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Jeremiah 7:4
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD,are these.

Jeremiah 4:10
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people loveto have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

you keep trusting
The act of trusting here implies a reliance or faith in something or someone. In the historical context of Jeremiah, the people of Judah were placing their trust in false assurances rather than in God. This misplaced trust is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, where the Israelites often turned to idols or political alliances instead of relying on God. This phrase highlights the persistent nature of their misplaced faith, suggesting a habitual or ongoing action.

in deceptive words
The "deceptive words" refer to false prophecies and assurances given by false prophets and leaders who claimed peace and safety despite the looming threat of judgment. In the cultural context of ancient Judah, false prophets were a significant problem, as they often contradicted the true messages from God delivered by prophets like Jeremiah. This deception is reminiscent of the serpent's words inGenesis 3, where falsehood leads to dire consequences. The New Testament also warns against false teachings, as seen in passages like2 Timothy 4:3-4.

to no avail.
This phrase indicates the futility of trusting in lies. Despite the people's reliance on deceptive assurances, these would ultimately lead to their downfall and not provide the security they sought. Historically, this is fulfilled in the Babylonian exile, where Judah's misplaced trust resulted in destruction and captivity. Theologically, it underscores the principle that only trust in God leads to true security and salvation, a theme echoed throughout Scripture, including in the teachings of Jesus, who is the embodiment of truth (John 14:6).

Jeremiah opens the warning with an urgent “look,” calling Judah to face reality instead of ignoring God’s voice. The Lord is sounding an alarm much like He did inIsaiah 1:2 (“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth”) andJeremiah 6:17 (“I appointed watchmen over you”). The attention-getter reminds us that God’s people cannot plead ignorance; they have been given repeated opportunities to see their sin and repent.

The verb points to an ongoing pattern, not a one-time slip. Judah’s confidence is fixed where it should never have been. Scripture frequently contrasts misplaced trust with a life of faith:

•Psalm 118:8-9—“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”

•Proverbs 3:5—“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

•Isaiah 30:1-2—Judah’s alliance with Egypt is called “adding sin to sin.”

Their habit of leaning on something other than God reveals a heart problem, not simply a theological error.

The people latch onto soothing but false assurances, very likely the slogan repeated earlier inJeremiah 7:4, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” False prophets reinforced the illusion (Jeremiah 14:14;Micah 3:5-7), promising safety while refusing to confront sin. Such empty rhetoric:

• Minimizes holiness—telling the nation that ritual presence at the temple covers ongoing disobedience.

• Masks judgment—insisting God would never abandon His sanctuary, ignoring what happened at Shiloh (Jeremiah 7:12).

• Multiplies sin—because if the message is deceptive, obedience to it becomes rebellion.

Trusting a lie produces nothing but disappointment and doom. Jeremiah will later declare, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind… he will not see prosperity” (Jeremiah 17:5-6), and Jesus echoes the same truth when He speaks of a house built on sand that collapses (Matthew 7:26-27). Judah’s reliance on hollow words cannot stave off Babylon’s invasion. The outcome will be as fruitless as sowing the wind (Hosea 8:7). God’s verdict is settled: false security collapses when tested by divine judgment.

Jeremiah 7:8 exposes a lethal cycle: God’s people continually place their confidence in soothing but empty assurances, ignoring the plainly spoken Word of the Lord. The prophet’s four-part warning—Look, you keep trusting, in deceptive words, to no avail—calls us to examine where our hope rests. Any trust anchored in something other than the living God is ultimately useless, while humble obedience to His unchanging truth is the only path to blessing and security.