The House of Prayer can be A House of Pain

Jeremiah 26
Cities of Judah Warned

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD, saying, "Thus says the LORD, 'Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the LORD'S house all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them Do not omit a word! Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds."

"And you will say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you again and again, but you have not listened; then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse to all the nations of the earth."'"

When I first read this passage, I naturally assumed that this prophecy was directed toward those who were not following God, in direct disobedience with His will, and not even seeking His face. And yet in the second verse it is clear that the audience of this prophecy were those in the temple, those going to worship the Lord in HIS House. And yet their response to the divine rebuke is to kill Jeremiah. Was it out of pride, of the assumption that going to the house of the Lord meant being right in the Lord’s presence? That seeking to be in His temple equaled seeking to be in the presence of God?

Do we not go to church in order to understand His ways, to learn more about Him, to be transformed in a place of teaching? And yet sometimes we do not want to accept that teaching, especially if it points out where we are wrong.

I know that I have felt this way. I want to go to church and maintain the spirit of "Hallelujah! Let's sing another song." Not, "Oh mericiful Father, I confess that I am wrong." Sometimes church is the only place that I can sit for an hour and hear from the Lord. So if I'm on the wrong path, it should not surprise me that I'll be redirected in God's house.

And this is what the Lord says in verse 3, the natural response of God’s people, to listen to His word and repent. And, the Lord gives the consequence if He is not followed. That’s love as well: it may be seen as a threat, but in the words of some screenplay writer, “It’s not a threat; it’s a promise.”

My pastor once said the most dangerous place to be is in God's presence, because we are fully exposed. I wonder if at times we want to go to God's house to compound our masquerade of self-perfection, instead of seeking God's revelation of Himself and His will in our lives.

I pray that all of us might heed the word of the Lord, and that those of us who regularly go into the House of God would enter prepared to hear whatever the Lord wants to say to us. That we listen to the Lord’s words, including His rebuke, seeking to be conformed to His will and follow His commands. When we come to the places designed for His worship, we must come with the intent for which the place was designed: HIS worship, not our own.

Lord Jesus, open my eyes today. I know that I am constantly in your presence. Let me be consciously aware of Your voice and the promptings of the Spirit.