Jeremiah 7:21
“Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat.”
What does Jeremiah 7:21 mean?
When the prophet Jeremiah delivered this message, God was essentially telling the people that their religious practices had become hollow and meaningless. By saying to add burnt offerings to sacrifices and just eat the meat themselves, God was expressing that He didn't actually want their rituals anymore—He wanted their obedience and genuine devotion instead. This was shocking language for ancient Israelites, since the whole system of temple sacrifice was central to their faith. God's point was that going through the motions of worship while living unjustly and ignoring His commands was worse than useless. He was calling them to stop pretending that ceremonies alone could make them right with Him.