that the Israelites in the north experienced.

They've turned the temple into an idol.

And in addition to that, God says they're pretty much breaking all the other commandments.

Deft, murder, adultery, lies, worship of other gods.

He says they're making his house into a house of robbers.

You might recognize that passage because Jesus quotes it in Matthew 21 when the people

of his day are doing similar things to oppress the poor and steal from the people.

That drills down to the heart of things.

He calls them to change the way they treat others and the way they treat him, and promises

to bless them if they do.

He promises to cast them out if they don't.

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