Jer 7:14 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD reminds His people of Shiloh ( ). Do they think they can claim His presence because they have the temple? Then they should go to Shiloh. They will see a warning example from which we too must learn. In Shiloh, Joshua established the tabernacle ( ; ). There he divided the land by lot. There Samuel began to prophesy ( ). Shiloh was the religious center for 300 years, until the days of Eli and Samuel. Then God gives up His dwelling because of the wickedness of His people, although He has made His Name dwell there ( ; ). He will do the same with the temple, also because of their wickedness and disobedience ( ). He has tried again and again to bring them to repentance by sending His messengers, His prophets to them. It has all been in vain. He has always been early in sending His prophets to them and speaking to them ( ). He has spoken again and again and He has sent again and again ( ). He did everything He could to bring them back to the right path, the path of blessing. However, they did not want to listen. As zealous and persistent as the LORD has been in sending and speaking, the people have been stubborn in their refusal to obey. The cause of this is their reliance on the temple of God rather than the God of the temple. He will do to them, the two tribes, the same as He did to the ten tribes, whom He calls “all your brothers” ( ). “All the offspring of Ephraim” has been carried away by the Assyrians. The two tribes will fall into the hands of the Babylonians and be taken into exile by them. In the past Shiloh was rejected and the LORD will now reject Zion; in the past the ten tribes were taken away and the LORD will now have the two tribes taken away. That God punished deviation from Him and His Word in the past shows that God will punish deviation from Him and His Word in the present. We must learn from the past (cf. ).

‏ Jeremiah 7:14

The Example of Shiloh

The LORD reminds His people of Shiloh (Jer 7:12). Do they think they can claim His presence because they have the temple? Then they should go to Shiloh. They will see a warning example from which we too must learn. In Shiloh, Joshua established the tabernacle (Jos 18:1; Jdg 18:31). There he divided the land by lot. There Samuel began to prophesy (1Sam 1:24b).

Shiloh was the religious center for 300 years, until the days of Eli and Samuel. Then God gives up His dwelling because of the wickedness of His people, although He has made His Name dwell there (Psa 78:60-61; 1Sam 4:11). He will do the same with the temple, also because of their wickedness and disobedience (Jer 7:13-14).

He has tried again and again to bring them to repentance by sending His messengers, His prophets to them. It has all been in vain. He has always been early in sending His prophets to them and speaking to them (Jer 7:25). He has spoken again and again and He has sent again and again (Jer 25:3-4). He did everything He could to bring them back to the right path, the path of blessing. However, they did not want to listen. As zealous and persistent as the LORD has been in sending and speaking, the people have been stubborn in their refusal to obey. The cause of this is their reliance on the temple of God rather than the God of the temple.

He will do to them, the two tribes, the same as He did to the ten tribes, whom He calls “all your brothers” (Jer 7:15). “All the offspring of Ephraim” has been carried away by the Assyrians. The two tribes will fall into the hands of the Babylonians and be taken into exile by them. In the past Shiloh was rejected and the LORD will now reject Zion; in the past the ten tribes were taken away and the LORD will now have the two tribes taken away. That God punished deviation from Him and His Word in the past shows that God will punish deviation from Him and His Word in the present. We must learn from the past (cf. 1Cor 10:6).