Is it biblically true?: God's plan in Jeremiah 29:11 is for Me!

Introduction

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most quoted Bible verses. It is a verse that conveys prosperity, hope, and great encouragement for the future. However, is this promise relevant to Christians today? Does God's plan for me include prosperity and an excellent future?

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

What does God say?

Jeremiah 29:1–14 ESV

1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers 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. It said: 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 their 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 your prophets and your 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, declares the Lord. 10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Letter written to the Jewish exiles in Babylon

Yahweh sent them into exile

Verses 5-6 is telling the people to settle down and live while they are there as exiles. While doing so, seek the welfare (prosperity, peace, success. . . Hbw transliteration is shalom) of the city through prayer because they will benefit from it’s welfare (shalom). Essentially welfare here is well-being.

Yahweh warns them to not listen to prophets or diviners who look to deceive them. He did not send them (The book of Jeremiah identifies false prophets and prophesies on multiple occasions. Contextually, chapter 28 is one example)

Their exile is for 70 years and when it is complete, Yahweh promises to bring them back to the Promise Land. He knows His plan for them which is for their well-being and not evil. Through genuine repentance and desire for Yahweh, they will find Yahweh. And He will bring restoration when He gathers them from all the nations and places He has driven them.

What do we say?

This letter and the statements are meant for Jewish exiles in Babylon.

Due to their disobedience, they were exiled by God, from their land which the land is an important aspect of God’s promise. They were warned early in the nations history in:

Leviticus 26:27–35 ESV

27 “But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, 28 then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. 29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you. 31 And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas. 32 And I myself will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. 34 “Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling in it.

Deuteronomy 4:27 ESV

27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you.

The promise is context of an Old Covenant between God and Israel. The promise is for the Israelites of that time who returned to Israel under the edit of Cyrus after the 70 years. Additionally, the promise is to return from exile to their land, Israel, that God promised to them. Therefore, this promise no longer relevant because it was fulfilled by God.

Even if one wants to argue regarding the principle of prosperity and future, first, the Hebrew word shalom conveys all aspects of peace, security, prosperity, and welfare. Essentially, it means well-being. Additionally, in relation to the contrasting statement “evil or harm” (Hebrew = rah), well-being is more appropriate.

Lastly, these people lost something and Yahweh promises to restore it to them. Thus, it is a promise of restoration or salvation. The word restore and fortune in Hebrew conveys a bringing back from captivity which is supported by the two statements about God gathering them and bringing them back to the land He promised to them.

Conclusion

The letter, 1 Peter is parallel to Jeremiah’s letter and relevant to us today. First, it written within the perspective of the New Covenant. Second, it is written to those that are exiles as well. Although exiles in specific regions of that time, it remains relevant for us because we to are God’s chosen people through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Finally, this letter addresses God’s promise of salvation and until the coming of Jesus, how we are to live in this world as God chosen people. I must note, unlike what you would hear from prosperity preachers who love Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Peter talks about the glorious aspect of suffering in the name of Jesus.