Jeremiah is having difficulty getting people to believe his prophetic message. A century or so before another prophet, Isaiah, told the people not to worry about their enemies due to the presence of God in the temple. The people won’t heed Jeremiah’s call to reform presuming the “temple of the Lord” will serve as a magic barrier this time as well. The prophet warns them it is not the holiness of the place but the holiness of the people that assures divine protection. He says God shields his people: “Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with his neighbor; if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow.” As then, so now, we show our faith in God by how we treat the least in society.
