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The people of God were under the judgment of God for a period of 70 years. So, the Lord was giving them specific instructions for them only. For they had false prophets lying to them about the 70 years, and so the Lord was correcting those errors. And then the Lord told them that when the 70 years were completed that he would visit them, and that he would fulfill his promise to them to bring them back to their homeland. Then he said:
Jeremiah 29:11-14 ESV
Now this was a very specific promise given to a particular group of people at a specific time and place in history, so we need to be very careful here that we don’t take promises for ourselves out of the context they were meant in and for whom they were intended. But, as with all Scripture, we can learn from this, for it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction and training in righteousness, if we interpret it in the correct context and use it in the right way, according to the overall teachings of the Scriptures.
Does God have plans for us, his people now? Yes, he does. But what was the situation with these people? Why were God’s people under his judgment and held in captivity for 70 years? What did they do wrong? They were guilty of idolatry, spiritual adultery or apostacy, immorality, and rebellion against the Lord and of not repenting of their sins when God used Jeremiah to confront them with their sins and to call for them to repent and to turn back to God. And so God used Babylon as his instrument of judgment against them.
So, this promise in Jeremiah 29 is in the context of God’s rebellious and idolatrous and adulterous people who refused to repent of their sins, even though given opportunity after opportunity to do so, and so the Lord had no choice but to judge them in order to bring them back to himself in repentance and in renewal and in the forsaking of their sins in order to now follow the Lord in walks of surrender and in obedience to him, and no longer in sinful rebellion against him. For this was the plan he had for them.
And he has the same plan for us, that we repent of our sins of idolatry and adultery and rebellion against him, if this is where we are, and that we return to him in submission to his will for our lives and in surrender of our lives to him to now walk in obedience to his ways and according to his commands (New Covenant), and in walks of holiness and righteousness, and no longer in idolatry and adultery and in immorality. For this is the very purpose for why Jesus died on that cross, to deliver us out of our sins.
But with regard to God’s people as a unit, today this would be the church, the body of Christ. And if the church (overall, at large) in America would be measured in the same way, by the same standards, which are still God’s measurements and standards for his people, then we collectively are ripe for the judgment of God, too, for the same exact reasons. And many of them God will judge because their “faith” in Jesus is of man, not of God, for it permits them to keep on in their sinful rebellion without consequence.
But this doesn’t mean that everyone professing faith in Jesus Christ here in America is like this. There is a remnant here in America of Christians who are not living in sinful rebellion against the Lord, who are not living in idolatry and adultery and in immorality, but who are following the Lord Jesus with their lives. But, when the nation is under judgment, everyone suffers. Jeremiah, although he was a godly man, and God’s prophet to the people, was forced to suffer right along with his people.
So, again, the plans God has for us, his people, are that we repent of (turn from) our sins and that we follow him in obedience to his ways and to his commands in holy and righteous living, and no longer in sin. For this purpose Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross. And this is for our good, and it is for our welfare, and this does give us a future and a hope when we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, and we leave our lives of sin behind us to now follow him wherever he leads us.
And then we will call upon him, and we will seek after him, and we will no longer seek after the idols and the things of this sinful world. And we will pray to him and call upon him instead of turning to other humans to lead us in the way we should go, and instead of looking to the things of this sinful world to meet our needs or our wants. For we will now seek after the Lord with our whole hearts and not after the desires of the flesh. And we will be found by him, and we will be his, and we will have eternal life in him.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
Jeremiah 29:11-14 ESV
“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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you…”
Now this was a very specific promise given to a particular group of people at a specific time and place in history, so we need to be very careful here that we don’t take promises for ourselves out of the context they were meant in and for whom they were intended. But, as with all Scripture, we can learn from this, for it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction and training in righteousness, if we interpret it in the correct context and use it in the right way, according to the overall teachings of the Scriptures.
Does God have plans for us, his people now? Yes, he does. But what was the situation with these people? Why were God’s people under his judgment and held in captivity for 70 years? What did they do wrong? They were guilty of idolatry, spiritual adultery or apostacy, immorality, and rebellion against the Lord and of not repenting of their sins when God used Jeremiah to confront them with their sins and to call for them to repent and to turn back to God. And so God used Babylon as his instrument of judgment against them.
So, this promise in Jeremiah 29 is in the context of God’s rebellious and idolatrous and adulterous people who refused to repent of their sins, even though given opportunity after opportunity to do so, and so the Lord had no choice but to judge them in order to bring them back to himself in repentance and in renewal and in the forsaking of their sins in order to now follow the Lord in walks of surrender and in obedience to him, and no longer in sinful rebellion against him. For this was the plan he had for them.
And he has the same plan for us, that we repent of our sins of idolatry and adultery and rebellion against him, if this is where we are, and that we return to him in submission to his will for our lives and in surrender of our lives to him to now walk in obedience to his ways and according to his commands (New Covenant), and in walks of holiness and righteousness, and no longer in idolatry and adultery and in immorality. For this is the very purpose for why Jesus died on that cross, to deliver us out of our sins.
But with regard to God’s people as a unit, today this would be the church, the body of Christ. And if the church (overall, at large) in America would be measured in the same way, by the same standards, which are still God’s measurements and standards for his people, then we collectively are ripe for the judgment of God, too, for the same exact reasons. And many of them God will judge because their “faith” in Jesus is of man, not of God, for it permits them to keep on in their sinful rebellion without consequence.
But this doesn’t mean that everyone professing faith in Jesus Christ here in America is like this. There is a remnant here in America of Christians who are not living in sinful rebellion against the Lord, who are not living in idolatry and adultery and in immorality, but who are following the Lord Jesus with their lives. But, when the nation is under judgment, everyone suffers. Jeremiah, although he was a godly man, and God’s prophet to the people, was forced to suffer right along with his people.
So, again, the plans God has for us, his people, are that we repent of (turn from) our sins and that we follow him in obedience to his ways and to his commands in holy and righteous living, and no longer in sin. For this purpose Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross. And this is for our good, and it is for our welfare, and this does give us a future and a hope when we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, and we leave our lives of sin behind us to now follow him wherever he leads us.
And then we will call upon him, and we will seek after him, and we will no longer seek after the idols and the things of this sinful world. And we will pray to him and call upon him instead of turning to other humans to lead us in the way we should go, and instead of looking to the things of this sinful world to meet our needs or our wants. For we will now seek after the Lord with our whole hearts and not after the desires of the flesh. And we will be found by him, and we will be his, and we will have eternal life in him.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
