Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”
We love to quote this verse and some of you have even been given this verse as an encouragement and nothing is wrong with that but when you look at the context and background it would hardly seem good news to those who heard it. Jeremiah had been prophesying about the coming destruction of Israel and Jerusalem by Babylon and they were not to resist but surrender to them. If they resisted, they would be killed or have their eyes taken out. Poor Jeremiah was beaten up and thrown into a well for his words. Some did resist and that’s exactly what happened. The Babylonians came and besieged the city destroyed their temple with many lives lost, and they were taken into captivity for 70 years. So, unless you were a very young person at that time you were never going to see your home land again. They went into captivity for 70 years for their sins and the sins of their Fathers. The vast majority died in captivity. I wonder how they reconciled these words from the Lord as the Babylonian’s sacked and destroyed their temple and city. God did have good plans for them but it wasn’t for that generation. He told them go to Babylon settle down, have children build houses prosper and pray for Babylon that it would prosper because in that you would prosper. I’m sure they didn’t see this as good news at all and a bright future full of hope. God was looking far beyond that generation. Sobering indeed. God sees things far differently than we do.