Contemplative Bible Reading

Jeremiah 7:4-5 (New Living Translation)

⁴ But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!” ⁵ But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice;

The prophet Jeremiah is relaying words from the LORD to His chosen people. It seems that some people felt that the LORD would always bless them because of some accident of real estate. These people lived in the same neighborhood as the LORD’s Temple. The logic, there is always some great human logic in these things, was simple:

The LORD would protect his Temple

If you lived in the same zip code, you would be protected as well.

The LORD corrects this logic via Jeremiah. Silly people back then. Today, well, uh, I guess we can be just as silly. If we live in a nation blessed by God, we will be blessed. If we went to the right college, we will be protected. If a preacher lives next door, well, you get the idea.

The LORD doesn’t bless people by real estate. Instead, He is merciful to those who

stop our evil thoughts and deeds and treat each other with justice

Well, there go the property values, and hopefully in come the values of God.