Jeremiah 29:1-14 (NRSV)
A GOD’S PRESENT COMMANDS/PLANS FOR EXILES: Seeking, Shalom, staying in Babylon (vv. 4-7)
4 A Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles:
whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon
A Introduction of letter:
To the Exiles God Sent to Babylon
5
B
Build houses and live in them
(and) plant gardens and eat what they produce.
B 4 Specific Commands re: Land
6
B’
Take wives and have sons and daughters (and)
take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage
that they may bear sons and daughters;
B’ 4 Specific Commands re:
families, 1 result
7
B”
A’
Multiply there and do not decrease.
But (and) 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 shalom.
B” Summary: 2 General Commands
(1 negative/ 1 positive)
A’ 2 Final commands/1 result re:
what/why God sent them to Babylon
B
THE FALSE PROPHETS DREAM AND WHY WE SHOULD NOT LISTEN TO THEM (vv. 8-9)
8
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
1 Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you,
and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,
9
2 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name;
I did not send them, says the LORD.
1 2 Commands re false prophets
2
2 Reasons to not listen
C’ GOD’S FUTURE PLANS/COMMANDS FOR EXILES: seeking, shalom, return to Jerusalem (vv. 10-14)
10
For thus says the LORD:
A
1 Only when Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you,
and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.
11
2 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD,
plans for your shalom and not for harm,
to give you a future with hope.
A God’s action only-what/when/where)
1 God’s future promise for Exiles
(3 verbs)
2 God’s plans for their future welfare
(General)
12
B
Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.
B Calling and God hearing (4 verbs)
13
B’
(When) you search for me, you will find me
when you seek me with all your heart,
I will let you find me, says the LORD,
B’ Seeking /finding God (4 verbs)
14
A’
(B/B’: 4 future/commands for them)
1’ and I will restore your fortunes and gather you
from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,
says the LORD,
and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
A’ (God’s action only, what/when/where)
1’ God’s future promises for
Israel/Exiles Shalom after 70 years.
(3 verbs)
2’ I have plans for your shalom:
I will send you back to Jerusalem in seventy years.
2’ His plans for their future welfare
(Specific)
Rhetorical Notes:
14a: note the word for fortunes in Hebrew can be translated also as captives. In China bible, this captives word is
used. The context of A, A’ suggests idea of captives BUT The word restore is difficult then. the idea of retored
fortuenes is very much part of the hpe messages of Isaiah, e.g. ch. 61.
Overall:
Or could do: I II, I’, II’: Exiles, false prophets, exiles, false prophets.
New section/letter starts in v. 24.
Note: each section starts with “Thus says the Lord” and ends with the word sent/send in the final section. 2X in the
last
paragraph. (10-14) . In the 15-23 section it is also used but not used at the last verse but in middle on: prophets
God sent
and also the judgment that would be sent.
The word welfare is used in critical places. Only used with exiles in their sections, not wth false prophets; as
expected with judgment.
By section:
B: vv. 4-7:
I: the command to increase and multiply connect with Genesis 1:26-9. Remember where the first garden of Eden
was located: near Babylon. Ironic!
B 1, 1’ : All the commands are positive! What does that suggest about how we relate to a hostile culture and
world?
B 1 4 verbs but the 2nd and 4th both talk about the purpose indirectly: what you do after you do the verb before:
build to live, plant to then eat.
B, B; Specific to general; also: in these, they seek their own welfare; A? (general, not obvious yet, but set up with
God sending…what is his purpose?) A’: they seek the welfare of a hostile nation. Gen. 12:2-3 here!
The surprise: not just first seek best for self then others (which is here) but like with Jesus in Mark 8: when you
seek others welfare, you find your own (life).
A’: note the first command is general (seek welfare) and the 2nd specific. (pray)
II>
2 negative commands followed by a reason with another negative and send.
III.
All verbs future?
B: 3 verbs re our voice going up here . Ends with God hearing us.
B’: Seek/search has the idea of the eyes, ending with finding.
1’ adds to 1 here: with all your heart….and He lets us find him.
A, A’ both say, aND BEGIN with: Thus says the Lord. So does B1’.
Process Starts in Babylon, ends in Jerusalem. So does the book of revelation! So does the Genesis/Exodus story
(eden to promised land).
Place: movement from where we are to the place we hope to be. This place to the old place. This is what Hope is
all about.
70 years repeats. So does plans for welfare.
SUMMARY: HOPE, FAITH AND LOVE?
I. Love (seek welfare of others!)
II. Faith: who will we put our faith in, say yes to and base our decisions on : God’s messengers or false teachers?
III. Hope: vision for the future.
Blessed to be a blessing: both B and B’ have both: make a list. The order here reversed in some ways: you could
argue that B is mostly blessing to nations…and B’ they are blessed.
Note too that in B and B’ the abba both 1) a, a’ are nearly all god is subject: I….in B: it is what God has done in
the past, in B’ it is what God will do in the future. 2) b, b’ are what we are to do (sandwiched by God’s action, like
Matt 28: 18-20, less words here in B’ for sure as the a, a’ dominate re the future…our call to be a blessing is longer
in B (b, b’: the commands to build, eat, etc are the focus there…
When but the b, b’ of B and B’ together, you get some interesting tensions to live with as we seek to be faithful
witnesses and SALT in the world, setting roots in both: visible and invisible, God/vertical and people/hortizontal,
both action and prayer (both sides of intercession).
Jeremiah 29:4-14
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 what they
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 the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive
you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to
you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD.
10
For thus says the LORD: Only when
Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and
bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans
for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.
and come and pray to me, I will hear you.
13
12
Then when you call upon me
When you search for me, you will find me; if you
seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the LORD, and I will restore your
fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says
the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (NRSV)