What does "walked in the counsels" reveal about Israel's spiritual condition? Setting the Scene Jeremiah 7:24: “Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed in the stubbornness of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.” Jeremiah is preaching at the gate of the temple, calling Judah to repent. Instead of listening, the nation “followed” (lit. “walked,” Heb. hālak) in their own counsels. That little phrase quietly exposes Israel’s inner life. Unpacking the Phrase “walked in the counsels” • “Walked” – a Hebrew idiom for an ongoing lifestyle; not a momentary lapse but a habitual pattern. • “Counsels” – self-generated plans, reasonings, and strategies; the inner deliberations that steer choices. • Put together: Israel’s day-to-day living was steered by their own thinking rather than by God’s revealed word. What It Reveals about Israel’s Spiritual Condition • Self-rule over God-rule – They shifted the governing authority from God’s commandments (Deuteronomy 30:15-20) to personal opinion. • Deafness to divine instruction – “They did not listen or incline their ear.” God’s word was background noise (Isaiah 30:9-11). • Stubborn hearts – The verse calls their hearts “evil” and “stubborn,” meaning hardened, unyielding (cf. Zechariah 7:11-12). • Moral regression – “They went backward and not forward.” Spiritual life is never static; rejecting God always sends a people in reverse (Hosea 11:7). • Corporate solidarity in sin – The plural “they” shows the nation drifting together. Sinful thinking became the cultural norm (Jeremiah 6:13). • False sense of security – They were still standing in the temple precincts (Jeremiah 7:4), convinced their rituals protected them. Their walk proved their faith was hollow. Supporting Passages • Psalm 81:12 – “So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their hearts to walk in their own plans.” • Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” • Jeremiah 11:8; 13:10; 16:12 – repeated refrain of following stubborn hearts instead of obeying. • Isaiah 30:1 – “Woe to the rebellious children… who carry out a plan, but not Mine.” Take-Aways for Us Today • The real spiritual battleground is the counsel room of the heart. Whose advice shapes our daily walk? • Hearing the Word without obeying it leads to backward motion, no matter how “religious” the setting. • Cultural consensus never overrides divine revelation; truth is measured by Scripture, not majority vote. • God’s patience is long but not limitless. Persistent self-counsel invites discipline (Jeremiah 7:29-34). |
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