Location and TimesJeremiah 7:28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
I find so much preaching from the Old Testament that I fear misses the mark. The idea or preaching is that the verses refer to an individual. Preachers preach mean messages that lack grace because they do not get to the cross, to the New Testament.
Notice that this verse says “this is a nation!” It is the nation that is not obeying. It is the nation that will not receive correction. It is the nation where the truth has perished.
That doesn’t mean that the Bible doesn’t have in your face verses. It doesn’t mean that God isn’t dealing with our sin. But the way God deals with sin is to provide a sacrifice. That is even what He did in the Old Testament. He knows we will never be able to do what we are supposed to do. He knows we will not live up to the law. So He provides a sacrifice all through the Old Testament. Then in the New Testament He shows us clearly that He is that sacrifice.
Be careful when you read your Bible to see who God is talking to. Is He talking to an individual or a nation? Is He talking to Israel or the church? Is He talking to you or what is the application for you?
We must be careful to rightly divide the Scripture. We must study in context. We must know if it is meant to apply directly to us or to another.