September 5, 2026, Jeremiah 29:1-23
September 5, 2026, Jeremiah 29:1-23
29 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the
prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the
priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into
exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King
Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and
Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3
The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and
Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all
the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build
houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take
wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your
daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there,
and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where
I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord
on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For
thus says the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you
deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,[a]
9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my
name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.
10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed
for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring
you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for
you, declares the Lord, plans for
welfare[b]
and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then
you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You
will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I
will be found by you, declares the Lord,
and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all
the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I
sent you into exile.
15 “Because you have said,
‘The Lord has raised up prophets
for us in Babylon,’ 16 thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David,
and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your kinsmen who did not
go out with you into exile: 17 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I am sending on
them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that
are so rotten they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them
with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the
kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among
all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they did
not pay attention to my words, declares the Lord,
that I persistently sent to you by my servants the prophets, but you would not
listen, declares the Lord.’ 20
Hear the word of the Lord,
all you exiles whom I sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 ‘Thus
says the Lord of hosts, the God of
Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah,
who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into
the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall strike them down before
your eyes. 22 Because of them this curse shall be used by all
the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord
make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,”
23 because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they
have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my
name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am
witness, declares the Lord.’”
Jeremiah 29:1-23
contains the famous letter written by the prophet Jeremiah from Jerusalem to
the exiled Jeremiah from Jerusalmen to the exiled community living in Babylon,
correcting their expectations for a quick return and giving them instructions
for enduring a long exile.
● God told the exiles to build, plant and multiply in a foreign land
then putting their lives on hold in verses 5-6.
If you are currently in an unwanted temporary, or frustrating life
situation, how can you actively choose to build a meaningful life right now
instead of waiting for things to change?
●
Verses 12-13 state that
God will be found when you search for Him with all your heart. What areas of your heart, thoughts, or daily
routine are you currently holding back from fully surrendering to God?
Robin Adams
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