Jeremiah 29:8-14 The Message
8-9 Yes. Believe it or not, this is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God: “Don’t let all those so-called preachers and know-it-alls who are all over the place there take you in with their lies. Don’t pay any attention to the fantasies they keep coming up with to please you. They’re a bunch of liars preaching lies—and claiming I sent them! I never sent them, believe me.” God’s Decree!
10-11 This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
12 “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
13-14 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.
“I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
How rare is the Word of God today?
How rare is the genuine understanding of the Word of God today?
How rare is the genuine truth of the Word of God sought after today?
How rare is the person who seeks after the genuine truth of God’s Word?
How rare is the person who actually, diligently, genuinely, seeks to apply the wisdom and the genuine truth of the Word of God to their lives?
How rare is the person who actually, diligently, genuinely applies the genuine truth of the Word of God to their lives?
How rare is the person who then actually, diligently, genuinely, seeks with all of their heart, souls, minds and strength, to diligently, genuinely teach all others? (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Do we genuinely want to know, love, experience God through His Word alone?
Do we really and genuinely want to surprise ourselves by seeking His Kingdom?
The True Deeper Meaning of Jeremiah 29:11 Might Surprise You
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most well-known and quoted verses in the Bible.
It’s promise is held dearly by Christians all over the world.
But despite it’s popularity the meaning of Jeremiah 29:11 is often misused and misapplied.
It’s one of the most misquoted verses in the entire Bible.
While many Christians have this verse memorized and hanging on their walls, the context in which it’s written is often ignored.
The Bible passage of Jeremiah 29:11 is a popular verse that we, as Christians, cling to in times of trials and hardships.
Whenever problems occur in our earthly lives, we always find safe refuge in the Word of God and one of those verses is Jeremiah 29:11.
Because of this,
it is essential to understand the historical as well as the literary context of the verse to give us a deeper understanding as to why Jeremiah wrote it.
When we ignore the context in which the Bible is written we can quite literally make it say anything we want.
What We Commonly Get Wrong About Jeremiah 29:11 Meaning
Jeremiah 29:11 is everywhere.
From coffee mugs to graduation speeches this verse is plastered everywhere.
Yet despite the popularity the meaning of Jeremiah 29:11 is often misapplied.
Most commonly the meaning of Jeremiah 29:11 is applied as a personal promise.
That God has a wonderful and perfect plan for ME.
Many take this verse and apply it specifically to them, that God has their life perfectly mapped out, and that they only have to walk in obedience to God.
Others take this verse a step further claiming this verse is a continuous promise of health and wealth.
Since we are children of the King we would, could, should only hope to expect the best from God.
With this view, anything less than that view, pain and suffering are interpreted as a sign of disobedience, being disciplined by our God for our true lack of faith.
The main problem with these interpretations of Jeremiah 29:11 is that they are very ME centered.
It’s all about what God can and is going to do for ME.
And that’s not the meaning of Jeremiah 29:11.
Or the Bible for that matter.
Where do we begin to more deeply, genuinely acknowledge, the grace of God?
When do we acknowledge the genuine authority, sovereignty, power, of God’s exclusive to God truth behind Psalm 46:10-11?
Psalm 46:10-11 The Message
8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything.”
11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
See all of the marvels of God and God alone!
The alleged marvels of humanity are not even mentioned by the Psalmist!
The sovereignty of God and God alone is where everything remains the same.
Psalm 46:10-11 Amplified Bible
10
“Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”
11
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.
So, accounting for it being about God alone, what does Jeremiah 29:11 mean?
Let’s dive into the context and find out.
The Meaning Of Jeremiah 29:11 In Context Historically
Context matters. In fact, I would say context is king.
When we are reading the Bible we cannot ignore the context in which what we are reading is written in.
That means we should do three things when reading the Bible:
- Look at the surrounding verses
- Consider the original audience
- Look at the larger narrative of the Bible
What is the history behind his words and what is the reasoning?
What is its literal meaning and how can we apply it to our daily lives, not just during tribulations, but rather, as followers of Jesus Christ and children of God?
To help us understand the meaning of Jeremiah 29:11 we will focus primarily on the first two in the list above.
Let me just say this, the common ways this passage is interpreted does not fit the Biblical narrative – the Bible teaches selflessness not a ME centered faith.
When you rewind a little bit from Jeremiah 29:11 what you see is God talking to the nation of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah.
What Does ‘For I Know the Plans I Have for You’ Mean in Jeremiah 29:11
Based on the historical context of the verse and the major events that happened in the past, we can understand why Jeremiah said the words in Jeremiah 29:11.
His primary goal was to speak to God’s people amidst hardships and suffering.
The people on the long march into Babylonian captivity needed to know there was some kind of hope they could latch themselves onto to face down reality.
The people were ready to grasp onto any smidgen of reality that would reveal for them that somewhere in this national tragedy befalling them, there is hope.
The unfolding breadth, unrelenting scope of trauma in every which direction of recent events of Babylonian siege, and plunder and war, of this disaster abound.
No one was immune from the impossible to measure effects of its devastation.
National identity was being systematically, violently stripped away from them.
Even their beloved Temple, where God was always to be found – was destroyed.
The Temple where God resided, was desecrated beyond repair – God was gone.
No God in residence…the spiritual trauma behind that thought – unfathomable.
Can anyone of us identify with this feeling?
Their lifeline to God and His divine protection – violently, visibly, severed.
Can anyone of us identify with this feeling?
No lifeline to God was equated with having no Hope of seeing Hope ever again.
Can anyone of us identify ourselves with this feeling?
The people of God were asking for an immediate rescue from the suffering that they were experiencing, and the counter-cultural, against the grain, prophet Jeremiah had a huge responsibility to tell them the truth about God’s promise.
He was also tasked to rebuke a very huge and ultra convincing lie that the false prophet Hananiah had widely circulated, which was not a very easy task to do.
This verse was his message, inspired by God’s guidance, to tell the people that God’s response is not an immediate answer, rather, God has a plan to prosper His people amidst hardships, God has a promise for the future of His people.
The needed caveat to these words – being after seventy years of exile is done.
The duration of the exile would continue until God had designed it to be over.
There would be no avoiding it or getting away from its experience or its effects.
The exile was a done deal.
Praying would not end it before its anointed and appointed time.
The exile was going to have to be fully, inescapably, endured. (Psalm 137)
Considering the coming tragedy of that march to Babylon, and what the people already had to endure and bear witness to (Psalm 137:8-9), it was a bitter time!
If we reflect on the words of Jeremiah, we can see the wisdom that God gave him during those trying times.
He starts with a clear, direct message, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,”
These words can be interpreted as a direct message and an assurance that God knows their plans.
And then, the verse continues with a more profound explanation of God’s plan, “‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
These words give more detail of His plan — to inspire His people to continue on, to persevere through the very harshest of seasons, times and circumstances.
The Historical Context of ‘For I Know the Plans I Have for You’ in Jeremiah 29:11
In its context, Jeremiah is speaking to his fellow people as they were forced to exile from their home in Jerusalem to Babylon and, now, under enemy rule.
There was too much turmoil in terms of emotional and physical stress among the believers of God during this time.
To add to this, there was also a false prophet named Hananiah who gave false hope to the Jews regarding the prophecy of God.
According to Hananiah, God promises to relieve the Jews of their suffering after two years and would come back to their home.
This was a false prophecy that Jeremiah heard and rebuked. We can read this verse further in Jeremiah 28:15-17;
Jeremiah 28:15-17 Amplified Bible
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am about to send you away from the face of the earth. This year you will die, because you have spoken and have counseled rebellion against the Lord.’”
17 So Hananiah the [false] prophet died [two months later], the same year, in the seventh month.
Imagine Jeremiah having to tell the Jews that instead of two years, they would live in Babylon for 70 years and endure it as it is written in Jeremiah 29:4-10,
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.”
Jeremiah was tasked to deliver a message that God’s people would have to live, build houses, marry, pray for peace, and prosper in a city that was not theirs.
It was an arduous, difficult task, and Jeremiah had to give the people an inspirational message and thus the words in Jeremiah 29:11 were written.
What Deeper Meaning Would, What Could, What Should, ‘For I Know the Plans I Have for You’ Genuinely Mean for Us Today?
Indeed, Jeremiah 29:11 is a great reminder amidst the longevity of suffering, God alone has a boundless God sized plan for us to prosper and hope for our future.
We should not give up. We may be experiencing different situations such as the severe health or a financial crisis or a family relationship on the brink of being torn apart, the verse tells us that these things are in passing and God has a plan.
Just as what happened in the past with the Jews in Babylon, we may experience “lets grasp for human straws” hopeful words of false prophets like Hananiah.
The much beloved verse also reminds us not to believe in human things that are too good to be true and instead, trust God alone, His Grace, His processes alone.
For it is only in trusting His process we can all be assured of hope for the future.
Lastly, this much cherished verse also reminds us that if we seek God in our hearts, we will never be weary even if we experience suffering in our lives.
Let God alone transform our mindsets of unrelenting suffering to unrelenting joy in the Lord and the Lord alone who is our strength. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
More Bible Verses about Hope
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. ~ Romans 8:24-25
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ~ 1 Peter 1:3
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ~ Romans 15:4
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. ~ Romans 15:13
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ~ Hebrews 11:1
2 Timothy 3:14-17 Amplified Bible
14 But as for you, continue in the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced [holding tightly to the truths], knowing from whom you learned them, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Seek out the deeper meanings, immeasurable truths of the Word of God.
The entirety of our lives is a Tapestry weaved by the Grace of God by God.
In Christ Jesus, our Savior, in Him alone our hope is found (Acts 4:8-12)
Give God 100% of the Glory – saving or hoarding none of it for yourselves.
Give God 100% of the Praise – saving or hoarding none of it for yourselves.
Give God 100% of the Honor – saving or hoarding none of it for yourselves.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Majesty, worship His majesty
Unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise,
Majesty, kingdom authority
Flow from His throne, unto His own
His Anthem raise
Majesty, worship His majesty
Unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise,
Majesty, kingdom authority
Flow from His throne, unto His own
His Anthem raise
So exalt, lift up on high, the name of Jesus
Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King
Majesty, worship His majesty
Jesus who died, now glorified
King of all kings
Copyright:
1981 New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 