The book of Jeremiah tells us an event that occurred in chapter 7, verse 24, where God gives this prophet words about the great disorder in which the people of Israel lived and their evil conduct before the Lord. For this reason, we see God conveying harsh words to His people through Jeremiah.
The people of Israel were embroiled in various atrocities; their actions were despicable before the God of hosts, as they did not listen to advice and simply chose the path they wanted to follow, committing as many evil deeds as they could. Their hearts were far from God.
In chapter 7, God spoke to Jeremiah to warn those corrupt people and call them to return to God, to forsake all wickedness and walk uprightly before the Lord. But did they hear this message?
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
Jeremiah 7:24
The words God sent to the people through the prophet Jeremiah were intended to prompt them to abandon the wickedness and all deceitfulness in their hearts, for they took advantage of the most vulnerable and harmed them.
In the message the prophet conveyed, God told them: “Turn your feet from evil ways, and I will give you the land I promised your fathers, so that it may be well with you.” However, as verse 24 says, they chose to follow their own ways and did not incline their ear to listen to the Lord.
The prophet’s message, given by God, reflected the Lord’s longing for His people to walk in His ways and improve their conduct, for then all things would be better for them. However, because of their disobedience, these people received great punishments for turning away from the Lord.
Let us not choose our own path; let us listen to the God of heaven when He tells us the path we should follow and walk in it, so that all may go well in our lives.
