Before we really get started, I’ve got to tell y’all a somewhat humorous story about something that happened to me this past week. You see, each Sunday I take a manuscript of my sermon and post it to a blog, an online page that I maintain. It’s not an exact copy of the sermon, but it’s a rough draft of sorts for how I plan on the flow of the sermon going and the information being delivered. Well, I got an email from someone this past week who apparently stumbled across my blog and wrote me a short but pointed opinion about my particular interpretations of our last two texts, John 3:16 and Philippians 4:13. She was particularly upset with the way in which I “demolished a beautiful text of personal motivation like Philippians 4:13.” She said that it was her favorite verse and that no matter what I said it wouldn’t change what it meant to her. Two things, next Sunday we’re going to look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Scripture’s inerrancy and infallibility, so I hope she decides to read that one as well, and also, I hope that Jeremiah 29:11 isn’t her second favorite text if her interpretation of it is similar to that of the verse from Philippians that we examined last Sunday.
Look, I gave you that story (which actually happened by the way) in order to do two things. The first of which is to introduce the way in which we’re approaching our text for today, looking at it in its context and not just an out-of-nowhere framework. The second is to give you an understanding as to why I’m doing this short exercise with a handful of verses. The way in which many Christians have taken God’s Word and corrupted it and made it more about themselves than about God has, I think, a lot to do with the state of affairs in our country and our world as it pertains to the Christian church. The gospel has, for many, become more about them that about Christ. Jeremiah 29:11 is a prime example of such a misinterpretation. As we will see in a moment, these are words spoken by God through the prophet Jeremiah to God’s chosen people who were living in exile. These were words of encouragement to a people so that they didn’t lose their hope. However, many so-called Christians today use them as Scriptural backing that whatever financial or business venture they embark upon that there is success to be found because God has promised it, or that God is going to deliver them from a time of suffering to a time of prosperity in this earthly life. They interpret these words to mean that the Christian life is to be a life that is free of pain and suffering, or at least minimal pain and suffering. Well, you know that that isn’t the case; just look at what we said last Sunday about sometimes the Christian life specifically being a life of suffering and hardship.
If we were to look at the context in which we find these words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, we would see that they were given originally to the nation of Israel. Not only were they given to the nation of Israel, but they were given to Israel very early during their exile into Babylon. So, God’s people since the time of the promise made to Abraham have been through a rollercoaster in terms of their status. They enjoyed prosperity under Joseph, and then slavery after Joseph had passed. They were delivered through Moses, enjoyed growth under Joshua, and struggled during the time of the judges. They were blessed under Saul, David, and Solomon, but had deteriorated slowly since that point, ultimately ending in this Babylonian Captivity. And notice if you will, that God doesn’t come out and say not to worry because He’s getting ready to give them right back what they lost through being exiled and then some. No; God’s words spoken through Jeremiah immediately before this say, “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.” Now, we will deal with how God ultimately fulfilled this in a minute, but did you notice the seventy-year timeframe? If you were going through a difficult time and I told you that all you had to do was wait seventy years, would you take comfort in that? I don’t even know that we would take comfort if we were promised seventy days of hardship, much less seventy years. Also, don’t forget that there had to be some of the Israelites who were thinking “God, didn’t we endure 400 years of slavery in Egypt already? Didn’t we endure 40 years in the wilderness wandering without a home? Hasn’t one of our kingdoms already been destroyed and overthrown? Do we really need to be in exile for another 70 years?” I know I’m not one to criticize God, but there had to be those who were thinking that this suffering was just an endless list of “just wait a little longer.”
Also, God doesn’t tell Israel that they need to suffer and can just sit and sulk for the entirety of that time. Earlier on in this chapter, in verse 7, God tells them to “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.” In other words, these folks, God’s people, who are in exile (i.e. not supposed to be there) are commanded by God not to try and get back to where they are supposed to be, but to seek to have an impact on where they are. It doesn’t matter if you’re not at the physical, financial, occupational, or social destination that you want to be at or that you feel that you are supposed to be at. What matters is that you are having an impact for the gospel right where you are. God is giving a command that no matter where we find ourselves, that our goal ought to be the promotion and glorification of His kingdom and His righteousness and His glory. Our primary goal isn’t to be the restoration of our status, but the declaration of God’s status.
When Jeremiah says the words, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” we have to realize that the “I” that is being referred to there isn’t Jeremiah, it isn’t the people of Israel, and it most certainly isn’t you and me, but it is God Almighty. God alone knows what plans He has for us in the future. God alone knew the plans that He had for Israel and their “welfare and not for evil, to give [them] a future and a hope.” God alone knew that Christ was the aforementioned future and hope of Israel and our future hope as well.
I want to speak very plainly to what many times we see folks do with this verse. They do this with similar verses as well, but I want to focus on this verse in particular this morning. One thing is that we put ourselves as the focus of this verse. When it’s something that we want, then we just assume that it’s God’s plan for us. I really want that job, that car, that house, that life, that whatever it might be, and so God’s plan must be for me to have that. That’s not what this verse means at all. You know we talked just a second ago about the “I” being God? Well, when we think along these lines, then we are putting ourselves as the “I” and not God. Another thing that we see, and I already mentioned this a little earlier as well, is that we see many people use these words as Biblical validation for a lucrative business deal. Somehow, the focus of this verse has become the Hebrew word shalom, which is translated in various English versions of this text as either, welfare, peace, or to prosper. We particularly like the translation that renders the reading of this text as “to prosper” because that just carries with it a certain image of success in our world. But you see, this verse isn’t about gaining wealth. It’s about a restoration, but not in a completely financial sense like we tend to see it. This verse is somewhat of an Old Testament version of Romans 8:28, “All things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes.” We know that not everything is good in-and-of itself; not every experience is good or pleasant, but that God works all things for good, for the glorification of His kingdom. Well, the words of Jeremiah 29:11 are saying that God knows the plan. The plan may not be enjoyable, like 70 years of exile, 400 years in slavery, 6 months unemployed, the loss of friendships, or the alienation from certain folks, but know that because it is God’s plan that it ultimately is a plan of peace, a plan of shalom, and a plan of hope. Because it is God’s plan, it’s a good plan.
So, the question is probably lingering out there right now, “Well, if you’ve spent all this time talking about how this was a specific promise for Israel, then does it have anything to do with us; does it have any meaning for us?” You know, that’s a good question. Many folks don’t know how to distinguish general promises of God (i.e. those made for all Christians at all times) from specific promises (those made to a certain group). Recently “retired” pastor and theologian John Piper in an interview about this passage was asked a similar question. He was asked if we can claim this passage in any way. His answer, “Absolutely we can claim it, and we can completely claim it because of Christ.” You see, this entire prophecy in Jeremiah is about Christ. When Jeremiah speaks of the hope and the future for Israel, he’s speaking specifically about the promised Messiah. Just as Jesus was the hope for Israel, he’s our hope too. You see, the promise that God was making Israel through Jeremiah about a restoration, a hope, and a peace, is a promise that He has fulfilled for us in Christ through his life to perfection, his saving death, and his glorious resurrection.
In a few moments, we’re going to partake of the Lord’s Supper. As I deliver to you the words of the institution of that sacrament, I will remind you that Christ said in the Upper Room, gathered there together with his disciples, that the cup, which he poured out for them, was the new covenant in his blood. In other words, Christ was saying to his disciples, “When I die, I am securing for you all the new covenant promises that have been made. All of the promises that my Father made with the nation of Israel, His chosen people, will be fulfilled in His new covenant people, all those who profess saving faith in me (i.e. the Church).” The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to the church in Corinth, told them that “all the promises of God find their Yes in Christ.” All of the promises that God has ever made to His people find their completion, their fulfillment, in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The words of Jeremiah 29:11 are powerful words. They are very famous and important words. They may even be your favorite words in all of Scripture aside from “He is risen.” I know and have known may folks that claim this verse in Jeremiah to be their favorite verse, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. This is right up there with some of my favorite verses. In fact, all three verses that we’ve looked at (John 3:16, Philippians 4:13, and Jeremiah 29:11) are among my favorite verses in Scripture. However, we cannot misinterpret them or take their meaning out of context. God has a plan. He has a plan to prosper us, to give us peace, to give us hope, to give us welfare, to give us a future, and to restore us. That plan is already in motion. It started before the foundations of the earth, it was revealed in the Garden to Adam and Eve, clarified through the prophets, accomplished by Jesus Christ, and the fruits of that plan are being applied this very day by the Holy Spirit. God’s plan looks different for each and every one of us, but the One through whom that plan is accomplished is the very one whom we remember this day through the partaking of the elements on the table before us. God’s plan is very complex, but at the same time very simple. God’s plan is Jesus Christ. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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