AI Summary
5 min readA New Heart for a Stiff-Necked People
The people of Judah had the Temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices—but God was not impressed. In Jeremiah 7, God tells them plainly: stop trusting in the slogan "This is the temple of the Lord" as if the building itself could protect them from judgment. They were stealing, murdering, committing adultery, swearing falsely, burning incense to Baal, and chasing other gods—and then walking into the Temple as if nothing was wrong. As Fr. Mike puts it, they were "trusting in the wrong stuff."
The Danger of Presuming on God's Presence
Jeremiah's message lands during the reign of King Josiah, who had led a massive religious reform. The Temple was restored, worship was centralized, and the king was doing everything right. But the people's hearts had not changed. Archaeologists have found more idols in homes from Josiah's reign than almost any other period. The people went through the motions publicly while privately serving other gods.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:53) **Introduction & Reading Plan** - Fr. Mike opens Day 230, identifies the readings (Jeremiah 7, Ezekiel 36, Proverbs 14:29-32), and notes the translation.
- 2 (14:42) **The Danger of Trusting in Religious Privilege** - Fr. Mike explains the core warning of Jeremiah 7: that God’s people were trusting in the Temple and their status as the chosen people while living in disobedience.
- 3 (19:39) **Idolatry as a Family Affair** - Fr. Mike highlights Jeremiah’s description of idolatry involving the entire family, from children to parents.
- 4 (22:49) **The Descent into Child Sacrifice** - Fr. Mike traces the progression from taking God’s presence for granted to the ultimate evil of child sacrifice in the Valley of Gehenna.
- 5 (23:11) **Ezekiel’s Promise of Restoration** - Fr. Mike introduces Ezekiel 36, written after Jerusalem’s destruction, as a word of hope for the exiles.
- 6 (24:05) **A New Heart and a New Spirit** - Fr. Mike focuses on the central promise of Ezekiel 36: God will replace a heart of stone with a heart of flesh and put his Spirit within them.
- 7 (25:33) **Closing Reflection & Prayer** - Fr. Mike ends by applying God’s promise of restoration to the listener, reminding them that even in sin, God declares, “I am for you.”
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Show Notes
Reflecting on the stubbornness of the Israelites' hearts from today's readings, Fr. Mike teaches us that we cannot always trust our imperfect hearts, because they are not always aligned God's law and will, and they can often lead us into false worship. However, we can rely on God who promises to give us a new heart so that we can do what we ought. Today's readings are Jeremiah 7, Ezekiel 36, and Proverbs 14:29-32.
For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.
Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
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