Bible Discussion Thread

yes To verse 20, Jeremiah 6,( I have a comment under this that said (when the Holy Scriptures are thrust aside, incense and burnt offerings become abominable to God. Placing faith in the ceremony instead of in what the ceremony represented, namely, Christ and Him Crucified, presents the wrong object of faith, which God can never accept.)

can someone please explain this statement Thank You very much. ? Dennis Kinyon,

Hello Dennis. The comment that you read, referring to Jeremiah 6:20, is likely the writer's thoughts expanded to include the Christian's stance before God today. What was spoken against Jerusalem in those early times, she who failed to listen to the prophetic Word (v17), refused to "walk in the old paths" (or, live according to God's Directions for them) (v16), & who couldn't even blush for all the abominations that they were committing (v15); all these sins, & more, were before God's Face & He would deal with them.

Yet, in spite of their sins, they had the audacity to offer burnt offerings & sacrifices to God for their sins (v20), when they had no intention of forsaking their sins & their pitiful condition. This is what is termed as 'hypocrisy': their hypocritical behaviour might appease their consciences & they might appear as devout to others, but God, Who looks on the heart, only saw a greater wickedness - sin being compounded by useless penitence & offerings.

We can note a similar warning given by Isaiah to Jerusalem much earlier ( Isaiah 30:1, "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin"). And you can read the rest of that account in that chapter.

So, the comment you read in your Bible, was the writer's application to Christians today: not to think that our offerings of worship & service to God & to others have any merit, unless we first have a true faith in Christ Jesus, His Spirit living within us, & our lives showing forth God's Graciousness to us by living holy & acceptable lives to Him. Choosing to live a life of hypocrisy negates all that - all that which is wicked before an all-seeing God.