Jeremiah 7:13
And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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God describes His persistent efforts to reach them with a unique, vivid phrase: "rising up early and speaking." This isn't just about speaking; it emphasizes God's tireless, earnest, dawn-till-dusk dedication to calling His people, a diligence they completely ignored.
God declares that because the people have continued in their wicked practices, mirroring the sins that led to the destruction of Shiloh, their pleas and cries for help have gone unanswered. He emphasizes that He persistently "spoke" and "called" to them through His prophets, even "rising early" with unwearied diligence, but they refused to listen or respond. This verse sets the stage for God's judgment, explaining that their persistent disobedience, despite His repeated calls to repentance, seals their fate.
Ever feel like God's message is just 'noise' in the background of your life? Jeremiah uses a vivid phrase to describe God's persistent pursuit of His people.
Jeremiah describes God speaking and calling, using the phrase 'rising up early and speaking.' This isn't just about God waking up early; it's a powerful metaphor.
Persistent Pursuit
It signifies God's unwearied, zealous, and diligent efforts to reach His people. He wasn't just sending a casual message; He was actively and intentionally pursuing them. Think of it like a devoted parent constantly checking on a child, or a determined seeker refusing to give up.
Divine Diligence
This imagery highlights God's deep care and commitment. He spoke to them not once, but persistently, using His prophets like Jeremiah. He 'called' them, not with a faint whisper, but with an earnest summons. Despite all this, the people remained unresponsive.
What happens when we consistently ignore God's voice? Jeremiah lays out a stark reality that connects past actions to future judgment.
The verse doesn't just state that God spoke and the people didn't listen; it directly links this disobedience to future consequences. The phrase 'And now, because you have done all these things...' is a crucial turning point.
Actions Have Consequences
God's warnings were not empty threats. The people's persistent 'doing' of evil works and their refusal to 'answer' God's calls meant that judgment was inevitable. They had ignored the diligent efforts of God's prophets and His repeated calls to repentance.
A Pattern of Judgment
Jeremiah connects this present situation to the past destruction of Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant once resided. Just as God judged that place for Israel's wickedness, He would judge Jerusalem and its Temple for their continued rebellion and disregard for His word. Their trust in the Temple's sanctity was misplaced; their actions spoke louder than their presence in a holy place.
Understand the original words
shama' · Hebrew Verb
The act of giving heed, paying attention, or obeying; it implies a responsive heart that aligns its behavior with the spoken word of God.
Jeremiah's words echo a long history of God's patience and Judah's persistent rebellion, drawing a clear parallel between their current spiritual decay and the past destruction of Shiloh. Their misplaced trust in the Temple ignored God's persistent calls for repentance, ultimately leading to its ruin.
~1075 BC
Ark of the Covenant Lost
During a battle with the Philistines, the Ark of the Covenant was captured, and the Tabernacle at Shiloh was destroyed. This marked a devastating loss for Israel and the end of Shiloh as a central religious site.
c. 1000 BC
Temple Established in Jerusalem
King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and his son Solomon later built the First Temple there, establishing it as the new center of worship.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and scattering them. This served as a stark warning to the southern kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 627 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah was called by God to prophesy to Judah, a time when the nation was steeped in corruption and idolatry, despite outward religious observance.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's lament, describing God's persistent calling to wisdom and people's persistent refusal to listen.
Isaiah 65:12Isaiah also rebukes Israel for not answering God's call, showing a recurring theme of God's outreach and human unresponsiveness.
Matthew 23:37Jesus Himself uses similar language, expressing sorrow over Jerusalem's refusal to be gathered under His protection, highlighting the consistent pattern of rejection.
Jeremiah 7:12This verse immediately preceding Jeremiah 7:13 points to the destruction of Shiloh, setting the context for God's warning that the Temple in Jerusalem will face a similar fate due to disobedience.
Luke 11:9-10These verses speak to the certainty of receiving when asking, praying, and seeking, contrasting with the failure to answer and respond described in Jeremiah's prophecy.
barnesJeremiah 7:13: "And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;"
Rising up early and speaking - A proverbial expression for "speaking zealously and earnestly." It is used only by Jeremiah.
pulpitJeremiah 7:13: "And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;"
Verse 13. - Rising up early and speaking; i.e. speaking zealously and continually (so ver. 25; Jeremiah 25:4; Jeremiah 26:5; Jeremiah 29:19). It is an expression peculiar to Jeremiah.
God describes His persistent efforts to reach them with a unique, vivid phrase: "rising up early and speaking." This isn't just about speaking; it emphasizes God's tireless, earnest, dawn-till-dusk dedication to calling His people, a diligence they completely ignored.
God declares that because the people have continued in their wicked practices, mirroring the sins that led to the destruction of Shiloh, their pleas and cries for help have gone unanswered. He emphasizes that He persistently "spoke" and "called" to them through His prophets, even "rising early" with unwearied diligence, but they refused to listen or respond. This verse sets the stage for God's judgment, explaining that their persistent disobedience, despite His repeated calls to repentance, seals their fate.
God declares that because the people have continued in their wicked practices, mirroring the sins that led to the destruction of Shiloh, their pleas and cries for help have gone unanswered. He emphasizes that He persistently "spoke" and "called" to them through His prophets, even "rising early" with unwearied diligence, but they refused to listen or respond. This verse sets the stage for God's judgment, explaining that their persistent disobedience, despite His repeated calls to repentance, seals their fate.
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c. 609 BC
Josiah's Reforms Reversed
King Josiah's revival of true worship was short-lived. After his death, corrupt rulers and a disobedient people quickly returned to their wicked ways, ignoring God's persistent calls for repentance.
c. 605 BC— this verse
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and deported a number of the people, including noble youths like Daniel. This was the beginning of Judah's exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple, fulfilling God's judgment against Judah for their persistent unfaithfulness and rejection of His prophets.
"And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer," — God describes His persistent efforts to reach them with a unique, vivid phrase: "rising up early and speaking." This isn't just about speaking; it emphasizes God's tireless, earnest, dawn-till-dusk d…
