King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Sunday, August 09, 2026
Chapters: Jeremiah 7-9
Lesson: Jeremiah: Amend Your Ways
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today it had me thinking of religious cults and how easy it is for people to fall into them. When Israel succumbed to their religious cult they did so out of fear that they will lose control of the kingdom. When Judah succumbed to their religious cult they did so out of the pure imagination of their own evil heart. Think about it, Josiah, did everything he could to remove anything that would bring anyone to worship false gods out of Israel, but what he could not do was change their heart. As soon as he died, they went right back to the false gods, which is why God was sending judgment on them. As we continue in the reading of Jeremiah, God, goes on to remind them that they can reverse the judgment.
[Jeremiah 7:1-4 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 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. 3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.]
In other words, they needed to learn some discernment, just because the false prophets, preachers, or priests were saying that what they were teaching was from God, that does not mean that it is. You see, while God has His ways in which He wants us to live should we choose to follow Him, He really is no tyrant, at least, not to His people. God, goes on to give the example that they were to live by.
[Jeremiah 7:5-7 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 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: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.]
Now, this is pure religion right here, and while there are many deceivers out there who may appear to be good Samaritan’s, the proof they say is in the pudding. Proclaiming the name of Jesus does not mean that the religion is true, if it does not teach the Gospel and repentance from sin, then that religion is no different than those who worship Satan, and Judah’s case, he is known as Baal, [Jeremiah 7:8-10 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10 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?]
In other words, God, is asking them if they would never “sin” against their false gods, which will get them nowhere, then what makes them think that it is okay to sin against Him with no consequence. Think about it, this is more than just an altar call, this is God who is deeply grieved by their turning on Him. Take note on what He says here, He does not even want to hear their pleas if they are not willing to amend their ways.
[Jeremiah 7:13-16 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. 16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.]
If God is telling you not to pray for someone, then He is deeply insulted by what they are doing. As powerful as the prayers of God’s faithful are there does come a time when He says enough is enough and will reject any prayers sent up upon those who will not fully commit to Him. I do not care how many times we need to repent in a day, God rather us do that than pretend that we have no sin when it is right there in front of everyone to see. God, literally goes into detail about that they have been doing.
[Jeremiah 7:18-20 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. 19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.]
Did these people not know that God was seeing everything they were doing? This was not something from the past as when Josiah, this was going on in the present time. You know when God has had enough if He is the one telling you not to pray for someone. And it is not uncommon for God to tell us that, [II John 1:10-11 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.]
God, wanted Judah and Benjamin who were the only two tribes to stay true to God, to understand that if He judged the rest of the tribes because they rejected Him, He will judge them also. And no one can blame God for what is going on, it is all on them. God, goes on to describe the horrible abomination that took place.
[Jeremiah 7:30-33 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. 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. 32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. 33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.]
[Tophet; Hell.] Tophet, was actually the place in Jerusalem where children were sacrificed to the god Molech, and where drums were used to drown out their cries. This brings tears to my eyes, even the thought of such a wickedness makes me cringe, but this very thing happens every day as countless lives are lost through abortion. As God continues explaining why He was judging Judah, He goes on to tell of the judgments coming that would be so bad that death would seem like the only option to escape.
[Jeremiah 8:1-3 At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: 2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.]
When the sentence of God upon Jerusalem would be carried out, all of the rulers and leaders of Jerusalem who died would be dug up out of their graves, their bones were literally burned to ash and used for fertilizer, and any belongings on their bodies would be taken. My goodness, talk about inhumane treatment on the dead, but as bad as this sounds, imagine just how bad it will be that the survivors would rather die then seek God. This was what is also foreshadowed during the tribulation as well, but even death will not come to them.
[Revelation 9:3-6 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.]
As bad as it is getting out there in the world I am so glad that I will be up in the clouds when that happens. The only ones who will escape are the ones with the seal of God visibly on their foreheads. We can question God as to why He allows all these things, but the truth is that He tries to prevent it, they just refused to repent. Now, God goes on to upbraid them, even says the animals will listen to Him before them.
[Jeremiah 8:7-10 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. 8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? 10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.]
The wicked see no shame in their adultery, idol (celebrity) worship, drunkenness, drug abuse, homosexuality, affirming care on minors. In fact, they are even allowing it in the Church and even encourage each other to commit these abominations, but in the end, they will pay dearly for their leading them astray.
[I Corinthians 5:2,4-8 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.]
Do you see what is going on here? The people who lead these corrupt churches and their members want all the freedom to live in the sin that they are comfortable without the conviction from God. Do they think that God is a fool and believes that they are serving Him? Oh, but they are the fools. As Jeremiah is hearing these things, he starts crying out to them.
[Jeremiah 8:14-15,18,21-22 Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. 15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! 18 When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. 21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?]
In other words, Jeremiah is saying, their sin has severed them from the shelter of God’s gracious care. And is this not the very reason why harvests come and go, summers fade, years slip by, and yet remain in your sin. There is balm for every wound and a Physician able to heal, yet you refuse His remedy. God’s love is not lacking, His desire to help is great, but His aid will only come if we come to Him. Jesus, said it this way to the religious cults of His day, [Matthew 9:12-13 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.]
Jeremiah, had poured out his soul before the throne, weeping with the faint hope that perhaps he might depart and be spared from witnessing Jerusalem’s ruin. Yet he understood that his work was not finished. God, still had much to declare to a people bent on turning away, and the prophet knew he must remain until every word of warning and mercy had been faithfully delivered.
[Jeremiah 9:1-4,6 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! 2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD. 4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. 6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.]
God, warns us again and again not to trust in the wisdom of men, for their counsel, however confident it may sound, leads the soul to ruin. Yet God, in His mercy, grants every person space to repent. He does not delight in judgment; He calls, He pleads, He invites. And this gracious appeal He now begins to unfold.
[Jeremiah 9:12-16 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? 13 And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; 14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: 15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.]
Remember that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts rise far above our own. We are not permitted to select what we prefer from His Word and obey only that which suits us; we are called to believe and submit to all that He has spoken. Again and again the Lord warns us not to lean upon our own understanding, but to rest our confidence wholly in His.
[Jeremiah 9:23-26 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. 25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; 26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.]
The people of Jeremiah’s day did not yet behold Jesus Christ in the flesh, yet they knew Him as the LORD, and they understood, right well, that He alone was the only way of salvation. And we, who are saved by grace alone, must treat this gift with holy reverence, using it to glorify Him rather than to indulge the flesh. We must learn to discern truth from falsehood, to measure every voice by the standard of His Word, and to stand firmly upon that truth without wavering, [Titus 3:8-9 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.]
Today’s Prayer: God, You make it simple to understand You, and Your ways, and we do not need thousands of books written by man, we just need Your Word and the Holy Spirit. He will direct us to the truth, will even guide us to dictionaries and other men and women who know it. Lord, keep me in Your Word so I can discern Your truths from the lies, and not only that, live through it so I can be a witness and testimony that brings the lost to Your Son, who is the only way, truth, and life. I ask these things in Your name Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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