What would cause our Lord and Savior to be stirred to the point of righteous anger? So much so that surely the world and the leaders of that day would have perceived Him as “visibly distrought”? I was forced to ponder this over the last day or so, so I thought before I looked inward at my own thoughts and emotions I would look at scripture. John 2: 13-17 speaks of a time when Jesus was forced to display His authority in His own house. Matthew 21 records another time when Jesus says: “You are making it a den of robbers”!
As the Lord was showing me some things, this verse was brought to my attention in Jeremiah 7. These very words had been declared by God some centuries before Jesus spoke these words in the temple. It is so easy to focus on just the money changers in this account, but to do this misses the entire point. Upon seeing what was going on in the “house of the Lord” Jesus felt led to clarify for them the words already spoken by His Father in Jeremiah 7:11, “Has this house which bears my name become a den of robbers”? Why is it that Jesus would feel led to use this scripture for comparison to what was occuring in His house? Let’s look back and see what was going on in Jeremiah 7.
Those who come to the Lord’s house were participating in worthless religion, idolatry and shameless behavior. This came from both the people and the leaders. It seemed that many followed the ritual or social gathering of worship, yet they still maintained a sinful lifestyle. To the Lord their gathering had become more about “image” and what THEY might do to draw people in. Even still, what others might think about them. They could be found looking more to the benefit they might reap than what the Lord wanted, a pure and holy faith and a contrite heart. They felt no shame living the way they did all week and yet felt justified to enter into the Lord’s house, into His prescence and declare themselves still safe. (In modern day terms we would just ease our minds with grace.)
*In the next day or two I will continue to finish the things the Lord has been showing me about why He is starting to clear His temple. The sheep are being seperated from the goats. I will finish writing about the things to be learned from Jeremiah and from Jesus clearing the temple so that we can understand why the Lord’s anger is being stirred. Do you ever wonder why He wants to vomit us from his mouth? Much to learn about where we are in the apostate Church today. My prayer is that many will hear the Lord’s voice and wake up before it is to late!
