ESOCS Devotional 22 March 2026 – Except Ye Repent
MEMORY VERSE: “Look, you put your trust in deceitful words. You steal, murder, commit adultery, tell lies under oath, offer sacrifices to Baal, and worship gods that you had not known before…” Jeremiah 7:8-9 GNB
TEXT: JEREMIAH 7:1-15
Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, a people comes from the north country,
And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They will lay hold on bow and spear;
They are cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice roars like the sea;
And they ride on horses,
As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24 We have heard the report of it;
Our hands grow feeble.
Anguish has taken hold of us,
Pain as of a woman in labor.
25 Do not go out into the field,
Nor walk by the way.
Because of the sword of the enemy,
Fear is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people,
Dress in sackcloth
And roll about in ashes!
Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation;
For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us.
27 “I have set you as an assayer and a fortress among My people,
That you may know and test their way.
28 They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers.
They are bronze and iron,
They are all corrupters;
29 The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
The smelter refines in vain,
For the wicked are not drawn off.
30 People will call them rejected silver,
Because the Lord has rejected them.”
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The phrase, “Except ye repent” is cited in Saint Luke Gospel 13:3, 5. In this scripture, Jesus states, “I tell you; Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” This is a warning that without repentance – a turning away from sin, and towards God, men will face spiritual destruction. In other words, this passage emphasizes that repentance is necessary for salvation and that everyone – the clergy or the laity – is called to repent.
Just like what goes on these days, in our text today, the children of Israel displayed extreme disrespect for God’s commands. They did almost all those things that were against God’s law. Yet they assembled in the temple dedicated to God. They were like the Pharisees and the Priests who crucified Jesus. They planned and executed a murder scheme, but would not take back the thirty pieces of silver they had given to Judas (Matthew 26:15; 27:3-8). Reason: the silver was now blood money – stained with the blood of an innocent victim.
This was extreme hypocrisy demonstrated. Just like modern day evangelists have gone all over the nations to call people to repent, Jeremiah’s call to the people was for a change in their behaviour. Their repentance must be more than the outward performance of religious ceremonies. Their repentance must be sincere and from the heart. Otherwise, God would not spare them from the devastation to come.
Therefore, child of God, you will only be able to inherit God’s Kingdom if your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Take heed to yourselves.
Reflections
- Churchgoer or not, except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Beware!
Prayer
- Have mercy upon me, O God. Grant me the true spirit of repentance.
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 15:1-11; Luke 17:20-32; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24
ESOCS Devotional 212March 2026
