Temple - Jeremiah 7

Jeremiah 7:2 "Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD."

Like a cancer that starts in some part of the body and then spreads to the brain or heart, idol worship and lying words and general breaking of the commandments has spread until it came into the place where the LORD had put his name. He here pronounces that even that place is doomed.

v4 "Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these."

Although they were declaring that the temple belonged to the LORD, there were things going on there that were not of the LORD. Ezekiel also has the story.

Still a plea to turn.

v6 "If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: v7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever."

Just quit what you are doing and the LORD said he would stop the judgment.

It seems they were oppressing the most vulnerable people in the land and that made the LORD angry.

The boldness of their sin: v9 "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Ba'al and walk after other gods whom ye know not; --- v10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?"

v11 "Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it saith the LORD."

There is no use denying it, the LORD tells them that he has seen it himself.

The temple was to be a special place where the sins of the people were dealt with. They could come here and go away feeling better for a season. But now there seems to be no conscience in Judah.

v30 "For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it."

Because Judah has shut their ears to the words of the LORD.

v34 "Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride; for the land shall be desolate."