Treasures From God’s Word — Week of June 15-21, 2026

How deceptive it can be to feel safe just because you are close to something sacred. A person could have a Bible at home, attend meetings, participate in spiritual activities or say belongs to God’s people, and still be far from Jehovah if his conduct does not agree with what he expects.

That is precisely what happened in Judah in the days of Jeremiah. The people had something very valuable: the temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem. It was the house bearing the name of Jehovah. But many inhabitants of Judah began to see him the wrong way. Instead of seeing it as a place that should remind them of the holiness of Jehovah and the need to obey him, they saw it almost as a protective talisman. They thought that, as long as the temple was there, nothing bad would happen to them.

But Jehovah saw what was really going on. I saw that many were going to the temple, yes, but they did not respect what that temple represented. I saw that they claimed to worship him, but they were still practising hateful things. Therefore, through Jeremiah, Jehovah gave them a direct, firm and much-needed warning.

The first point is this: many inhabitants of Judah believed that the temple alone would protect them despite their misconduct.

Let us read Jeremiah 7: “Do not trust in deceitful words or say, This is the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah.

Let us look at that they repeated the same idea three times: the temple of Jehovah. With that replay, it seems they wanted to convince themselves that they were safe. It was like they said, “Nothing can happen to us.” We have the temple. Jehovah will not let Jerusalem fall. But Jehovah told them that these were deceptive words.

Why were they deceptive? For they were trusting in the temple, but they were not truly trusting in Jehovah. To trust in Jehovah implies obeying him, respecting his rules and abandoning what he condemns. Instead, they wanted to preserve the privilege of having the temple without changing their behavior.

Jehovah made clear what the problem was. Let us read Jeremiah 7:8-10 .But do you trust in deceitful words… That won’t do any good. Can you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make sacrifices to Baal and follow gods you didn’t know, and then come and present yourself to me in this house that bears my name and say We will be saved despite being doing all these detestable things?

These words are very strong. Jehovah wasn’t talking about simple human weaknesses or small mistakes. He mentioned grave sins: stealing, murdering, committing adultery, swearing false, making sacrifices to Baal and following other false gods. And after they had practiced those things, they came to the temple and said, “We will be saved.”

This week’s information explains that, at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiah, Jehovah told Jeremiah to go to the temple and roundly condemn the Jews for their wickedness. They saw the temple as a protective talisman. But Jehovah warned them that if they did not leave their bad habits, he would leave that temple. He would do with the temple and the hypocrites who worshipped there as he had done with the tabernacle of Shiloh in the days of the high priest Eli. As a result, the land of Judah would become a devastated place.

What a brave message Jeremiah had to give. Let’s think of the scene. Jeremiah didn’t go to a hidden place to talk to a few people. He went to the temple, where there would be many people. Possibly there were important, prominent and influential people. And there he had to tell them that his trust was false, that his worship was hypocritical and that Jehovah would not protect them if they continued to disobey.

That required a lot of courage. But Jeremiah did not rely on his own strength. He spoke in the name of Jehovah. And that detail encourages us, too. In our time, we may have to arm ourselves with courage to talk about Jehovah on the streets, to preach influential people or to explain our beliefs to colleagues, family members or authorities. It’s not always easy. But if we do so with respect and confidence, we can be sure that we have the backing of Jehovah.

This first point also helps us to examine ourselves. We wouldn’t think a building saves us. But we could fall into a similar form of reasoning if we believed that our spiritual activities compensate for bad behavior. For example, someone could say: I go to meetings, preach, I know the truth. But if at the same time he is dishonest, treats his family badly, leads a double life or allows practices that Jehovah condemns, would be relying on deceptive words.

Jehovah does not want a love of appearance. He wants us to love him with a clean, obedient life. What we are in the Hall of the Kingdom must be in harmony with who we are at home, at work, at school, on social networks and when no one sees us.

The second point we have to take into account is that the behavior tarnished the name of Jehovah.

Let us read Jeremiah 7:11: Has this house that bear my name become a cave of thieves for you? “I have seen it myself,” says Jehovah.

Jehovah calls the temple, this house that bears my name. That expression is very important. The temple was not simply a spiritual building. It was the house associated with the name of Jehovah. Therefore, what was done there directly affected the honor of his name.

The information explains that, throughout the history of Israel, Jehovah kept before his people the importance of his sacred name. Jehovah chose Jerusalem, with his mount Zion, to place his name there, to cause him to dwell. And the temple built in that city was the house for the name of Jehovah. So what was happening in that temple or in that city, whether good or bad, inevitably affected the name of Jehovah. And Jehovah did not overlook him.

That’s why it was so serious that the town turned that house into a crook of thieves. They went into the temple, but their conduct tarnited the name of Jehovah. Maybe in front of others they seemed adoring. But Jehovah said, I have seen it myself. No one could hide the reality.

This teaches us a very serious lesson. We have the immense honor of bearing the name of Jehovah. We are known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. That name is not just a label. It’s a sacred privilege. And that is precisely why our conduct can honor or stain it.

Let’s think of an example. When someone represents a company, a family or an institution, their conduct influences the reputation of that name. If he acts with honesty and respect, he leaves that name well. But if he behaves badly, others can form a bad opinion. With the name Jehovah something much more serious is happening. Our way of speaking, treating others, working, leading us in business, reacting to problems and behaving in private can influence how others see the God we serve.

That is why this point should not only give us fear, but also a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude. Jehovah allows us to bear his name. It allows us to be your Witnesses. What a great honor. But that honor demands consistency. If we say we serve Jehovah, our life must support that affirmation.

The information also indicates that desecrating the name of Jehovah in that place would result in the safe destruction of the city and in God leaving the temple. That shows that Jehovah takes his name very seriously. He wouldn’t let his people keep using his name while practising the bad. Therefore, Jeremiah and Daniel prayed for the people and the city, asking for mercy and help because of the name of Jehovah. For them, the most important thing was the honor of God’s name.

We want to have that same attitude. Our main concern should not be simply what they will think of me, but what they will think of Jehovah by my conduct. If we are honored when others are not, we honor Jehovah. If we treat our family with respect, we honor Jehovah. If we react calmly to a provocation, we honor Jehovah. If we avoid dirty entertainment even if no one sees us, we honor Jehovah. And if we make a mistake, but we are humble, we apologize and correct the course, we also show respect for his name.

The third point is that: Jehovah used the example of Shiloh to show them what would happen to the temple.

Let us read Jeremiah 7:12-14 . Go now to my place in Shia, where I made my name lie at the beginning, and see what I did to him because of the wickedness of my people Israel. But you kept doing all these things, Jehovah says, and, though I spoke to you again and again, you did not heed. I called them, but you guys didn’t answer. The same thing I did to Siló I will do to the house that bears my name, in which you trust, and to this place that I gave to you and your ancestors.

Jehovah reminded them of the case of Shiloh. And that example was very powerful. Shia had been an important place in true worship. The information explains that the tabernacle remained there for most of the judges’ period, if not everything. There he worshipped Jehovah. There were related people like Eli, Anna and Samuel. It was a place that had once been closely linked to the presence and name of Jehovah.

But shortly before the death of the high priest Eli, something happened that showed the poor spiritual condition of the people. The Israelites were fighting the Philistines. Then they took the Ark out of the tabernacle and took it to the battlefield. Why is that? Because they were confident that the presence of the Ark would give them victory.

But that reasoning was wrong. The Ark represented the presence of Jehovah, yes. But it wasn’t an amulet. They could not disobey Jehovah and then pretend that a sacred object guaranteed them victory. As a result, Jehovah allowed the Philistines to capture the Ark. And that Ark was never returned to Siló. That meant that Jehovah had forsaken that place, because the Ark represented the presence of God.

Later, the Psalmist alluded to that abandonment of Siló, and Jeremiah used the same example to warn Judah. The message was clear: Do not think that Jerusalem and its temple are untouchable. If Jehovah left He whistled for the wickedness of his people, he can also leave this temple in which you trust.

There is a phrase from Jeremiah 7:13 that deserves a lot of attention: although I spoke to them over and over again, they did not heed. I called them, but you guys weren’t answering. Jehovah did not act without warning. He was patient. He spoke to them many times. It gave them opportunities to change. He sent them warnings. But they didn’t listen.

This teaches us two things. First, Jehovah is patient and merciful. He does not want people to suffer the consequences of their misconduct. That’s why he corrects, warns and gives opportunities. But, second, it also teaches us that we should not abuse their patience. If Jehovah speaks to us through his Word, through meetings, through publications or through a biblical counsel, the wise thing is to answer.

We can ask ourselves: When Jehovah helps me see that I have to change something, how do I react? Am I just? Am I annoyed? Or do I appreciate the correction and try to improve? The inhabitants of Judah did not answer when Jehovah called them. We want to do the opposite. We want to listen and respond with humility.

Siló’s example also teaches us that things related to true worship must be treated with respect. The Israelites in Ely’s time trusted the Ark. The Jews in the days of Jeremiah trusted in the temple. In both cases, the error was similar: they trusted something sacred, but did not seek Jehovah’s approval through obedience.

Today we might ask ourselves: “Am I relying only on how spiritual I appear, or am I truly obeying Jehovah?” For example, a family might say: “We serve Jehovah.” But that claim should be evident in the atmosphere at home. Is there respect? Is there affection? Do family members apologize? Is entertainment that Jehovah disapproves of avoided? Is Jehovah spoken about naturally? True worship is demonstrated not only in public but also in private.

A young man can learn a lot from this lesson, too. Maybe his companions know he’s a Jehovah’s Witness. But the question is: does he prove it with his behavior? In your way of talking, dressing, using social media, choosing friendships and reacting to pressure? When a young man decides to honor Jehovah even if others do not, he proves that he does not rely on an appearance, but on a real faith.

And now we come to this week’s question of reflection: Does it honor Jehovah my conduct at all times?

That question sums up very well the three points we have seen. First, the inhabitants of Judah thought that the temple alone would protect them, even if their conduct were evil. We don’t want to trust spiritual appearances. We want sincere worship.

Second, his behavior tarnished the name of Jehovah. We carry that name and we want to honor it with every aspect of our life.

And the third, Jehovah reminded them of the example of Shiloh to show them that they should not trust in a holy place while disobeying. We want to learn from that example and listen to Jehovah when he speaks to us.

So we can ask ourselves specific questions: Does it hurt Jehovah my way of speaking? Does it honor Jehovah my dealing with my family? Does it honor Jehovah my honesty at work? Does it honor Jehovah what I see when I’m alone? Does it honor Jehovah my reaction when I get advice? Does it honor Jehovah my way of preaching and treating people?

If when we ask ourselves these questions we see something we must correct, let us not be discouraged. Jehovah corrects us because he loves us. He wants us to stay close to him and that our worship be clean. Unlike those inhabitants of Judah, we want to answer when Jehovah calls us.

May Jeremiah’s example help us to be brave. May the evil example of Judah help us to reject a worship of appearance. And may the remembrance of Shia remind us that Jehovah blesses those who hear, obey and honor his name. Thus we will show, not only in words, but with our conduct, that we deeply respect Jehovah and value the privilege of bearing his holy name.