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Commentary on "Worship: From Exile to Restoration"
Day 4: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 - "Consider Your Ways"
Review
Today’s Lesson cites a most remarkable passage in Jeremiah, and the author asks what the text reveals about the character of God. “What hope can we, in our own context, take from these verses?”
Observations
“Prosper the City”
The text most often quoted in Jeremiah 29 is verse 11, where God tells Israel that His plans for them are plans for welfare, not for evil, to give them a future and a hope. That is a beautiful promise for believers of all times, but taken from its context, it loses its full meaning. That context I wish to share with you, especially for you city dwellers, to build up your hope. I want to focus in on how this story in Jeremiah 28 and 29 tells us how we are to live in modern Babylon.
This passage from Jeremiah stands out for Christians living today in the cities of our world, trying to remain faithful to the living God. Adventists believe that the cities are places to avoid, as concentrations of wickedness that will entangle and defile believers. Adventists idealize country living, raising their own food, and shunning the pagan corruptions of city life. There is a romantic attachment to “living close to the soil,” and many of us longed for that bucolic lifestyle. If holy living is threatened by other people, crowds of them will only lead to perdition. As Sartre said, “hell is other people.”
The Israelites treasured their safe and separate lifestyle until Babylon sent its screaming hoards to sack and burn. For their idolatry, they were captured and marched off to the very center of idolatry and wickedness. How could God’s purposes for Israel be fulfilled that way? Have you ever wondered how God intended Israel to survive and grow spiritually while living in Babylon? After all, God was true to His covenant with them. He did not send them into Babylon to abandon them, but to bring them back into fellowship with Him. There would be a remnant who would worship Him regardless of their surroundings. True worship, as we have discussed before, does not depend on a particular location. God can live with His people in heathen Babylon as well, even though He sent them there for their idolatry. And in this story is a lesson for us.
In Jeremiah 27-29, we learn that Israel had already been invaded by Babylon twice, and the prophet had warned them that the armies would come again to invade and devastate. Israel would be held captive in Babylon for 70 years before they could return to their own land. Many had trouble believing this harsh message, and instead of listening to Jeremiah, they embraced the false prophet Hananiah. This self-styled prophet proclaimed the rosier message that they would not serve the king of Babylon (27:9). Nebuchadnezzar would release the Israelites, along with their temple vessels, and send them back to Israel after only two years. Jeremiah had to confront the false prophet and bear the bad news. However, the Lord had planned blessings even in their exile:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 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. 29:4-7
In Babylon, they were to build, plant, multiply, and “seek the welfare of the city…and pray to the Lord on its behalf…” The Lesson asks what we moderns can bring from this passage to our context. We had always been taught that modern cities are like Babylon, thoroughly unredeemable places that we must flee. Jeremiah 29 tells of a special work in the city, if we are called there, to bless the city instead of cursing it. Prosper the city, pray for her, for in its welfare, you will find your own. God has plans for your exile in the darkest places:
“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.” Jeremiah 29:11
Even in the city. Someone else said,
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:44
It’s pretty hard to love your neighbors, especially crowds of loud, swearing, smoking, unclean pagans, if you are hiding from them in the boonies. Since Christ purchased us with His blood and gave us His life, we’ll want to come out of the bushes and live it.
“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Summary
- Jeremiah 29 teaches modern Christians that cities are not places of unredeemable wickedness to flee from, but places to bless with mercy-driven lives.
- We have often idealized country living, away from the corrupting influences of cities, to become holier and fit for heaven.
- The peculiar people, Israel, were told to settle in Babylon, marry, build, plant, and seek the welfare of Babylon. By blessing the pagans, they brought blessings to themselves.
- Loving our neighbors includes living near them, doing good for them, and showing what the Gospel looks like in our lives.
- Living away from others to avoid contamination is hiding your light under a basket. Let your light shine so that God is glorified!
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised August 29, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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