29:1-3
At this time many Israelites were already in exile in Babylon, and Jeremiah sent a letter to them, giving them the word of the Lord. In Jerusalem he was warning the people that God was using Babylon to execute judgement upon Jerusalem and Judah, and that they should surrender to Babylon. For those already in Babylon he is reminding them that God has not forgotten them, and is also instructing them how they should live. There are times in our lives when we may find ourselves in a sort of “exile”, even if this is happening because of sin on our part, God has not forgotten us. We should always look to listen to the Lord. The letter was sent to Babylon via the equivalent of a diplomatic bag.
This chapter is oh so important, for in 29:11 we have one of the most oft quoted verses in scripture, but one that is almost never quoted in context, and so is never rightly understood.
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