Jeremiah 7:21-28 – God wants our total obedience.

These verses in Jeremiah 7:21-28 underscores the importance of obedience. God through Jeremiah was telling the people that He would rather have their obedience than their sacrifices. Recalling the past, God highlighted that when He led their forefathers out of Egypt, the first thing he demanded of them was their obedience and not the offering of  sacrifices. Verse 23 was what God expected of their forefathers. He said to them ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’  They were stiff-necked and stubborn people that would not listen. Instead of obeying they would go choose their own way. Hence rather than progressing, they were regressing. God was pointing out that His people had a history of being presumptuous, stubborn, and rebellious. They failed to see that sacrifice could never save them, but obedience would. And this current generation was even more wicked than their fathers.

Despite their disobedience and obstinacy, God wanted Jeremiah to persist in proclaiming God’s Word to them. He was told to let them know forthrightly that they were “a nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or accept correction.”   They had no inclination for God’s truth. Hence the truth had disappeared from their conversation and they could not speak the truth.  

Obedience is of prime importance to God and not sacrifices. There is no point in offering a multitude of sacrifices when there is no willingness to obey Him. Today God still wants our obedience more than our service. There is no point in going to worship service, serving in a  ministry, or attending prayer meetings and cell group meetings if we are not obeying Him. They would all be just mere exercises in futility. Without obedience, everything we do is mere pretension. By being obedient to God, we are indicating that we’ll rather trust in His unlimited wisdom.  It is the pathway to God’s unlimited resources. Obeying God and His word is a demonstration of our love for Him. This is what Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me (Jesus), you will keep My commandments.”   Obedience is one vital key to unlocking God’s blessings in life.