Jeremiah 7:1-2

CHAPTER SEVEN

SERMONS ON WORSHIP

Jeremiah 7:1 to Jeremiah 8:3

The dating of the materials in this section is a vexing problem. Laetsch assigns this section to the days of king Josiah early in the ministry of Jeremiah. However most commentators, on the basis of what they believe is a parallel passage in chapter 26, assign the section (or at least Jeremiah 7:1-15) to the early days of King Jehoiakim. Though one dare not be dogmatic on this point the present writer feels there is nothing in this material that demands a date later than the reign of king Josiah.

Whether the materials in Jeremiah 7:1 to Jeremiah 8:3 come from one of Jeremiah's discourses or from several of them is difficult to determine. In either case the theme of worship unifies the entire section. After a brief introductory note (Jeremiah 7:12) the prophet speaks of (1) presumptuous worship (Jeremiah 7:15); (2) pagan worship (Jeremiah 7:16-20); (3) priorities in worship (Jeremiah 7:21-28); and (4) polluted worship (Jeremiah 7:29 to Jeremiah 8:3).

INTRODUCTION Jeremiah 7:1-2

TRANSLATION

(1) The word which came unto Jerusalem from the LORD, saying, (2) Stand in the gate of the house of the LORD and proclaim there this word. Say: Hear the word of the LORD all Judah who are entering these gates to worship the LORD.

COMMENTS

Acting upon the definite instructions from the Lord (Jeremiah 7:1) Jeremiah went to one of the eight gates of the Temple to deliver a blistering sermon on worship. He is to proclaim the word to all Judah who are entering these gates to worship the Lord (Jeremiah 7:2). During the three annual festivals of Israel all the males were obligated to come to the Temple to worship (Leviticus 23:1-44; Deuteronomy 16:1-17).

Later in his ministry Jeremiah preached a sermon similar to the one recorded here in chapter 7. Some commentators have identified this Temple Sermon with the sermon preached in chapter 26. Four points of similarity are generally pointed out: (1) Both sermons were preached at the same place, one of the gates of the Temple; (2) both seem to have been preached during some festival; (3) both sermons present the demands for national repentance; and (4) both sermons allude to the destruction of Shiloh. To conclude from this that the sermon of chapter 7 is identical with that of chapter 26 and to therefore assign chapter 7 to the reign of Jehoiakim is pressing the evidence too far. Jeremiah as well as others chose the Temple gates and courts as the location for public discourse.[173] It would be a priori likely that the prophet would select a festival on more than one occasion as the time to present his message. What better time to reach the masses? As for the theme of repentance, Jeremiah utilized it quite frequently. The allusion to Shiloh was a tremendous illustration that God is no respecter of religious shrines. Jeremiah probably utilized this historical note many times during his ministry. It is the feeling, then, of the writer that chapter 26 represents a later sermon of Jeremiah preached during the days of Jehoiakim. Chapter 7 represents an earlier sermon from the reign of good king Josiah.

[173] Jeremiah 19:14; Jeremiah 35:2; Jeremiah 35:4; Jeremiah 36:5-10; Jeremiah 28:1; Jeremiah 28:5.