We are talking about how to have a heart for the city. In the lesson this morning we looked at the first seven verses of Jeremiah 29 where Jeremiah writes a letter to the exiles who have been captured and now living in Babylon. Jeremiah tells them how they are to live while in Babylon. We noticed that they were to settle in the city, seek the welfare of the city, and pray for the city while they lived in Babylon. We drew the same conclusions for us while we wait for the return of Jesus. But there were more directions that God gave through Jeremiah in this letter. There was more about how to have a heart for the city and be the people God calls us to be while we wait for God’s return. So open your copies of God’s word back to Jeremiah 29 and we are going to look at the rest of this chapter. As you are turning to Jeremiah 29 I want us to think about the difficulty of what Jeremiah has told the people to do. It can be hard to wait for God to come return them to their home. It can be hard to seek the welfare of the city and pray for it when you see the wickedness of the city. So how to do we wait and how can maintain these commands while we wait?
Wait For God’s Promise (Jeremiah 29:10-14)
First, God tells the people through Jeremiah’s letter that they are going to wait a long time for the reversal to come. There were many false prophets telling the people that lies that they did not need to settle in the city and seek the welfare of the city because they were going to leave the city soon. But in verse 10 God makes the message clear that the exile is going to be a long time. The exile is going to be for 70 years. The point that God is telling the people is to not think that something has gone wrong if they remain in exile for a long time. We can have a problem with waiting a long time. We wonder what God is doing if we have to wait an extended period of time. Why doesn’t he do something right now? Why doesn’t God intervene in the city or in the nation now? So the letter is telling the people to not get upset or lose faith for waiting a long time. The false messages could cause the people to waver. So it is important that they hear that they will be in exile for a long time.
Now I want us to notice the hope that is built into the waiting. Look at verses 11-13. God had plans for his people and it was not for their harm, but for their good. The reason the people could wait it out in Babylon for these 70 years was by having faith in their Lord that God had plans that he was carrying out in his time. Even though the people were in exile, they were supposed to know that God had plans for the welfare of his people. We can be like Habakkuk and wonder what God is doing in the world. We can wonder like Habakkuk what God is doing in our own nation. We are being reminded that the righteous live by faith. This letter is giving faith to the exiles. God knows the plans he has for his people. God knows what he is doing. God is working for the salvation of his people and this knowledge is how we are able to wait for him.
But let’s express this hope a little more clearly. Imagine that you have lost everything that you know in life. You have experienced an invasion and war from another nation. You have been captured and taken to a far away land to restart your life from scratch. But even in the pain, there is hope in God’s grace and goodness. Even though the people are suffering, God has plans for his people. God has plans for us. God has plans for the city. God has plans for the world. You can imagine that this people thought God intended disaster for them. But carefully read verse 11 where God says that he is not intending harm but a future and a hope for them. The best illustration I can think of for this is going to a dentist. I hate going to a dentist. The sounds and the smells are terrible as you cannot see what they are doing. But the pain they inflict is for our good, not for our harm. The pain we go through from a dentist is to give us hope and a future, not for our destruction. Friends, whatever God has us walk through in this life is to give us a hope and a future, not for our harm and destruction. So we walk by faith as we deal with the difficulties of our time in exile, waiting for the Lord’s return.
Seek the Lord While You Wait (Jeremiah 29:12-14)
Second, Jeremiah tells the people in exile to seek the Lord while they wait. Verses 12-13 give a wonderful promise to the people. You will call on me and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Remember that the exile was a time of judgment for the sins the people had committed. Yet even still, God had not abandoned his people. If they would call on him and pray to him, he would listen to them. If they would seek him with all their heart, then they would find the Lord their God.
This is such an important point for us to consider. If we do not feel like we are near God or we do not think that God is listening to us, the problem is not with God. God has made a promise that if you will seek him with all your heart and he will be found. If you will call on him and pray to him, he will listen to you. So when God feels distant, we will be tempted to blame God. But Jeremiah says in his letter to the exiles that you need to look at your relationship with him. Are we seeking him with all our heart? Are we praying to him? Are we calling out to him? The exile was intended to turn the hearts of the people to him. The exile was supposed to get the people to long for him again. The people were to seek him and long for him while they waited for him.
It is easy for us to forget this truth. We can forget the meaning of the song and apply it to our lives that says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” Are the words of that song remotely true for us? They are good words because they echo the teaching of the apostle Paul. Listen to how he put it to the Corinthian church:
For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened…. (2 Corinthians 5:4 ESV)
I just want us to think about if this is a true statement for our lives. When Paul speaks about the tent, he is referring to these earthly bodies that are going to be destroyed one day so that we can be part of the building that is from God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:1). But are we groaning for the Lord while we wait? While we are burdened in this life, are we groaning and groping for our God? Jeremiah instructs the people while they wait in the exile, they need to be praying to God, calling out to God, and seeking God with all their hearts. If they will do so, they will find God and God will listen to them. Jesus taught his disciples to ask, seek, and knock because we have a good Father in heaven who knows how to give good things to those who ask him (cf. Matthew 7:7-11).
Reject the False While You Wait (Jeremiah 29:8-9; 29:15-32)
The final instruction to the exiles in Babylon was to reject the false knowing that judgment would come. God promises to bring judgment on all the people who were spreading lies about God’s word. God tells the people he will judge all the people who are proclaiming false words and false teachings. An example of this is given at the end of the chapter. A man named Shemaiah had sent letters to all the people in Jerusalem and to the priests. The letters said that Shemaiah was the new priest and that Jeremiah needs to be rebuked and arrested for telling people that the exile will be long. You will notice that Shemaiah is responding to the letter that God had Jeremiah write to the exiles (cf. Jeremiah 29:28). But Jeremiah is made aware of this message and is told by God to know and to trust that God himself will punish Shemaiah for his rebellion (cf. Jeremiah 29:31-32).
While we wait in the city, serving the Lord and shining as lights in the world, people who you would expect to be on your side will resist your efforts. Not only will there be resistance from those who are on the outside, we see Jeremiah being resisted by the people who should be supporting him and helping him. So how was Jeremiah to be encouraged to continue doing his work, proclaiming God’s message, and shining his light? Jeremiah was encouraged by knowing that God will bring judgment on the false. Reject the false knowing that God will judge those who are false. Friends, while we seek the welfare of the city, pray for the city, and shining as lights in the darkness, there is going to be resistance. There will be those who will make it hard for us to do what it right. But rather than giving up or growing tired of doing good, we wait for God to handle those who cause us difficulties. Listen to how the apostle Paul encouraged this response from Christians.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)
How are we supposed to that? Back up a couple sentences.
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:17-20 ESV)
How do we right when we have been wronged? How do we continue to do good when people are saying or doing evil against us? How can we maintain faith when people are lying about us? Paul says to leave it God. Leave it God. Whatever wrong that has been committed against you, you know that God will resolve that one day. God will be the ultimate judge for all that is done. We are not the ones who have to right all the wrongs committed. We are not the ones who execute justice and put things right that were made wrong against us. Rather, we leave that to God who with his perfect knowledge and perfect love will perfectly judge all things. Whatever has happened to you and whatever is going on against you, God knows. God knows what wrongs have happened in your family. God knows what wrongs have happened in your marriage. God knows what wrongs have happened in your job and career. God knows. Since God knows, we work to live at peace with all and let God worry about the rest of it. You see God directly say this in Jeremiah 29:23.
“I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:23 ESV)
So while we wait for Christ’s return we must remember that this world is not our home and we are longing to go home to be with the Lord for eternity. No matter what is going on, God has plans and his accomplishing his purposes in the world. So while we wait for him, we seek him with all our heart, praying and calling out to him. If you feel far from God, reach out to him and seek him. Get your life turned around by turning away from sin and following your Savior. Finally, we will do good and live peaceable with all people knowing that God sees all and will bring all things into judgment.