Jer 7:17-18 | KingComments | STEP | After the clear depiction of the people’s total disobedience, the LORD has a personal word for Jeremiah that He introduces with the words “as for you”. Jeremiah is told by the LORD not to lift up cry or prayer to Him on behalf of this people or intercede with Him for them ( ; cf. ). They are so stubborn that prayer is useless. God’s purpose is certain. Any approach to God to pray for this people is pointless. For the true prophet, the point is not the downfall of the people, but their salvation. The true prophet, therefore, in addition to preaching judgment to the people, will at the same time also seek God’s presence in intercession on behalf of that same people ( ; ). The fact that the LORD tells him not to intercede with Him does show strongly how earnestly and persistently the prophet prayed. The true prophet is first and foremost an intercessor. How do we look at professing Christianity on which God’s judgment is also coming? Does it make us intercessors, that many will still return to God? The LORD tells Jeremiah to just look at what is happening in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, that is, in all of Judah and all of Jerusalem ( ). Is Jeremiah blind to it? Certainly not, but the LORD lets him know by this that what is happening there is too bad, too terrible to pray for anymore. It shows us the LORD’s relationship to Jeremiah. He involves him in His reasons for forbidding further intercession, so that Jeremiah will agree with Him in this. The LORD tells Jeremiah what He sees. The whole family – children, fathers, and mothers – are committed to offering sacrifices to idols, one of which is named, “the queen of heaven” ( ). We find this title in the abominable idolatry of the roman catholic church, which calls Mary “the queen of heaven” [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_Heaven – website visited 24-03-2022]. When the children come home, the fathers are ready to set fire to the gathered wood. At the same time, the women are busy kneading dough to make sacrificial cakes. They also pour out drink offerings for other gods. A drink offering indicates joy. They rejoice in their demon-driven worship. How awful that must be for the LORD! How this puts Him to the side and defies Him. How could it be otherwise than that what they are doing brings Him to anger. Not only that, but they do it to their own shame ( ). People who sin always put themselves to shame. Sin may give a temporary pleasure, but it always ends in bitter, endless suffering if sin is not broken with prematurely through repentance and conversion. Sin affects everything, the whole area where it happens ( ; cf. ). Therefore, God’s inescapable, purifying judgment must come on it all. God will pour out His “anger” and His “wrath” in full force over all, with no end in sight: they “will burn and not be quenched”. God’s wrath against sin has come to an end for all who believe in the sacrifice of His Son. However, whoever dies in his sin, on him the wrath of God abides forever ( ).

‏ Jeremiah 7:17-18

Worship of the Queen of Heaven

After the clear depiction of the people’s total disobedience, the LORD has a personal word for Jeremiah that He introduces with the words “as for you”. Jeremiah is told by the LORD not to lift up cry or prayer to Him on behalf of this people or intercede with Him for them (Jer 7:16; cf. Jer 11:14 ; Jer 14:11-12). They are so stubborn that prayer is useless. God’s purpose is certain. Any approach to God to pray for this people is pointless.

For the true prophet, the point is not the downfall of the people, but their salvation. The true prophet, therefore, in addition to preaching judgment to the people, will at the same time also seek God’s presence in intercession on behalf of that same people (Exo 32:10-11; Amos 7:2-3 ; 5-6). The fact that the LORD tells him not to intercede with Him does show strongly how earnestly and persistently the prophet prayed. The true prophet is first and foremost an intercessor. How do we look at professing Christianity on which God’s judgment is also coming? Does it make us intercessors, that many will still return to God?

The LORD tells Jeremiah to just look at what is happening in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, that is, in all of Judah and all of Jerusalem (Jer 7:17). Is Jeremiah blind to it? Certainly not, but the LORD lets him know by this that what is happening there is too bad, too terrible to pray for anymore. It shows us the LORD’s relationship to Jeremiah. He involves him in His reasons for forbidding further intercession, so that Jeremiah will agree with Him in this.

The LORD tells Jeremiah what He sees. The whole family – children, fathers, and mothers – are committed to offering sacrifices to idols, one of which is named, “the queen of heaven” (Jer 7:18). We find this title in the abominable idolatry of the roman catholic church, which calls Mary “the queen of heaven” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_Heaven – website visited 24-03-2022].

When the children come home, the fathers are ready to set fire to the gathered wood. At the same time, the women are busy kneading dough to make sacrificial cakes. They also pour out drink offerings for other gods. A drink offering indicates joy. They rejoice in their demon-driven worship.

How awful that must be for the LORD! How this puts Him to the side and defies Him. How could it be otherwise than that what they are doing brings Him to anger. Not only that, but they do it to their own shame (Jer 7:19). People who sin always put themselves to shame. Sin may give a temporary pleasure, but it always ends in bitter, endless suffering if sin is not broken with prematurely through repentance and conversion.

Sin affects everything, the whole area where it happens (Jer 7:20; cf. Rom 8:20-22). Therefore, God’s inescapable, purifying judgment must come on it all. God will pour out His “anger” and His “wrath” in full force over all, with no end in sight: they “will burn and not be quenched”. God’s wrath against sin has come to an end for all who believe in the sacrifice of His Son. However, whoever dies in his sin, on him the wrath of God abides forever (Jn 3:36).