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

Today opens with

with Jeremiah professing 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 live 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. Theft, 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.

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