![]() Meanwhile, the exiles in Babylon were restless. He continued to minister to his people-not by crowing, “I told you so,” but with messages of comfort and compassion. Jeremiah, because he had foretold the Babylonian victory, was well treated by the invaders and allowed to stay in Jerusalem. The nation was stripped of talent and leadership. The Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah, executed most of the royal family and took the elite of the nation-its priests, nobility, scholars and other leaders-into exile in Babylon. Jeremiah was ignored, ridiculed and put in prison. Jeremiah, you remember, was a prophet that God sent to the people of ancient Judah to urge them to mend their ways and turn back to him to avoid national ruin. This verse is part of a letter that Jeremiah wrote about 2,500 years ago. To do that, we first need to get the context. Especially as our traditional Christianity is in decline, and many of our congregations are made up mainly of older people, clinging desperately to keep the faith alive. ![]() But to use this verse to buttress that argument is to miss its real point, the one that really needs to be made today. I am not suggesting that it is not God’s ultimate will to prosper us and give us a bright future-that is a topic well worth exploring. To read that into it is to wrench it out of context. The problem is, health and wealth now is not what this verse is about. No wonder the verse has become so popular. Never mind that it was from the Old Testament it delivered the good news that God wanted to bless us and prosper us, and it was his plan to do so. It seemed to say exactly what they were offering-a gospel that promised the good life now. Christian ministries that focused on “health and wealth” loved it. I probably have read that verse many times since I began studying the Bible. You’ll find it buried in the writings of the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah. ![]() “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.” ![]() Then, in about 1980, it began appearing everywhere-advertisements, background music to movies and TV series, and as an entrance march at weddings. He wrote it about 1680, but it lay forgotten for three centuries. It happened with Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major. They call it “going viral.” Almost overnight a video, a news item, or perhaps a piece of music rockets from relative obscurity to universal recognition. Christian Living: Whose Hope? What Future? Jeremiah 29:11 ![]()
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