Jeremiah 26:7-9
“Everybody there—priests, prophets, and people—heard Jeremiah preaching this Message in the Temple of GOD. When Jeremiah had finished his sermon, saying everything God had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and people all grabbed him, yelling, ‘Death! You’re going to die for this! How dare you preach—and using GOD’s name!—saying that this Temple will become a heap of rubble like Shiloh and this city be wiped out without a soul left in it!’” All the people mobbed Jeremiah right in the Temple itself.”
“The priests, the prophets, and all then people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord’s Temple. But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. ‘Kill him!’ they shouted. ‘What right do you have to prophesy in the Lord’s name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed and left with no inhabitants?’ And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple.”
These Israelites put faith in their heritage, not in the God who gave it to them. A modern equivalent would be a crazy man standing in the capital building shouting that all of Washington D.C. would be destroyed by a Russian invasion. We would be indignant. It is ridiculous to say our country, with its heritage of democracy, a light of hope for the nations, could ever be destroyed. We would be just like those ancient Jews, putting our faith in our institutions instead of the One who gave us the moral and intellectual foundation for them.
Lord, forgive us our hubris. Instead, may we see ourselves as poor, blind and naked, and in need of your help. Show us our sin and weakness that we may repent our self-satisfaction and turn to you, the lover of our souls and the creative force behind all our accomplishments. Amen.