Misused Bible Verses: Example 9
Some verses of Scripture tend to relax our minds and calm our hearts in an extra special way. The words of Jeremiah 29:11-13 are like this:
“For I know the plans that I have planned for you,” says the LORD,
“Plans of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon me, and come, and pray to me,
and I will hear you.
Then you will seek me and find [me],
when you seek me with your whole heart.”
We easily interpret these soothing words to mean something like: “If I pray to God, then I will find the perfect spouse, discover my dream job, have a successful business, enjoy a happy and harmonious marriage, have a good career, and expect good health.” For many, these verses are a long and poetic way of saying, “God promises that everything’s going to work out really great for me,” or, “I’ve got a great life ahead.”
Written During a Season of Judgment
The prophet Jeremiah wrote these words from God as part of a letter. He sent this letter to Jews who had recently been taken as prisoners of war in Babylon (Jer 29:1, 4). In this letter, he confirmed that their captivity would continue for 70 years. He offered no hope of an earlier release.
Written to Correct False Prophets
This bleak outlook differed markedly from the favorable prediction of another prophet named Hananiah. This man claimed that the Israelites would return to Jerusalem in only two years or less (Jer 28:2, 11). Jeremiah denounced this prediction as false and misleading and predicted a sudden death to Hananiah, which happened only weeks later (Jer 28:15-17). In addition to Hananiah, it seems that other false prophets attempted to give similar, favorable predictions (Jer 29:8-9).
Written to Encourage Acceptance
Jeremiah wrote this letter to encourage the Israelites to accept their circumstances rather than look for a way to escape. He encouraged them to settle down in the foreign cities where they had been placed - to build houses, plant gardens, marry, raise children, and contribute to the economic progress of the pagan cities (Jer 29:5-8). Why? Because by doing so, they would contribute to their own well-being and prosperity throughout their captivity (Jer 29:8).
Written for a Future Time and Generation
When you consider the 70-year timespan, which Moses considered to be a full lifespan (Psa 90:10), and the encouragement to raise children and grandchildren, you discover an important detail. The promise of Jer 29:11-13 would not apply to the immediate generation of Israelites. It applied to the children and grandchildren instead, for most of the adults would die of natural causes before the 70 years transpired.
Written to the Nation of Israel
God issued this promise to the nation of Israel, not to first- or twenty-first-century believers. Furthermore, he issued this promise for a specific historical event, the return of Israelites from the foreign cities of Babylon in the fifth century BC. (The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record the events and stages of this return.)
Just as Jewish people should be careful not to apply this promise to every difficulty they faced, we should be even more careful not to apply this promise loosely for ourselves twenty-five centuries later as non-Jewish people.
Written to Inspire Hope
The words of Jeremiah 29:11-13 encouraged the Israelites in Babylon to settle down for the long-haul, knowing that their captivity was part of a larger, longer plan that God was working out. They could rest assured, knowing that the end result would be a return to Israel and Jerusalem in exactly 70 years. They could know this lengthy stay in Babylon would lead to their ultimate welfare, prosperity, and well-being (which is what peace means).
What’s more, this prophecy guaranteed that the Israelites would not only return to Israel (Jer 29:14), but they would also return to a close, wholehearted relationship with the LORD (Jer 29:12-13). Though the Israelites wanted to return to their land, God wanted them to return to him even more. The 70-year captivity would fulfill this divine desire.
Written for Our Learning
As you can see, these verses do not guarantee concrete, favorable outcomes in your lifetime today. After all, they didn’t even guarantee such outcomes for their original audience. Instead, they encouraged a generation of Israelites to accept their unpleasant and undesirable circumstances for the duration of their lives, knowing that a greater good would transpire for their nation in a future generation.
Even so, we should not dismiss these verses as irrelevant for our lives today. Paul reminded Timothy that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). By Scripture, he especially refers to Old Testament statements like Jeremiah 29:11-13.
To the church at Rome, he also said this: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom 15:4). Once again, Paul is referring especially to the Old Testament writings, like Jeremiah 29:11-13.
Seven Relevant Applications for Believers Today
So how can you learn patience, receive comfort, and enjoy hope from this prophecy to Israel in captivity to Bablyon? Consider the following seven ways:
When you experience difficult circumstances, you can trust that God is working out a larger, long-range plan that reaches far beyond your present discomfort. This is an especially appropriate application when your difficulties are somehow the consequence of either your wrong choices or the wrong choices of someone in your life (or perhaps even the collective sins of your church, your nation, or your world).
Unlike Israel, you will not have the luxury of knowing in advance the timespan God’s long-range plan. In some cases, you may experience resolution within your lifetime. In other cases, a resolution may not occur until a later generation. No matter what, these verses remind you to rest in God’s care and to follow his guidance in Scripture, regardless of whether this patient approach leads to favorable experiences now.
Be willing to endure hardship throughout your lifetime, knowing that a full lifetime of suffering may lead to more positive outcomes for people who will come after you. These people include your children, your friends, your church, your neighbors, your community at large – or newer believers whom you are mentoring and serving.
Give yourself wholeheartedly to your work and to your roles in this world. Don’t bail out and withdraw yourself from contributing to the prosperity of your employer or your nation. After all, by giving your best, you will end up benefiting not only your community and your world, but yourself and your family also, and even the kingdom of God.
Disregard those voices which guarantee prolific material prosperity and insist that immediate deliverance is a sign of God’s approval and is always God’s intent. Like the false prophets who challenged Jeremiah, false teachers damage the faith of people today. God does not always guarantee deliverance from circumstantial suffering, but he does provide comfort and hope for any situation.
Foster a close relationship with God today. If you have never been born again, then you should turn to Christ as your God and Savior and place your complete trust in him today. You do not have to wait for decades to call out to God for salvation. If you have already begun to follow Jesus, then you should nurture a growing closeness with God through faithful obedience and prayer.
Rest in hope knowing that many prophecies of Scripture (though not this one) point ahead to a time when God will finalize his triumph over all evil, establish a perfect kingdom that will last forever, and remove all vestiges of evil from your life. This future hope should not make you restless today, but it should enable you to accept your current, less fortunate circumstances in a wicked, fallen world because God knows what he is doing, and the end result is certain.
