Jeremiah 7:21-23

III. PRIORITIES IN WORSHIP Jeremiah 7:21-28

As Jeremiah looks at the current religious observances he sees only perfunctory compliance with outward ritual (Jeremiah 7:21). He reminds his listeners that there are obligations which take priority over such outward acts (Jeremiah 7:22-23). He then points out that through the centuries the people of Israel had been obstinate in their disobedience (Jeremiah 7:24-28).

A. Prior Obligations Jeremiah 7:21-23

TRANSLATION

(21) Thus says the LORD of hosts, God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices and eat the meat. (22) For I did not speak with your fathers nor did I give commandment in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning the matters of burnt offering and sacrifice. (23) But this word I commanded them: Hearken to My voice and I will be your God and you will be My people; walk in all the way which I command you in order that it might be well with you.

COMMENTS

By means of a sarcastic imperative Jeremiah urges the men of Judah to increase their already numerous sacrificial offerings. Normally the burnt offerings were wholly consumed on the altar while in other sacrifices (e.g., the peace offering) parts of the animal were eaten by the priests and by those who made the offering. In view of the attitude and actions of the worshipers of Judah their burnt offerings were merely meat and nothing more. They might as well eat the meat of those burnt offerings and thereby derive some benefit from them. The offerings certainly had no religious value (Jeremiah 7:21). Contrary to the popular theology of the day the sacrificial ritual was not the heart and core of their covenant obligations to God.

Jeremiah 7:22 has played an important role in the debate which has raged over the origin of the sacrificial system in ancient Israel. In the Pentateuch sacrifice is instituted by Moses in compliance with the instructions given by God to him in the mount. According to the modern critical view of the Old Testament the so-called priestly legislation of the Pentateuch is a product of the postexilic age, a thousand years after Moses. Jeremiah 7:22 seems on the surface to support the critical contention that Moses did not have anything to do with the sacrificial ritual. The verse seems to deny that the Lord gave any instructions concerning sacrifice at Mt. Sinai. In interpreting this verse several points need be kept in mind:

1. Elsewhere in his book Jeremiah seems to recognize the importance of the sacrificial system. He promises in Jeremiah 17:26 that if the people of Judah will hallow the sabbath then God will continue to permit them to come to Jerusalem bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meal offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord. As he looks beyond the destruction of Judah to the Israel of the future he sees the priests more than satisfied with the meat from the abundant sacrificial offerings (Jeremiah 31:14). He specifically predicts that once the captivity is over the men of Judah will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord (Jeremiah 33:11). It is true that these verses say nothing of the origin of the sacrificial system; but they do seem to imply that the Lord and his prophet regard that system with favor. To these passages may be added Jeremiah 33:17-24 which speaks of the covenant with the priests, i.e., that portion of the covenant of Sinai which included the duties and regulations of the priesthood as regards sacrifices.

2. Jeremiah seems to have supported the reforms of king Josiah which included the observance of the Passover ritual (2 Chronicles 35:1-9).

3. Jeremiah was never charged by his priestly and prophetic enemies with opposing the Temple ritual as such.

4. As early as the days of Samuel the principle had been laid down that sacrifice without obedience to God is worthless (1 Samuel 15:22).

5. Context makes it clear that Jeremiah is drawing a contrast between sacrificial ritual and the moral laws of the Decalogue (Jeremiah 7:9). It is of course true that there is no mention of sacrifice among the Ten Commandments.

6. Perhaps the emphasis in the verse is upon the phrase your fathers. Those courageous men who by faith had gone out from Egypt were no relation to the present generation of apostates. The verse then would not be denying that commandments concerning sacrifice were given at Mt. Sinai but rather would be denying that such commandments were given to the spiritual progenitors of the present generation.

7. Strictly speaking individuals were not commanded to bring sacrifices in the law of Moses. Burnt offerings and peace offerings were optional (cf. Leviticus 1:2; Leviticus 3:1); sin offerings and guilt offerings were only required when transgression had to be expiated.

8. The expression translated concerning is actually a somewhat peculiar Hebrew expression occurring only six times in the Old Testament.[178] When one checks these passages carefully it becomes clear that the expression really means out of concern for or in the interest of, or for the sake of. If this be the case, Jeremiah 7:22 is not denying the existence of Mosaic legislation concerning sacrifice. God is simply saying, When your fathers came out of Egypt I did not give legislation in the interest of or for the sake of sacrifices. The verse would then by denying that sacrifice was the chief goal or purpose of God in the Mosaic system.[179]

[178] Deuteronomy 4:21; 2 Samuel 18:5; 2 Kings 22:13; Psalms 7:1; Jeremiah 7:22; Jeremiah 14:21.

[179] O. T. Allis, The Five Books of Moses (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1949), pp. 168ff.

9. Another possibility is that the denial of Jeremiah 7:22 is not absolute. God did not command their fathers to sacrifice, i.e., to sacrifice as they were currently doingmere outward form divorced from the practice of piety.

When all of these factors are taken into account Jeremiah 7:22 falls into proper perspective. Jeremiah is not repudiating the Mosaic origin of the sacrificial system; rather he is simply denying that sacrifice is the essence of the Old Testament religion. The fundamental requirement of the Sinai covenant was that of obedience. The people of Israel had to hearken to the divine voice and walk in the divine way if they were to maintain their special relationship to the living God. They must yield to the demands of the Almighty if they would receive His blessing (Jeremiah 7:23). The phrase that it might be well with you is characteristic of Jeremiah.[180] The obedience which God demands is for the ultimate benefit of man.

[180] Cf. Jeremiah 42:6; Jeremiah 38:20; Jeremiah 40:9. The phrase is also frequent in the book of Deuteronomy: