Passage: Jeremiah 29:1-13
When was the last time you received a letter?
Not common these days, emails, texts etc. If I was wanting to relay some information to you in an email or letter and I wrote it all down, but you only chose to read parts of it, chances are the information would be misconstrued, or you might get a totally different understanding of that information. We tend to do this with letters in the bible, those from Paul and others.
Because of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us who follow Christ, God can use even a few verses, a few words from a letter to speak to us in personal and powerful ways.
It is useful sometimes to understand a few lines of a letter, a verse of the bible in the context of the whole letter. That is what we will attempt today.
As we read this letter, the direct words of God, through the prophet Jeremiah, I hope and pray God will reveal to us what He wants us to hear.
Historical Context: The people of Israel had been told numerous times from idolatry or they will be sent to Babylon. Into exile and captivity.
It must have been hard to hear, that God was going to send his people, israel to another nation, another country, another culture and use those foreigners for His glory.
The people struggled with this, and ‘prophets’ spoke against it.
God had other ideas, and they came through Jeremiah.
CH 29, is a letter, the direct word of God to the leaders of Israel in exile, priests, prophets elders…everyone included… all the people...
Here were some instructions from God as to how to live in a foreign place.
V 5. Build houses settle, plant gardens.
V 6 Marry and have sones and daughters, marry your children to Babylonians. Increase in number, do not decrease.
V7 Seek the peace and prosperity of the city. Pray to the lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
V8 Don’t listen to people saying otherwise or to those who might be saying, don’t get involved in Babylon, remain Israelites.
V10, seventy years completed, bring them back..
V11, plans I have for you, to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
V12 Then you will call upon me and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I think this letter to the exiles has a few things we can find useful as we as Gods people, live daily in a world where he is not at the centre.
Idea I find is one of presence.
Physical presence.
V 5- Build houses, plant gardens.
Relational presence.
V 6 Marry and have sons and daughters, marry your children to Babylonians. Increase in number, do not decrease.
Spiritual presence
V7 Seek the peace and prosperity of the city. Pray to the lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
We need to stay the path, be persistent, not give up.
V8 Don’t listen to people saying otherwise to those who might be saying, don’t get involved in Babylon, remain Israelites.
V9. They are not from God.
Our presence as Gods people leads to transformation.
Transformation
V 10 when seventy years completed, I will fulfill my promise and bring you back.
When we are deeply involved as Gods people in our communities, when we love them, pray for them, live in them, get involved, when we are a meaningful presence.
We are transformed, they are transformed.
Presence and Transformation are Gods plan for us.
V11. For I know the plans I have for you, to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
V12 Then you will call upon me and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
QUESTIONS
1. In what ways can we be a presence for God in our community?
2. As transformed people, how do we work and live to transform the communities around us?
Spend some time this week, praying for the prosperity of and for good relationships and outcomes in our community
