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Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 116

"Do not pray for this people"

Text: Jeremiah 7:16

A SPECIAL WORD TO JEREMIAH

There was a special word that God had to give to Jeremiah especially. It was natural for Jeremiah to pray for his nation and for his people. But there came a point of time when God declared that He would not hear anyone’s intercessory prayer. The red line had been crossed!

“‘Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them,
nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.
Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire,
and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven;
and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.
Do they provoke Me to anger?’ says the LORD.
‘Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?’
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
‘Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place—
on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground.
And it will burn and not be quenched.'”
Jeremiah 7:16-20

1. “Therefore do not pray for this people”

a) No prayer to be lifted up for Judah.
b) No intercession.
c) Reason: God will not hear prayer made on behalf of a nation bent on sinning!

2. “Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?”

a) These deeds cannot be ignored.
b) Recap of the activities:
i) Children
They gather wood.
ii) Fathers
They kindle a fire.
iii) Mothers/ the women
They make cakes to offer “the queen of heaven”. They pour out a drink offering to the idols.

3. Provocation of God

a) The people continue to provoke God to anger.
b) They provoke their own shame.

4. The Judgment of the LORD

a) He would pour out His anger and fury.
b) This anger would be poured out;
i) On the land
ii) On man and beast
iii) On the trees of the field
iv) On the fruit of the ground
c) The symbol of judgment: “Fire!”
i) It will destroy.
ii) It will also cleanse (for the future).