Jeremiah 29:11

Passage

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

Introduction

one of most misused/misinterpreted passages

anthem of the prosperity movement

because of its misuse, very much underrated

Context

Historical

prophecies took place during reign of final 5 kings of Judah

Josiah - Zedekiah

Babylonian invasion (586 BC)

due to Judah’s apostasy and idolatry

Literal

who is the target audience? - helps establish meaning

who is NOT the target audience?

NOT the man outside the dealership eyeballing the sports car

NOT the woman window shopping outside her favorite designer store

NOT the fitness junkie training for his next marathon

NOT the young man/woman eagerly anticipating their acceptance letter to his/her dream school

Jeremiah 29:1 NASB95

Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

where? - “sent from Jerusalem…to Babylon”

to whom? - “elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar (Neby) had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon”

Text

Who is speaking?

“For I KNOW…plans I HAVE...”

Jeremiah 29:10 ““For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.”

What is He speaking about?

“fulfill My good word to you...”

“bring you back”

v11 - “plans for welfare and not calamity”

they thought they were destroyed

“to give you a future and a hope”

future - end, result - this is not their ultimate fate

hope - expectation, something to await for

Application

For Israel Then

language used, God calls back to the past

reminds them of who He is and what He’s done and what He’s promised

Exodus 3 - I AM WHO I AM - God of Abr, Isa, Jac

For Us Today

based on New Covenant, we have a hope

Must put our hope in the right place

POW - ones who died had hope; those who survived accepted their fate

Our hope alone is in Jesus Christ