Jeremiah 7:23-28
Chapter 7
23
One thing I commanded them: Listen to my voice, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Walk as I command you, and all will be well with you.
24
But they didn’t listen or pay attention. They followed the bad habits of their stubborn hearts and turned away from me.
25
From the time I led their ancestors out of Egypt until now, I have been consistently sending them my servants, the prophets;
26
But these stubborn people wouldn’t listen. They ignored and were even worse than their ancestors.
27
You might tell them all these things, but they won’t listen. You’ll call them, but they won’t answer.
28
This is a nation that has not obeyed the Lord and has refused to be disciplined. Truth has vanished and no longer comes from their lips.
Commentaries
Worship Is Worthless.
This refers to worship, which is often misunderstood as a condition of the Covenant, where there are no commandments regarding sacrifices and cultic practices. God is not pleased with the sacrifices of an unfaithful people (21). Although Jeremiah comes from a priestly family, he remains faithful to the Deuteronomistic doctrine, which states that worship is subordinate to obedience to God. Verse 23 precisely quotes the core of the Covenant, the commitment to adherence that Israel made at the time of its foundation at Sinai: to be the people of God, of the God who had freed them from Egyptian power.