This weekend, we celebrate Melbourne day which is observed annually on August 30. Melbourne Day marks the anniversary of the first European settlement in 1835 – the beginning of Melbourne.
Text: Jeremiah 29:4-14
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 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. 7 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.”8 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.9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfil my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Background to Israel’s exile in Babylon
God had warned Israel repeatedly, Jeremiah 7:3, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place…” (But they didn’t listen or change their ways. God discipline and correction them by taking them into exile into Babylon):
Jehoiachin, king of Judah, was captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon, along with some 10,000 of Jerusalem’s principal citizens in 597 BC (see 2 Kings 24:12-16).
Jeremiah 29 is a letter dictated by God to Jeremiah that he was to send to the exiles in Babylon. It gives instructions on how God’s people were to live when they are foreigners in a strange land. They were to make the best of the situation and not waste their days hankering after home.
We are foreigners and strangers on earth (1 Peter 2:11; Heb. 11:13)
And so, this letter is very appropriate to us as well. How are we to live in this foreign land called Planet Earth while we are waiting to be relocated to our Forever Home?
1. Settle Down (5)
“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.”
I.e. make the very most of life in a strange land!
2. Seek Peace (7)
*“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.” *
“Peace and prosperity” – one Hebrew word
Shalom = Safety, happiness, friendliness, welfare, health, prosperity, peace, contentment, completeness, soundness, & restoration.
Nothing missing ~ nothing broken
Seek Shalom
Pray to the Lord for your city
Because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Not only because their welfare for seventy years was bound up with that of Babylon, but also because it would have degraded their whole moral nature to live as conspirators, banded together against the country that was for the time their home.
The Babylonians were the principle developers of astrology, as we know it today. In their worship system, they had 37 supreme gods, and one of these, the god associated with the sun, was supreme over all the other gods. These people believed that numbers in some way had power over the gods they worshiped. However, they had to create numbers that they could assign to the gods so that they could have power over them. To do this, they counted their gods and assigned a count number to each of the 36 lesser supreme gods, and then added up all of these numbers (from one to 36) and assigned the sum to the sun god = 666
Rather they were told to seek shalom, pray for shalom – love the city!
They were also told to:
3. Stay Pure (8-9)
“Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you…”
I.e. don’t spend your days protesting against the evils of Babylon but also be careful that you aren’t corrupted by these same evils.
“Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away” (1 Cor. 7:31)
1 Peter 2:11-12, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (See also 1 John 2:15-17; John 17:15-17; 1 Corinthians 7:31; Titus 2:14; 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; Romans 12:2; Matthew 5:14-16; James 1:26-27)
4. Stare forward (10-14)
“I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.”
“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 you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to 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 will bring you back…”
We pray - God listens.
Discussion Questions
What do you love about Melbourne?
Read and discuss 1 Peter 2:11 and Hebrews 11:13. How are we to live in this foreign land called Planet Earth while we are waiting to be relocated to our Forever Home?
What part of the instructions in Jeremiah 29:5 could you focus on right now? In the future?
“Peace and prosperity” (Jeremiah 29:7) are one Hebrew word, Shalom. It ultimately means, “nothing missing, nothing broken.” What is one practical thing you could do as a Connect Group to bring wholeness to a situation or person?
The Babylonians were the principle developers of astrology. Their chief deity was 666, and they practised occult arts. But God told them to seek the welfare of the city and its people. What could contemporary Christians learn from this, especially those who are consumed by conspiracy theories?
Discuss this statement, “Don’t spend your days protesting against the evils of Babylon but also be careful that you aren’t corrupted by these same evils.” How can followers of Jesus live IN the world without being tainted BY the world? Consider 1 Cor. 7:31 & 1 Peter 2:11-12.
For further study or discussion consider these Scriptures See also 1 John 2:15-17; John 17:15-17; 1 Corinthians 7:31; Titus 2:14; 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; Romans 12:2; Matthew 5:14-16; James 1:26-27.
God’s discipline of his people didn’t last forever. His promise was given, “I will come to you and fulfil my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.” Share an experience of God’s discipline and how he brought you through it.
Jesus gave a similar promise that he would return for his followers. Read and discuss John 14:1-6.
In light of the context of Jeremiah, what do these well-known verses mean to you? “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 you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to 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 will bring you back…”