11. 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.
12. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
The focus of Jeremiah 29 is the captivity of the Israelites in Babylon. As is common in the Old
Testament, the Israelites were repeatedly chastised by God for their idolatry, adultery, and stiff-
necked disobedience. Even though God provided prophets like Jeremiah to speak His truth, the
Israelites chose false prophets that would tell them what they wanted to hear, despite living in direct contradiction to God’s law. Because of their persistence in sin, God permitted His people to be held captive in Babylon for seventy years before returning them to Jerusalem—where they would be free and hopefully mindful of His commandments.
To keep them hopeful and content while in captivity, God sent a message through Jeremiah,
instructing the Israelites to build homes, plant gardens, work, even to marry and have children to increase their numbers. This would make their time in Babylon feel less like captivity while making them wiser and hopefully faithful to God.
The last Old Testament prophet used by God was Malachi, he prophesied after the Babylonian exile. God chose him to confront the corrupt priesthood, not paying tithes and offerings, the rise of divorce, among other things. The Christian church continues to wrestle with the same issues such as false teachers and corrupt members of clergy, and divorce is still an issue among born-again Christians.
The sins of today are not unlike those of the Israelites. Idol worship is still practiced when love for a person becomes stronger than love for God. Material things are coveted even more today. Adultery and fornication remain common practices. Yet God’s love for His children today is just as strong as it was for Israel.
But God’s unconditional love should not be taken for granted. While it is true that salvation comes through faith alone, every Christian is an ambassador of Christ, and as such are responsible for the image and reputation of the Church body. As children and servants of God we have the awesome responsibility of representing Him on earth. We help to populate the Kingdom of Heaven when we allow His light to shine through us, drawing His lost sheep to Him. This is how the desire to be obedient brings glory to God.
Amen.