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Monday, March 21, 2022

Considering Current World Events as of March 2022, Jeremiah's Letter Appears Applicable <>< Listen to the Encouragement of God’s Word to be both Content and More than Conquerors in Whatever Circumstances we Face

 Listen to the Encouragement of God’s Word to be both Content and More than Conquerors in Whatever Circumstances we Face: Jeremiah’s Letter to the Captives, Jeremiah 29:1–14 

1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive—to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen-mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths 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, saying,

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace, you will have peace. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord.

10 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.[1] 

Introduction: acts of violence against other human beings are horrendous. Yet down through the centuries, some of the most appalling crimes against humanity have been those done for the cause of race, religion, beliefs, culture, or social strata. In addition to these acts of evil, every community has its share of people who abuse their neighbors through verbal attacks such as gossip, false accusations, or cursing. Furthermore, there are those who sexually abuse others, in some cases even their own children. A most deplorable offense! When one considers all the acts of lawlessness within just one community, a picture of the prevailing abuse that takes place throughout the world every day becomes clear. Lawlessness and violence are running rampant throughout society.

In the present Scripture, the people of God are being abused by a group of men who claim to be sent from God. But in reality, they are self-appointed, false prophets. They stand opposed to the Lord and His prophet Jeremiah. Tragically, they are giving the people the false hope of security, peace, and prosperity when God had pronounced a sentence of judgment. This chapter continues the false prophets’ violent opposition to the prophet Jeremiah and his strong witness for the Lord. Through a series of letters, Jeremiah exposed the opposition by the false prophets.

 Jeremiah’s first letter to the exiles in Babylon: be an encouragement to make the most of the circumstances, to be a strong testimony, 1 Co. 4:11–12 (vs. 1–14).

 (29:1–14) The first letter from Jeremiah was sent to the exiles in Babylon. Jeremiah wanted to encourage the exiles by giving them a message from God. God told them to make the most of their difficult circumstances. In the midst of the severest trial imaginable, after they had lost everything and been deported to a foreign land, they needed to be a strong testimony for the Lord. Although they had not been living for the Lord, it was now time to settle down in exile, turn back to God, and earnestly seek Him with all their hearts (vs. 12–13). What God wanted to say to the exiles is sketched out in the letter recorded in Scripture:  

OUTLINE

SCRIPTURE

1. Jeremiah’s first letter to the exiles in Babylon: An encouragement to make the most of the circumstances, to be a strong testimony, 1 Co. 4:11–12

a. The recipients & date of the letter

1) The letter was sent to the surviving Jews who had been deported to Babylon

 

Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

 

2) The letter was sent after the exile of King Jehoiachin, the queen Mother, the political leaders, & the leaders of Judah, 2 K. 24:12–16

 

2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)

 

3) The letter was sent along with the diplomatic mail

 

3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon)     saying,

 

b. The encouragement by God to turn tragedy into triumph

1) The people had lost everything & were in exile—held captive in Babylon

 

4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

 

2) The encouragement

• To settle down, build houses, & plant gardens

 

5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

 

• To marry, build families, & increase the population

 

6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

 

• To seek the peace & prosperity of Babylon

• To pray for their captors, Ezr. 6:10; Mt. 5:43–48; Ro. 12:21; Tit. 3:1–2

c. The warning against false prophets: They deceived the people

1) They preached a quick return of the exiles to Judah: A message of false hope

 

7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

 

2) They were preaching lies

3) They were not sent by God, were not true prophets

 

9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.

 

d. The wonderful promises of God

1) God would restore the nation: Not then, but after 70 years, 25:11–12; 2 Chr. 36:21; Da. 9:1–2

 

10 For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

 

2) God had a wonderful plan for them: A plan of peace & prosperity, a plan with a very bright hope & future

 

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 

3) God would hear their prayers: But they must call upon Him & seek after Him with all their hearts

 

12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 

4) God would set them free from captivity, but freedom was conditional: They must seek Him with all their hearts, vs. 12–13

• He would gather them from all the nations

• He would bring them back to the promised land

 

14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

 

a. The recipients of the letter were the Jews who had been taken into exile by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (vs. 1–3). From all indications, the letter was sent right after the deportation of 597 b.c. It was then that King Jehoiachin and the queen mother were exiled along with the political and religious leaders and the skilled laborers of the country. Apparently, King Nebuchadnezzar deported anyone he thought might cause a problem for the Babylonian Empire in the future. Of course, as with any conquered people who are exiled and forced to march hundreds of miles, many of the Jews did not survive the grueling trip. But some did survive both the fighting and the forced march to Babylon. Knowing the survivors’ desperate need for encouragement, Jeremiah sent them this letter.

Note that the letter was sent along with the diplomatic mail (v. 3). For some reason, King Zedekiah was sending some special correspondence to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It may have been an assurance of Zedekiah’s loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar that accompanied the annual tribute, or taxes. Whatever the case, the two envoys who were carrying the diplomatic mail were Elasah and Gemariah (v. 3). Elasah was the son of Shaphan, which probably means that he was the brother of Ahikam who had supported Jeremiah at his trial when he faced the false charge of committing treason against the nation (Je. 26:1–24). Gemariah was probably a son of Hilkiah, the high priest during the administration of King Josiah (2 K. 22:3–4).

b. The encouragement Jeremiah gave the exiles was from God Himself. The Lord encouraged the people to turn their tragedy into triumph (vs. 4–7). God Himself had carried the people into exile. Nebuchadnezzar was only the agent the Lord was using to execute His justice and judgment on the people. Thus, God Himself was in essence sending this letter through His prophet.

The people had lost everything: their homes, property, and wealth. In many cases, they had also lost their husbands and sons in battle and their wives and daughters to the abusive, raping hands of the conquering soldiers. Now, having lost their freedom as well, they were held captive in a foreign nation. Many probably still suffered from the wounds of battle and the abuse by conquerors, and all were surely gripped by a spirit of hopelessness. If the people ever needed encouragement, it was then. So God stepped forth to meet their need and gave them strong encouragement through His prophet Jeremiah. Being very practical, the Lord instructed the people how to live in the land of their conquerors. God gave the people four very specific instructions:

Ø  They were to settle down, build houses, and plant gardens (v. 5).

Ø  They were to marry, start families, and have children so their population would increase (v. 6). Unknown to the people, the Lord was planning to restore their nation in the distant future.

Ø  They were to seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon (v. 7a). The people were far more likely to prosper and be given more freedom if they did not cause civil disorder or rise up against their conquerors.

Ø  They were even to pray for their unbelieving captors (v. 7b; Ezr. 6:10; Mt. 5:43–48; Ro. 12:21; Tit. 3:1–2).

c. The Lord warned the people against listening to the false prophets, for they were preaching a deceptive message (vs. 8–9). They were proclaiming that the Lord would soon return the exiles to their homeland. This was the same message false prophets were preaching back in Judah (27:8–22). It was a message of false security, peace, and prosperity. Naturally, this was a message that was well-received by an enslaved, oppressed people who were suffering so terribly. Dreaming and longing for their homeland and for deliverance from their enemies, the people were easily misled by the false prophets. Therefore, they needed a strong warning against being deceived. In no uncertain terms, the Lord warned the people: the false prophets were preaching lies. He had not sent them. They were not true prophets (v. 9).

d. On the other hand, the people must not lose heart, for the Lord understood their plight and their sufferings. And His ultimate purpose for them was to pour out His richest blessings upon them. To all who truly trusted Him, the Lord gave four wonderful promises:

 1) The Lord promised to restore the nation, to bring His people back to the promised land (v. 10). But their return would not take place until after seventy years (25:11–12; 2 Chr. 36:21; Da. 9:1–2; Je. 25:1–14). Since the people were to be in exile in Babylon for seventy years, it was important for them to adjust to their new environment. They needed to follow the instructions of the Lord: settle down, build houses, plant gardens, marry, start families, and increase their numbers. They needed to do all they could to build the peace and prosperity of Babylon so that they themselves could live in peace and prosperity. If they obeyed the Lord, the Lord would restore their nation. Although most of the parents would die in Babylon, they could place their hope in their children. The Lord was promising to return their children to the promised land, where they would restore and rebuild the nation of Israel.

2) The Lord promised the people that His plans for them were not to harm them, but rather to bring them peace and prosperity. Note that God’s plan offered them a very bright hope and future. If the people placed their trust in the Lord, He would deliver them from their captivity in Babylon and return them to the promised land. God could have promised them no greater hope and future.

3) The Lord promised to hear the prayers of His people (vs. 12–13). However, the people first had to call upon Him and seek Him with all their hearts. That was why the people had to remain in Babylon. God’s discipline had to have time to do its work. Through the suffering of the exile, the hearts of the people would be made soft, broken to the point that they would sincerely cry out to the Lord for deliverance. If the people were allowed to return to their homeland too soon, their hearts would still be hard and stubborn against God. The people would still trust their own power—the power of the flesh—to deliver them. And they would still live wicked lives and worship false gods. Thus, God was using the Babylonian captivity to break the people. In their suffering and distress, they would beg Him to save them, and they would recommit their lives to Him. They would turn from their wickedness and their false gods and dedicate themselves to follow the Lord and to obey His Holy Word.

4) The Lord promised that once the people were truly broken before Him, He would set them free from captivity (v. 14). But keep in mind the condition for being set free: the people had to seek the Lord with all their hearts (vs. 12–13). When their hearts were truly broken before Him, He would gather them from all the nations and bring them back to the promised land.  

Thought 1. God instructs us to make the most of our circumstances no matter how bad they are. Whatever hardship or misfortune we confront, we are to stand strong for the Lord and bear witness to the strength He places within us. God will always provide for His people. He will always give us the strength to conquer whatever confronts us. Even when we make mistakes and bring bad circumstances upon ourselves, if we truly turn to God in repentance and renewed commitment, He will deliver us from the crushing weight of the suffering. 

Listen to the encouragement of God’s Word to be both content and more than conquerors in whatever circumstances we face:  

Ø  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro. 8:35, 37–39).

Ø  “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it” (1 Co. 4:10–12).

Ø  “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Co. 1:3–4).

Ø  “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Ph. 4:11–13).

Ø  “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Ti. 6:8).

Ø  “Let your conversation [behavior, conduct] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (He. 13:5).

Ø  “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn. 5:4–5).

Ø  “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him” (Ps. 28:7).

Ø  “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Is. 41:10).

Ø  “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Is. 43:1–2).[2] 

 

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