“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11.
This word is to the Babylonian exiles: the children of Israel. Jeremiah, the Man of God, is instructing them to settle down, since they will be in exile for 50 to 70 years. He said, “Your welfare will not harm you, but it will provide a future for you and hope for you and for generations to come. The Lord has promised to keep you, even in your suffering. The Lord God says that instead of being frustrated in the spirit of rebellion: tribes of Judah and Benjamin, I need you to settle into your new life in Babylon. Jeremiah tells the exiles to live, marry, and build productive lives. The exiles (children of Israel) are commanded to pray for and work towards the peace and prosperity of their conquerors, including King Nebuchadnezzar II. God said: “I know your well-being is tried and hard to do so. How do you make the best of making things easy when you are captive by your enemy? I need you to go forth in spiritual obedience. It is a test of your submission to God‘s judgment. By praying for your enemies, they will face and accept their current circumstances as part of a divine plan of God for their eventual future and hope. Reconcile yourself to the captivity of your enemy and make the best of it and live. Don’t give any credit to the false prophets, who fed you with a speedy release.”
The Man of God assures them that God will restore them in mercy to their own land again, at the end of your 50 to 70 years. “Keep yourself and do not look at the one that will be persecuted with one judgment after another. The two false prophets will have destruction on their own lives as they continue to be false.”
This is the reason why they want to persecute Jeremiah. He is stirring up the people to come against him. He’s writing a letter like this against Shemaiah, a false prophet. If I can get this in the priest’s mind about Jeremiah, then I can put it in the minds of the people to turn against him and not believe him. God’s denunciation will cause the people’s wrath against the false prophet. This is how people see you when you are doing the will of God. But remember it is God’s plan for your purpose. God will vindicate you when you make a stand for what is right. You may be in your exile. You may be having hard days of confinement, but God will come through for you every time you stay focused on doing His will.
