The Future We Hope For
Jeremiah 29:1-14 (ESV)
29 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.2This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem.3The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said:4“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:5Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.6Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.7But 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.8For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,[a] 9for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.
10“For thus says the Lord: 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. 11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.13You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.14I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Do you have an optimistic outlook for your future? How
confident are you that things will improve significantly? How does your faith in Christ influence your perspective on what lies ahead? Many of us are probably asking these important questions as we enter the new year. I trust we all understand that, despite
everything happening around us—economic instability, political discord, and the moral and spiritual decline of many—we can remain confident about our future because of our faith in Jesus Christ. Someone has wisely stated:
The Christian hope is the hope that has seen everything and endured everything, yet still has not despaired because it believes in God. The Christian hope is not hope in the human spirit, in human goodness, in human endurance, or in human achievement; the Christian hope is hope in
the power of God.
Now, do you share in this kind of hope? This morning, my task is to conclude our sermon series for the month, titled “The Promised Hope.” The main focus of these sermons is to examine Old Testament promises about the coming Savior, who is our ultimate source of hope. For our final message, we want to explore how this hope applies, based on the beautiful promise in Jeremiah 29. I’m sure most of us are familiar with verse 11 – “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.” I believe, like me, we love this passage. But often, we completely underestimate the true significance of this verse because we don’t know the background—why God made these promises to His people.
When you read verse 1, you’ll see that this letter was sent by the prophet Jeremiah to comfort God’s people who had been taken from Jerusalem in 597 B.C. and exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. There’s no doubt that these people were really desperate and discouraged because of the difficult adjustments in starting a new life in a pagan society. If you go back to chapter 28, many of them believed Hananiah, a false prophet who told them that even if they were taken captives, it would only be for a short time.
Jeremiah 28: 10-11 (ESV)
10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them.
11And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.
While they struggled to adjust in Babylon, they also
remained passive because of the words of the false prophet to them. So, Jeremiah wrote them this letter to help them maintain the right perspective about everything and stay hopeful during the seventy years of their captivity. As we study our text together, let me highlight three essential understandings of the hope God is giving His people then and now.
I. HOPE ACCEPTS GOD’S AUTHORITY (vs. 1-4)
The very first truth we need to accept as God’s people today is that we are not the masters of our own fate; God is. When you read the first four verses of our text, they were taken to Babylon, not because of King Nebuchadnezzar, but because God sent them there. With the words in verse 1, saying, “whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,” the statement seems to suggest that King Nebuchadnezzar took them into exile. However, this idea is ultimately clarified in verse 4, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.”
One of the most essential theological truths that the Bible teaches and that believers must accept is God’s sovereignty. In simple terms, this doctrine explains that God has absolute authority and controls all creation, constantly fulfilling His own righteous purpose.
Here are some biblical supports for it:
● Psalm 103:19 (ESV)
19The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his
kingdom rules over all.
● Isaiah 46:10 (ESV)
10declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
There are still many Biblical passages that establish this doctrine, but due to time constraints, these two verses are more than enough. You know, it brings a lot
of comfort when we cling to this doctrine of God’s sovereignty. Why? Let’s first apply this to the nation of Israel being sent as
exiles to Babylon. Sure, their lives became difficult, miserable, and filled with inconveniences. However, because God is sovereign, the consolation is that God is not only present with them in their
situation, but He is also very much in control, fulfilling His good purpose in their lives. This is very what Paul conveyed in one of the most beloved verses in the Bible, Romans 8:28 (ESV):
28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Whether we like it or not, God will always fulfill His purposes in our lives. What was God’s purpose for their Babylonian captivity? Well, the prophet Jeremiah repeatedly warned the nation that their sinful disobedience would lead to God’s discipline to purify and preserve them as a nation. Let’s not forget that God chose Israel to be His representatives and a light to the pagan nations around them. This truth is explained to them in Exodus 19: 4-6 (ESV):
4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
The key phrase here is in verse 6, “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” In the Bible, a priest acts as a mediator between God and humanity. He is the “go-between” for God and people. He represents God to everyone, or vice versa, representing people to God. This role requires holiness because God is holy, and He has asked all His priests to be holy. So, when Israel did not live according to God’s requirements, God had to discipline them. In other words, their captivity was not a punishment; it was for their purification and preservation as a nation.
Having said that, when we face difficult circumstances, we should quickly remind ourselves that God is fully in control. This helps us avoid feeling hopeless and encourages us to become more aware of the purpose God is working through our life’s circumstances. This truth becomes even clearer in the next major point.
II. HOPE ACCOMPLISHES GOD’S AGENDA (vs. 4-10)
Without a good grasp of God’s purpose for Israel, we would
not appreciate God’s words in verse 5-7 – “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your
daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But 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.”
Remember, Hananiah the false prophet told them that they would be in exile for only a short time, exactly two years. Because many believed his prophecy, they decided not to settle or build their lives in Babylon. Instead, they would remain passive until God restores them to Jerusalem. However, this choice would not fulfill God’s purpose for them. So, God instructed them to live among the Babylonians. He even told them to seek the “welfare of the city.” In other words, they should do things that help the city grow and prosper.
I love this reminder because this is very much applicable to us today. How? If you fast forward to 1 Peter 2:11, we read these words:
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
12Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
When examining Peter’s words to us, he clearly reminds us of our identity as believers in Christ. In verse 9, he tells us that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special possession; then in verse 11, he also adds that we are sojourners and exiles. Additionally, Peter discusses our roles. In verse 9, he states, “you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light.” Then, in verse 12, he says, “they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” Clearly, these descriptions are similar to those of the nation of Israel
emphasized in Exodus 19. You see, if the nation of Israel isolates itself and lives its life away from the people, they will miss out on accomplishing God’s purpose for bringing them to Babylon. If they begin to build walls and create a Jewish subculture where they were, then they will not be effective light-bearers in Babylon. The same can be said to all of us today.
Of course, there had been some confusion between our responsibility for separation and our tendency for isolation. The apostle Paul clearly said these words in Romans 12:1-2 (ESV):
1I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
This passage clearly shows that when we dedicate our lives to the Lord as holy and spiritual sacrifices, we must not allow the world to influence or shape us. Therefore, it is possible for God’s people to separate themselves from worldly deeds without isolating themselves from the world. John MacArthur explained it by saying:
There is no problem when the boat is on the water; the problem begins when the water is in the boat. In other words, it’s fine for Christians to be in the world as long as the world doesn’t control them.
Going back to the nation of Israel, who were in Babylon, they should never lose sight of God’s purpose of why He brought them there. As they continue to hope that one day God’s deliverance will come, they should remain in active obedience to Him, doing their best to be light-bearers for Him. Listen, Biblical hope always calls for active obedience until we ultimately experience God’s promise of deliverance. The author of Hebrews talks about this truth: Hebrews 10: 35-36 (ESV)
35Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Again, while we continue to hope in the Lord, stay faithful
until we ultimately experience God’s promise of deliverance. III. HOPE ANTICIPATES GOD’S ABUNDANCE (vs. 11-14)
Finally, this powerful verse – “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” (v. 11). I know we love to quote this verse; however, let’s be careful not to use it out of context. If you read the words in verse 10, we see the Lord making a promise to His people exiled in Babylon that after seventy years of being away from the Promised Land, He will restore them.
Now, with this promise, God continues in verse 11, revealing that He has good plans for their future, which can serve as the foundation of their hope. Once again, for God’s people who were suffering greatly while surrounded by a pagan nation, finding hope for a better future was a tremendous blessing. It not only renews their spirits but also gives them new life. Consider at least three aspects of God’s amazing plans:
1. Restored Fellowship with God (vs. 12-14a) – “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. . .” In God’s holiness, He will not tolerate their sins. However, this distant relationship will not last forever. He will restore His close relationship with His people. But an important truth here is the condition set for this renewal. God said, “If you seek me . . . when you seek me with all your heart.” If we want to renew our relationship with God, we must first seek Him with all our hearts. It doesn’t happen automatically without us desiring to be close to Him.
2. Restored Fortunes (v. 14b) “and I will restore your fortunes” Prior to the invasion of the Babylonians, Israel was a prosperous country. In fact, the Babylonian’s interest in conquering Israel is because King Hezekiah boasted and displayed their riches to some Babylonian delegates who visited him (Isaiah 39: 1-7). They lost all their riches to the Babylonians.
3. Restored Family (v. 14c) “gather you from all the nations
and all the places where I have driven you, declares the
LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I
sent you into exile.”
Israel is more than just a country or a nation; it is one big
family. And God promised to gather all their family members who had been scattered across the world.
God’s promise of a great future goes beyond material prosperity; it encompasses everything we need to experience an abundant life – intimacy with God, sufficiency for material and physical needs, and healthy relationships with family and friends. I believe that as believers in Jesus Christ, all of us will one day experience this kind of life. Jesus made a clear promise of a great future for all believers. John 10:10 declares –“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
I encourage each of you to take a moment to reflect on your life. What uncertainties are you facing? What fears are holding you back? Bring them to God and remind yourself of His promise: He has a plan for you, a plan filled with hope and purpose. Let us continually ask God to help us trust in His plans, seek His guidance in our lives, and be vessels of hope to those around us.