Israel and Judah turned the Temple into an idol, allowing it to become more significant to them than God. The Temple, meant to be His house and a place of sacrifice to Him, was described by God as their arrogant boast, the desire of their eyes, and the delight of their soul. He further called it their stronghold, their joy, and their glory, revealing that their focus was entirely misplaced. Their minds were set on the physical Temple rather than on God, though it was intended only as a means to facilitate proper worship. God commanded the Temple to be built and rebuilt, yet it was not to be more admired than Him or to serve as their source of security. Similarly, the church, as the spiritual Temple, is a community of called-out believers meant to foster spiritual growth into the image of God. Like Israel with the Temple, believers or corporate organizations can become larger in our minds than God, receiving more attention due to their visible and tangible nature. If regarded improperly, these can transform from means to an end, causing us to forget Him. As with Israel, God is willing to dismantle what He has commissioned if it draws His people away from Him.

For Israel, the Temple was a beautiful national treasure, a source of joy and glory that they focused on. Yet, God declares, I will profane My sanctuary. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the Temple symbolized security, with the people placing greater trust in its presence in Jerusalem than in God Himself. They believed that since God had erected His house in their city, He would not allow it to be destroyed. However, God asserts that He surely will. Their overt emphasis on the Temple as a guarantor of safety imbued them with false confidence, which God calls useless and profitless, even a fatally deceptive lie. The presence of the Temple led them to believe they had God's complete approval, fostering an abuse of the vulnerable and a disregard for sins like stealing, murdering, adultery, and lying. Their confidence rested in the magnificent building rather than in their standing with God, turning the Temple into an idol. Consequently, God destroyed it. God's words against Israel and Judah serve as warnings, highlighting the danger of placing greater emphasis on a structure—whether physical or spiritual—rather than on a relationship with Him. If one's relationship with God is not on good terms, nothing else truly matters.

Israel and Judah improperly regarded the Temple, esteeming it higher than the God for whom it was built, and putting their confidence in its presence in their city, considering themselves untouchable. Similarly, in the New Testament, the individual Christian is called the temple of God, an instrument for worshipping and glorifying Him. If our trust or confidence is in ourselves as the temple of God, we follow the same destructive path as Israel and Judah, potentially boasting about ourselves rather than God. Ezekiel refers to the Temple as Israel's stronghold, and we can likewise make our strengths and abilities our source of confidence, focusing all attention on the self rather than on God and fellow man. Jeremiah's admonition shows that Judah's trust in the Temple as their source of security led to sacrificing relationships with neighbors, predicting disastrous effects on our relationships if we trust in ourselves or a group rather than God. The physical Temple served an honorable purpose as long as people did not ascribe more to it than warranted, and the spiritual temple, whether the individual or the body of believers, is fundamental to what God is working out. However, a proper regard for the Temple of God, keeping it in the right perspective, is essential to having a right relationship with Him.

Our God has called and chosen us to serve Him and others with humility, being especially sensitive to the needs of those who are socially and economically limited, such as widows and the fatherless. We are to provide help when we see a genuine need among them, as they are often the weakest among us and in most cases unable to work. God sets the example, as David writes in Psalm 68:5, that He is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows in His holy habitation. God Himself declares in Jeremiah 49:11 to leave the fatherless children to Him for preservation and to let widows trust in Him, showing His care for their rights and welfare. In Jeremiah 7:1-11, God speaks through His prophet, commanding the people of Judah to change their ways and stop taking advantage of orphans and widows, promising safety and a long life in their land if they reform. God's ordering of priorities places the care of widows and the fatherless near the top of the list of actions needed to return to a proper relationship with Him, emphasizing the importance of protecting and looking out for the weak among us.