The Return from
Captivity
Book of Jeremiah
Chapter 29
The Christian life
is not always an easy life, but we are still to be at peace in our
heart and soul, because we know we are on the winning side.
In our own nation we
know that it is divided even more than it has ever been.
Down through the
centuries the greatest crimes have been in the name of race, and
unfounded beliefs, and cultural wars, social status, and we cannot
leave out religion.
We live knowing that
those in power create these things, so they can continue in the path
they have chosen which is not always the best way for the people.
We know that
lawlessness is running rampant in most all places and no one seems to
care but actually take advantage of these things for political
purposes.
These same type
things were happening in Judah in the time of Jeremiah, but he was
God's chosen man to spread the Word of God to these people.
The people of Judah
were being misled by a group of men who said themselves that they
were called of God, but this was not true.
These things have
continued, and the Church is taking heavy damage because of false
teachers and preachers today.
God has already said
what He is going to do, and we had better decide what we are going to
do!
Jeremiah wrote a
letter according to the Word of God intending to cause encouragement
among those that already had been taken to Babylon.
Chapters 29-31 are
so full of truth and prophecy that it is a shame we can only cover
such a small portion of them.
Let's read what God
had to say.
*****Jer 29:1 Now
these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from
Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away
captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the
people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to
Babylon;
Jer 29:2 (After
that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes
of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were
departed from Jerusalem;)
The Holy Spirit has
caused things to happen so that we can read the same letter Jeremiah
wrote to those who were already captive in Babylon.
Daniel, and those
three Jewish boys renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego among many
others had been taken to Babylon when King Jehoiakim was removed by
Nebuchadnezzar. Some say there were 10,000 of the best of Judah taken
at that time.
Dan 1:1 In the
third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
Dan 1:2 And the
Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the
vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar
to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure
house of his god.
Dan 1:3 And the
king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should
bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and
of the princes;
Dan 1:4 Children in
whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom,
and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had
ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might
teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
Now these others
would join them.
We should understand
today that no matter where we travel it is encouraging to see a copy
of God's Word. We should understand that the Lord never forgets those
He has washed in His own personal blood!
This is the first
letter of many that Jeremiah wrote to these captives.
*****Jer 29:3 By
the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of
Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
Elasah was the son
of Shaphan and the brother of Ahikam who a supporter of Jeremiah was,
when he faced the false charge of treason for preaching the Word of
God. This was in a section we did not cover.
This Gemariah was
probably the son of Hilkiah, the High Priest who was the one who had
found the Books of Moses in the Temple that were read to King Josiah.
It appears that
these two were good men and could be trusted by both sides and they
carried with them the letter of Jeremiah written to those in
captivity.
We already know the
Nebuchadnezzar had a lot of respect for the Prophet Jeremiah.
Many of these in
captivity would now listen to the words of Jeremiah because they were
witness to the fact that what Jeremiah had said had come to be true.
The encouragement
that Jeremiah gave to them were the actual Words of God!
*****Jer 29:4 Thus
saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried
away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem
unto Babylon;
Have you noticed
that God does not hide the things He does, even when we may not like
what He says. He will always tell us the truth!
We must understand
that no matter where we are and no matter what the circumstances, God
wants us to make an impact on those we are near.
The false prophets
were teaching that they would soon be back home, which was not true.
The words of God to Jeremiah was that their captivity would be 70
years.
They in turn were to
make homes for themselves and settle into the communities where they
were located.
They had lost
everything they had in Judah but there never comes a time that God's
people should not be content and do the very best they can.
Nebuchadnezzar had
taken the best of Judah to be an influence on his empire because he
knew the will of God's people are strong
He knew that God
would take care of His people.
He, Nebuchadnezzar
knew he could still profit because of these reasons!
Evil men are
sometimes wiser in the ways of God than the true believer!
God had caused His
people to go into exile and Nebuchadnezzar was only the agent God
used to do this thing. Nebuchadnezzar understood this to be true.
Our world is so
messed up today and foolish to cause harm to God's people.
If the world would
just allow God's people to live in peace, the world would reap many
benefits just because God's takes care of His children.
This letter was also
going to the political power of Babylon and the Lord made sure they
knew that this letter was from the Lord of all the Angelic Host, the
God of all power and not only that but the God of Israel, the
Almighty God!
Jer 24:5 Thus saith
the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I
acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have
sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
Jer 24:6 For I will
set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this
land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant
them, and not pluck them up.
God's message does
not ever change!
What was God's
message on this day?
*****Jer 29:5 Build
ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of
them;
Nebuchadnezzar had
taken some of the best of God's people. They knew how to build
houses. Their land was destroyed but the land of Babylon was fertile,
and they could grow their food according to food laws of Moses and
not depend on trying to find such food in Babylon.
God's people were
more vegetarian than they were big meat eaters as we should be today.
They knew how to
sustain themselves in the things that the Lord would provide, the Sun
and the Rain and the necessities of life along with the Bread of
Life, the Word of God, not much else is really needed.
1Ti 2:1 I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2 For kings,
and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1Ti 2:3 For this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will
have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.
Jer 31:10 Hear the
word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off,
and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a
shepherd doth his flock.
Jer 31:11 For the
LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that
was stronger than he.
Jer 31:14 And I
will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people
shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.
Jer 31:22 How long
wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath
created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
Jer 31:35 Thus
saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the
ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which
divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is
his name:
Jer 31:36 If those
ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of
Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Jer 31:37 Thus
saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations
of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed
of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
We need to
understand that wherever God has placed us, is our mission field.
We need to settle in
and get to work. If the LORD opens another door, He will make us
aware of it!
God celebrates the
return from captivity of every one of His children!
Luk_15:7 I say unto
you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance.
Those who need no
repentance are those who have made themselves righteous in their own
eyes.
When we know that
the Lord is keeping His eyes upon us for our good then we need to be
a peace and do the work God has called us to do!
*****Jer 29:6 Take
ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons,
and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and
daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
This did not mean
for these Jews to take husbands and wives from the people of this
foreign land but from the Jews that were among them. We already know
that there were more than 10,000 of them taken to Babylon and others
would be brought later.
Gen 24:3 And I will
make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the
earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters
of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
Gen 24:4 But thou
shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my
son Isaac.
Today each Christian
is to be a fisher-of-men, so our numbers are never to decrease as
they are today in many locations but only God can save, and these are
the decisions that He makes.
Our job never
changes. We are to do the best we can to tell all others about the
Lord Jesus Christ.
It was important for
these captives to increase for they were indeed the good figs!
They were to settle
down. For those who listened it would be near 70 years before the
Lord would send them back home.
They would not have
to worry about what the government of Babylon would do to them. They
were in the hand of God while they were surrounded by their enemy. In
fact they would find that many from other nations had also been taken
from their homes and they would not have Jehovah to protect them.
They would see many
more who worshipped idols and their god could not save them.
Jehovah had saved
these Jews by placing them in captivity! They had been saved from
themselves!
Eze 28:26 And they
shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant
vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have
executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them;
and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.
What was God's law
for us all?
Gen 1:27 So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God
blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth.
They had to
understand that there is a reason for everything that the Lord does,
and it is always for the betterment of His people. If we do not
understand this then we need to understand one most important thing.
The Lord is God and
He does what He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it!
We are never to
question the ways of our Creator and our Master?
What else were they
to do?
*****Jer 29:7 And
seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried
away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace
thereof shall ye have peace.
The truth is, the
Lord expects those who are Christian to be the best citizens in any
place we are located! Remember the Lord relocated the "Good
Figs" of Judah for their safety
The true honor of a
nation is dependent on the character of its people and as Christians
we are to be like Christ with the character of God Himself or as
close as we can get to it here on this earth!
This is where we
fail the most. We forget the sinless, loving character of our Savior!
They needed to
accept that this letter from Jeremiah was the actual Word of God
because it was, and they needed to study it and completely obey these
words!
We sometimes forget
that the Lord is the answer to every question that we have!
It is the Lord alone
who can change who we are and what other people see in us!
How powerful is our
prayer for each other? We must stand in the breach for each other!
Psa 106:23
Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his
chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest
he should destroy them.
Our sermon from our
Pastor a few weeks ago, was about how great a sin it is to not stand
in the gap for each other.
1Sa 12:23 Moreover
as for me, "God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in
ceasing to pray for you": but I will teach you the good and the
right way:
1Sa 12:24 Only fear
the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider
how great things he hath done for you.
It should be obvious
that according to the truth of God, we sin against the Lord when we
do not pray for one another and this does not mean we pray once and
be done!
When we have the
peace of God in our hearts, we can have peace where ever we are
located.
None of these
commandments change when we get to the New Testament!
1Ti 2:1 I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2 For kings,
and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1Ti 2:3 For this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will
have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.
We must understand
that when we become Christians and even though our home is then in
Heaven and we are just visitors passing through this earth, we are
also still a member of the civil society.
We are to come out
from them and be separate, but we will have to deal with those who
reject the Word of God most every day and the Lord says we are to act
like Christians and have the peace of God which will be a welcome
sight in many places of unrest.
We are to spread
this peace of God to as many as we can, and the very best way is to
be like Jesus Christ.
This is what the
title Christian means, to be Christlike!
We are always to
show an interest in the peace of our nation and be a part of that
peace. This does not ever mean we will not take a stand of the truth
of God because we are to do this no matter what!
We must realize
there will even be those in our own group who will stir up trouble
anywhere they are located, and we should never listen to anyone who
goes against the Word of God.
*****Jer 29:8 For
thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your
prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you,
neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
We must remember
these people, many of them from the royal family had lost everything
they had.
They had been
removed from their homes with just the clothes upon their back.
There were many more
people from the many different nations Babylon had conquered.
If God's people
joined in the grumbling for being in such a position it would not
help matters at all.
If they listened to
the false prophets of their own nation instead of the Word of God
given to Jeremiah, which had already proven to be true, they would be
miserable in their new surroundings.
If they showed that
they had settled into their surroundings, it would make their lives
at least passable until they would go home again to their homeland.
It is always easy to
dream about the good old times when we are going through bad times,
but the God of the mountain is still God in the valley!
As Christians we
have nothing to fear in this world no matter our circumstances. The
worst thing that could happen, which is our death, is really the best
thing that can happen.
Jesus would not be
allowed in many Churches today because He always told the truth. The
truth based on the Word of God.
Mat 24:4 And Jesus
answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many
shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Jesus said these
words when He was asked about His return.
We know that
according to the words of Jesus the very first sign of His return is
the rise in false prophets and false teaching!
Anyone that says
this is not true today need to read and study the Word of God, so
they will not get confused.
We should also
understand that one purpose of the 70 years was for most of these
false teachers to die off.
*****Jer 29:9 For
they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them,
saith the LORD.
We should never
mistake the intentions of the Lord. He does not desire that any human
being die before they have had a chance to repent. God does not think
of evil for anyone of His creations.
There will be many
who will repent but there will also be many who will cross God's "Red
Line" the first one being Lucifer, Satan, and the angels who
followed him.
We must think of the
Lord more as the "father of the prodigal son" than any
other thing.
To those who repent,
the Lord will rush to them with the best robe and He will kill the
fatted cafe and sup with them.
God's every
intention is to give all His children ever lasting peace!
We must also know
that God will not call a stranger to teach you the truth of God.
The very first test
for the man of God is "does he believe that Jesus Christ is
truly the Messiah, God in the flesh"!
Without this faith
we will not ever please our God!
The test in this day
of captivity was the 70 years.
If not for the Word
of God given to Jeremiah, the children of Israel would have only
gotten bad news from home!
It is easy to draw a
crowd when your words are as butter and honey, but we will never get
anything but the truth from the Almighty God!
We would be fools to
desire anything but the truth.
In America today so
many lies have been told, so many words have been twisted and slanted
because of hatred, that we seldom ever hear the truth.
We have people like
Soros and others willing to buy lies and liars to swing things the
way that they would have the world be, but unless we stand up for the
truth, we will lose the freedoms we have because of socialism and
communism.
God will certainly
test our "faith" and He should, when we are so easily
swayed from the truth!
God does not need us
to be witness of lies, when we are to be witnesses of the truth!
*****Jer 29:10 For
thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at
Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in
causing you to return to this place.
Jer 29:11 For I
know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts
of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
God will never
abandon Israel.
Over and over we see
this in the Scriptures and we would fools to believe otherwise! We
already know that the Lord will chastise those He loves.
God's "judgment"
will only fall on those who hate the Lord!
When a prisoner
knows the exact date of his release then everything he does is in
preparation for that day.
These Jews needed to
adapt to their surroundings and be useful and these 70 years would go
quickly.
If they could be a
benefit to Babylon, then they could live in peace while these 70
years passed.
This is what the
Lord ask us all to do. Seventy years have been determined by the Lord
to be the average life span of humans and the Lord only ask us to be
busy about the Lord's work and watch patiently as these years pass
by, until He takes us home.
In typology, this is
the lesson we can learn from the Jewish captivity!
These were nation
builders who Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon and these parents
were to pass these skills to their children so that they could
rebuild Israel when these 70 years were over.
We must also
remember this one thing. These Jews would not return to Israel
because they were very good in Babylon.
They would only
return to Judah because of God's "mercy" and God's "grace"!
They certainly did
not deserve to return to the promised land of God because of their
own merits.
These things should
be really familiar to us all. We will never be good enough to go the
God's Heaven, it will be only because of God's "mercy" and
God's "grace"!
God always has kind
thoughts of all His children and all His creation.
Over and over again
we see that God has no intention for the nation of Israel to cease to
exist! It would be wise for the world to see this too!
God will fulfill the
promises He made to Abraham and to David and we can expect it!
God does not ever
forget the things He says!
God promises all His
children the greatest of futures. Things this world can never
provide!
We know that the
Messiah, Jesus came first to save, and the Messiah will return to sit
on the throne of David in Jerusalem the capital of Israel because
this is the place He has chosen.
The Lord will lead
us to an expected end that He has chosen and on to a life of
wonderful blessings, which He has made new!
All these things are
centered one object: the "good" for all those who love the
LORD!
Zec 12:8 In that
day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that
is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of
David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Zec 12:9 And it
shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the
nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zec 12:10 And I
will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall
look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as
one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as
one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
We must understand,
God does not need a nation that depends on its own power, God needs a
nation that depends on the power of the Holy God who cannot be
defeated!
Zec 12:2 Behold, I
will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round
about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against
Jerusalem.
Zec 12:3 And in
that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all
that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the
people of the earth be gathered together against it.
Nations may hate
Israel today and some gather against her but when they become a
Christian nation all the world will gather against her!
When we look upon
the One who was pierced to shed His blood for our salvation, we will
see the Almighty God who saves and who destroys!
What is the nation
of Israel lacking today?
*****Jer 29:12 Then
shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will
hearken unto you.
They will fulfill
the only thing they are lacking.
2Ch_7:14 If my
people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their
land.
The ears of God are
always open to hearing this prayer from any of us but especially the
children of Israel!
Even King Solomon
understood what the Word of God was saying;
1Ki 8:47 Yet if
they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried
captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of
them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have
done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
1Ki 8:48 And so
return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in
the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto
thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the
city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy
name:
1Ki 8:49 Then hear
thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling
place, and maintain their cause,
1Ki 8:50 And
forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their
transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give
them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may
have compassion on them:
Where did Daniel
pray? From a window facing Jerusalem.
In fact this was to
the location of their prayers no matter where they were. It would not
hurt if we also prayed toward Jerusalem with all our heart, all our
soul in the land of our enemies.
The enemies of the
Church continue to gather against her but the "Bride of Christ"
must never be afraid of what this world can do to her!
This world has hated
the Church from the day the Lord Jesus began His Church!
What always been the
truth of God?
*****Jer 29:13 And
ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all
your heart.
Jer 29:14 And I
will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your
captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all
the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will
bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away
captive.
What is the key?
When we pray with a heart that has been given over to the truth of
God!
We must humble
ourselves in an act of submission to the Lord and allow Him to do as
He pleases with us!
Let the Lord do what
seems to Him to be good for us!
We must then have
hope, "faith" in the promises of God.
Our relationship to
the Lord must be on a personal nature just as His disciples.
It is a great
feeling knowing that the Lord is thinking of us with His every
thought!
In all His majestic
creation God thinks about those who love Him the most!
How can God have
good thoughts of a sinner such as I am?
God knows, who we
are and what we are, and He gives the same instructions to us as He
did to these captives in Babylon.
We are to make the
most out of our circumstances and be patient, and prayerful, watching
for the return of the Lord.
God does not ask
much out of us when we think about all the benefits of giving
ourselves to Him!
Listen to this Psalm
of David
Psa 103:1 Bless the
LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2 Bless the
LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who
forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who
redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with
lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who
satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed
like the eagle's.
Psa 103:6 The LORD
executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
How can we not love
Him?
Amen
Let's Pray
