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

Today opens with Jeremiah prophesing 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 four 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. God 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.

What will they do? We get a hint based on what God tells Jeremiah after that. He tells him not to pray

for the people. Prophets often intercede on behalf of the people,

but here God tells him, don't waste your breath. It's too late. Talk to them about me,

but don't talk to me about them. God's assignment to Jeremiah, to rebuke the people,

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