Jeremiah 7:22-23
For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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God highlights that when He delivered Israel from Egypt, His primary command wasn't about the how of sacrifices, but about obedience itself. The focus was on listening to His voice and walking in His ways, making external rituals secondary to an inner disposition of heart.
God is rebuking the people for their misplaced trust in Temple rituals, arguing that their sacrifices are meaningless because they haven't truly obeyed Him. He reminds them that when He first led them out of Egypt, His primary command was obedience, not elaborate sacrifices. This sets up His rejection of their current practices, which are a hollow imitation of true worship disconnected from moral righteousness.
What did God really want from Israel when He led them out of Egypt? It might surprise you.
Jeremiah 7:22 cuts right to the core of God's relationship with His people. When God brought Israel out of Egypt, He wasn't primarily focused on burnt offerings and sacrifices. The text emphasizes that His command was about obedience: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people' (Jeremiah 7:23).
Think about it: God delivered them from slavery, a monumental act of power and love. What was His immediate follow-up instruction? It wasn't a detailed ritual manual. It was a call to listen and follow His voice. This highlights a crucial principle: God's desire is for a responsive heart, not just outward religious acts. The sacrifices, while later instituted and part of the Law, were never the main event. They were secondary to the fundamental call to obey God's word.
Why would God seem to dismiss the very sacrifices He later commanded? It's all about the why behind the what.
Jeremiah's message isn't that sacrifices were evil or forbidden. The scholars point out that God instituted sacrifices, but they were never meant to be the ultimate expression of worship, nor a substitute for obedience.
The problem arose when the Israelites performed sacrifices while ignoring God's core commands. They were going through the motions, perhaps even thinking their rituals excused their disobedience. Jeremiah is calling out this hypocrisy. When God says He 'did not speak to your fathers... concerning burnt offerings,' He means that these rituals, when disconnected from a heart of obedience, were not His primary command and were ultimately unacceptable. They were meant to be signs pointing to deeper realities—like repentance and faith—not ends in themselves. When divorced from these, they were 'worthless' or even an 'abomination' to God.
Understand the original words
shama' · Hebrew Verb
To hear with the intent of response; it implies active, submissive, and faithful hearing that results in action or obedience.
'am · Hebrew Noun
A relational term describing the covenantal commitment where God chooses a people to be His own, promising His presence and protection, while they acknowledge Him as their sole sovereign.
halakh · Hebrew Verb
In biblical usage, refers to the lifestyle or conduct of a person; to walk in God's way is to conform one's life to His revealed moral and ethical standards.
This verse highlights a critical tension: while sacrifices were an integral part of Israel's worship after the Exodus, God's primary concern from the very beginning was obedience to His voice and His commands, not the ritual itself when divorced from a sincere heart.
~1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt and Sinai Covenant
God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt and establishes a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, giving them the Law.
~1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
King David unites the tribes of Israel and establishes Jerusalem as the capital, envisioning a grand temple.
~970 BC
Solomon's Temple Construction
Solomon builds the First Temple in Jerusalem, which becomes the central place for Israel's worship, including sacrifices.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and scattering them.
626 BC
This passage directly parallels Jeremiah's point, stating that obedience is far more pleasing to God than sacrifice, highlighting that true worship is about hearkening to God's voice.
Hosea 6:6Echoing Jeremiah's sentiment, Hosea declares God's desire for steadfast love and knowledge of Him over sacrifices, emphasizing the importance of inner devotion over outward ritual.
Exodus 19:5-6This foundational passage describes the covenant God made with Israel at Sinai, emphasizing obedience and a relationship with Him as the primary conditions, rather than ceremonial sacrifices.
Micah 6:6-8Micah poses a rhetorical question about what sacrifices are acceptable to God, concluding that God requires justice, mercy, and humble walking with Him, mirroring Jeremiah's critique of misplaced religious focus.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13This passage reiterates the core of the covenant, stating that God requires obedience, reverence, and walking in His ways, placing these above the act of sacrifice itself.
calvinJeremiah 7:21-24: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh."
Quia non loquutus sum cum patribus vestris, et non praecepi illis quo die eduxi eos e terra Egypti super verbis (hoc est, rationibus, nam rvd proprie significat rationem Latine; Hebraei enim ita passim usurpant hanc vocem, sicuti Latini rationem, super rationibus ergo) holocaustorum et victimae:
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I…
pulpitJeremiah 7:22: "For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:"
Verse 22. - I spake not unto your fathers, etc. An important and much-disputed passage, from which Graf, Colenso, and Kuenen derive one of their chief subsidiary arguments for the post-Exile date of the Levitical legislation. The prophet here appears to deny in tote that Jehovah at Mount Sinai had given any injunctions on the s…
God highlights that when He delivered Israel from Egypt, His primary command wasn't about the how of sacrifices, but about obedience itself. The focus was on listening to His voice and walking in His ways, making external rituals secondary to an inner disposition of heart.
God is rebuking the people for their misplaced trust in Temple rituals, arguing that their sacrifices are meaningless because they haven't truly obeyed Him. He reminds them that when He first led them out of Egypt, His primary command was obedience, not elaborate sacrifices. This sets up His rejection of their current practices, which are a hollow imitation of true worship disconnected from moral righteousness.
God is rebuking the people for their misplaced trust in Temple rituals, arguing that their sacrifices are meaningless because they haven't truly obeyed Him. He reminds them that when He first led them out of Egypt, His primary command was obedience, not elaborate sacrifices. This sets up His rejection of their current practices, which are a hollow imitation of true worship disconnected from moral righteousness.
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Jeremiah's Call to Prophesy
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah during a time of moral decay and looming Babylonian threat.
c. 609 BC— this verse
Josiah's Religious Reforms
King Josiah discovers the Book of the Law and initiates sweeping reforms to centralize worship in Jerusalem and purge idolatry, following a period of spiritual decline.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and First Temple
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar, conquers Judah, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiles the remaining population.
"For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be…" — God highlights that when He delivered Israel from Egypt, His primary command wasn't about the how of sacrifices, but about obedience itself. The focus was on listening to His voice and walking in…
