“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 I command you, that it may be well with you.”
– Jeremiah 7:23
Jeremiah 7:23 Reminds Us to Obey
So the center of this verse revolves around one word, obey. That’s the way it’s translated here in Jeremiah 7:23. The word, shemah, is actually, it’s a great Hebrew word. That basically, obey is one part of it, and it’s certainly an accurate translation. But the whole picture in the word is listening and obeying. So, it’s kind of like, remember back in Deuteronomy 6, “Hear O Israel,” hear and obey. That’s the whole picture here in Jeremiah 7. Listen to, hear the word of God, and obey it. That’s what he’s calling these people to do.
We must hear God’s Word and obey Him. We know that the only way for it to be well with us is to trust and obey.
In fact here in Jeremiah 7:23, we see how the people were offering sacrifices. Like they were participating in religion. What they weren’t doing was listening to and obeying the word of God, listening to and doing what God had said. And he says, “This is the command I give you, obey my voice. Hear my voice and do it. And I will,” so hear the promise, “I will be your God, you shall be my people. Walk in the way that I command you, and it will be well with you.”
This is a promise direct from God to his people then, and to you and me right now. That if we will listen to his voice and obey his voice, walk in the ways that he commands, that it will go well with us. Not obviously meaning that everything will be perfect for us. But that we will experience life to the full, the good life. No not the good life defined the way the world defines the good life. But the good life the way our creator God who gave us life, defines the good life. Which is far better than anything this world could ever offer us.
The key to it going well with us is hearing and following God’s voice, obey my voice. I’ll be your God, you shall be my people. So I just want to encourage you today as you live, walk in his commands, obey him, trust him, trust him. Hear his voice, spend time in his word today and then walk in obedience to it. Do what God commands and guaranteed, it will go well with you in what matters most.
Jeremiah 7:23 Leads Us to Ask God For Help Obeying Him
So God help us, God make us a people who hear and obey, who hear your word. But listen to it, God, please help us to listen to your word. Transform our thoughts, our minds, our desires our affections, our actions, our words. We pray that your word would totally transform us, your voice would totally transform us today. Help us to be students of your word, reading, meditating on it, memorizing it, digesting it, studying it. Help us to hear your voice.
May it not be said of us that we didn’t listen to your voice. God help us hear your voice and then help us to obey it help us to do it. God please keep us from just being full of bible knowledge, in so many ways. We have a variety of bible studies, but are we doing what you’ve called us to do. God help us to live in obedience to your word today.
God I pray for this in my life, for those who are listening right now. Lord help us to obey you, help us to turn from temptation, to walk in the ways you command us. And we trust that it will be well for us. We trust you in this oh God. Your word is good, your way is life. You know how life to the full can be experienced in our lives by us. We want that, we trust you. So help us to hear you and obey you today. In Jesus’s name, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
