One of the most quoted and prized verses of the bible is Jeremiah 29:11. It’s even often used as a New Year’s verse because of what it says about hope for our future. “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.” Many people believe this verse signifies God having good plans for the coming year and it gives people a hopeful outlook for the future. They think it’s a promise of immediate rescue from a difficult situation or it guarantees you’re going to have personal success and prosperity That’s a very dangerous and slippery slope because we live in a fallen world. Try going a whole day let alone a whole week where something doesn’t go wrong, something doesn’t get messed up, or something doesn’t stress you out or upset you. That’s impossible, right! Jeremiah 29:11 is not an assurance of a trouble-free life. We must be careful not to allow our own feelings, emotions, and desires to get in the way of understanding what this verse entails. If we fail to keep this verse in context, we may stumble and begin to doubt God’s Word, His goodness, and His love for us.
Understanding the historical context of this verse can give us greater understanding. What do we find when we look to Israel’s history at the time of this writing in Jeremiah? We find God’s discipline and judgment of His people, but we also find future restoration. How do we know this? Well, we’re going to find out because we’re going to read more from chapter 29 for ourselves here in just a little bit. Jeremiah 29:11 has to be read in the context of the whole book of Jeremiah. When you read the whole book of Jeremiah, you need to keep in mind Israel’s story. Ultimately, the bible is not written about us. It’s written about God and His Son, Jesus Christ. It involved the people that lived back then, yet it’s still applicable to our lives today. It’s important to understand that this isn’t God’s letter to you saying everything’s going to be peachy.
So, let’s dig into Jeremiah 29:11! First, we learn that it was originally addressed to the entire nation of Israel – not an individual. When you read down through this chapter, you will notice the word “you” several times. This word is actually used in its plural form; it’s referring to the people as a whole. It’s collective – kind of like saying “all y’all.” It was addressing the Jews in exile in Babylon, but as you read down toward the end of the chapter you will also see that it’s also intended to be shared with the Jews still in Jerusalem as well.
The Jews in exile in Babylon were forcibly removed from their homeland. Look at verse 1 and verse 4:
“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.” … “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.”
Through Jeremiah, God is the One telling these exiles that their scattering is not accidental. He even says it in verse 4, if you read the Amplified Bible Classic Edition, it says: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.” So God is the One who sent them away. It was not an accident. The people had been warned many times before that if they continued in their rebellion and sin, God would judge His people. They would be disciplined for their disobedience to God and His Word. However, if we keep reading, we find that God did not leave His people or abandon them. He gave them very specific instructions for their lives while in exile:
“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.” (Jer. 29:5-7)
Why does God tell the people to build houses, plant gardens, get married, marry off your kids, have babies and grow your families? These people are in exile in another nation; it doesn’t seem to make sense that they would “settle down.” Afterall, they aren’t on vacation. They are in a dark place, spiritually. They are among a nation that doesn’t know God or His Word. The reason God is telling them to live their lives is because the return from exile is not going to happen in their generation. Many of these people are going to die in Babylon, and so while they are there, they are to live their life and live it faithfully. Yes, they were being punished. Yes, it was miserable. But God had a purpose for them being there and He wanted them to thrive. He didn’t just want to keep them alive at the bare minimum. He wanted them to continue living and build up the nation of Israel.
God gave the people instruction, but He also provided a warning.
“For 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, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 29:8-9)
Jeremiah’s message comes in the wake of false prophets who had misled the people. Just like today, we have false teachers doling out sugar coated, pop-culture Christianity on social media. Jeremiah reveals to the people in verse 10 that the length of their exile is seventy years. Seventy years in another nation! Seventy years away from their homeland. We wonder if the people felt utter despair and hopelessness as they were carried off into exile. We would imagine so! However, God gives the people hope through the words of Jeremiah in verse 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.”
The people are reminded that God is in control. He told them in verses one and four that He was the One who caused them to be sent away, but now He’s saying, “I will bring you back.” What comfort! What hope! What love, grace, and mercy of God for His children! And all of this – leading up to the infamous Jeremiah 29:11. See what we miss when we limit our scope to a single verse! Let’s read 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.”
Did you know that God’s promises are not just limited to times of prosperity. God’s promises are extended to you even throughout your darkest moments. Even when you go through chaos, crisis, and devastation – it doesn’t void God’s promises. His promises are not just limited to whenever things are great, and the sun is shining. His promises extend even through the bad times in our life. It’s important that we do not forget that! I like the Amplified Version Classic Edition for verse 11 because it ends with the words “final outcome.” It reads:
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”
God tells the people in exile that He has plans for them. What did those plans entail? We are given a glimpse in vv. 12-14. These verses give us the result that God was going to give them once the time of exile was completed. God didn’t want the people to doubt Him. He was going before them and would be with them throughout their time of discipline. And when they came out the other side, it would be well with them!
“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, 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.” (Jer. 29:12-14)
This is the whole reason of everything to begin with – they had sinned and so they were being punished, to be brought back to God! He sent them out of their way to be uncomfortable so that they would come back to Him! So, when God gives them those great words in verse 11, it was not for immediate fulfillment. We know that because of verse 10 which said, “when 70 years are completed.” Then he goes into vv. 11-14 to share details of the time after their 70 years are completed. That’s why the people needed to trust God. He knew what was coming. He knew their final outcome. It wasn’t going to happen right now. It wasn’t for immediate fulfillment. They were warned that it’s going to be 70 years, but the result once that time of exile is completed is absolutely beautiful! No doubt these verses offered hope to the people who were experiencing discipline and judgment. God had a promise for them, for a future beyond their current circumstances.
When God says in verse 11 that He has thoughts toward us, do you believe Him? Do you feel like He only thinks of you when you screw up? Or do you feel like He only thinks of you when you are doing right? Sometimes we don’t feel like God is paying attention to us or giving us a single thought, but He is and He does. When we are obedient to Him and His Word, He is well pleased with us. But even when we sin and endure His discipline, His thoughts are still toward His children. Isn’t that humbling!
Psalm 40:5, “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.”
Psalm 139:17-18, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”
We cannot know the thoughts of the Lord because they’re too high for us, they’re too deep for our understanding; but God knows them, and He tells us His thoughts are for peace. Not for evil. His thoughts are toward giving you a future and hope. What we find in these verses is the unchanging heart of God toward His people. We see God’s great grace and mercy toward us, and we are so undeserving. There is hope; God does have a future and a hope for His people – even in their suffering, even in exile, even when we have to endure discipline. And that’s really important to remember: the discipline the Jews were experiencing in exile was deserved discipline. God had warned them; it wasn’t affliction to test their faith. They weren’t innocent, and we are not either. We’re not perfect. When we get saved, when we put our faith and trust in Christ and receive salvation, we don’t just instantly turn perfect. Wouldn’t that be nice if we did! But that’s not reality. When we sin as believers, when we backslide, and we are disobedient to God, the devil will often try to tell us that God doesn’t have a future or hope for us. The devil screams in our ear that we are a failure, we have screwed up, and we’ve disappointed God. We may have rebelled and been disobedient to God, but it’s a lie that He doesn’t have a future or hope for us. Nothing we do or don’t do, as believers, will thwart God’s plans and purposes. We aren’t that powerful. God’s not that fragile. His plans and purposes are not weak and flimsy.
When God tells His people in verse 11 that He has a future and a hope for them, the message is very clear: I’m not giving up on you! Just because His people were in captivity doesn’t mean that God didn’t have a purpose for His people in their captivity. He had a purpose in sending them to Babylon. Think for a moment, if you will, about the impact these people of God had on the dark and unbelieving nation in which they now reside. Some of them – many of them – spent the rest of their lives in that dark place of exile. There is an entire generation of people, 70 years long, now living among a nation of people who did not know the One True God. Who did the exiles influence? Who did they impact for God? Were these 70 years laying the groundwork for the Gospel to come? Did they talk about God? Did they share His Word with others?
God is sovereign and He has control over every situation in our life, even the ones that seem hopeless. What is his bigger plan? Ultimately, it’s redemption, which was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Right now, it’s as if we are the ones in exile, it’s as if we’re the ones in a dark place. We are like exiles in this time between Christ’s return. We live in a fallen world. We are going to experience tragedy and heartbreak, car wrecks and cancer, sickness and “natural disasters.” It’s not going to be perfect on the earth for us right now. We will suffer, bleed, and die. And though we may be tempted at times to think God has abandoned us, and that we are sheep to be slaughtered, we still have the hope of the Gospel! God has a plan for you in Christ. That plan is not for your destruction in hell; it’s for your well-being in heaven forever with Him. When you receive salvation, God is sanctifying you. He’s conforming you to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Do you have that hope? Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and your Savior? Have you confessed that you are a sinner, believed in the Lord for the forgiveness of your sins, and repented? If not, why not do that today!