You Are Not Alone: A Comfort in Sorrow (Jeremiah 29)

Among the captives were “priests…prophets…Jeconiah the king, and the queen [i.e., the king’s mother], and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths” (Jeremiah 29:1-2; 2 Kings 24:12-16). In addition to the educated youth of Jerusalem, King Nebuchadnezzar took the nation’s skilled artisans. 

A Letter of Encouragement to Those in Captivity (Jeremiah 29:3-7)

Using diplomatic carriers (29:3), Jeremiah sent his letter to the captives in Babylon. His letter was prophetic, conveying the words of “the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel” (Jeremiah 29:4a). He reminded the people that it was the LORD who purposed that they “be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon” (Jeremiah 29:4b).

Contrary to the false prophets who predicted a brief captivity, Jeremiah’s letter encouraged the captives to accept God’s will and, from a human perspective, “make the best of a bad situation” (Jeremiah 29:4-7). Jeremiah instructed the people to set their roots in Babylon, saying, “Build ye houses…plant gardens…Take ye wives…bear sons and daughters” (Jeremiah 29:5-6). 

While some might have covertly encouraged defiance and insurrection, Jeremiah’s message was to “seek the peace of the city… and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace” (Jeremiah 29:7). 

Challenge – Don’t Believe the False Prophets’ Lies (Jeremiah 29:8-10)

The LORD commanded Jeremiah to warn the people that false prophets were in their midst, prophesying lies. The prophet warned, “For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:9). Contrary to the false prophets’ prediction of a short captivity, Jeremiah foretold that the Babylonian captivity would last 70 years and assured the people that the nation would one day return to the land the LORD had promised Israel (Jeremiah 29:10).

Hope: The Promise of Future Restoration (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

Though they were Nebuchadnezzar’s subjects living in a heathen nation, Jeremiah encouraged God’s people with a beautiful, blessed truth: They were not beyond the LORD’s loving care. Imagine hearing the following excerpt from Jeremiah’s letter read aloud:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. ¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

What a blessed, wonderful truth for believers. Though you may be in difficult, trying circumstances, the LORD is sovereign and omniscient. He knows your sorrows, and when you pray and seek Him “with all your heart,” He promises you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  

Though the captives were far from home, the LORD promised He remembered His covenant. He assured them, “I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive” (Jeremiah 29:14).

Warning: False Prophets and Their Lies (Jeremiah 29:15-19)

False prophets in Babylon were giving the people false assurances about Jerusalem’s future. To prevent them from believing these lies, Jeremiah warned that Jerusalem and Judah would suffer greatly before the final captivity under Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 29:14-23). He urged the people to reject the false prophets’ lies. He warned that the LORD would “send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence” (Jeremiah 29:17) and that they would become objects of great sorrow (Jeremiah 29:18-19).

The Condemnation of Two False Prophets (Jeremiah 29:20-23)

In his letter, Jeremiah not only warned of false prophets among the captives but also named and condemned them (Jeremiah 29:20-22). They had sinned against the LORD and His people. Those who pretended to speak the LORD’s word were exposed as adulterers and liars (Jeremiah 29:23). Therefore, the LORD declared, “Even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:23).

Shemaiah: A False Prophet’s Attack on Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:24-32)

Jeremiah concluded his letter by addressing a false prophet named Shemaiah, who lived among the captives in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:24-28). Shemaiah accused Zephaniah, the priest, of leniency for failing to imprison Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:24-27). He also accused Jeremiah of lying and of causing the people to despair (Jeremiah 29:27-28; see Jeremiah 29:5-7).

“Zephaniah the priest” read Shemaiah’s letter to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:29). Then the LORD moved Jeremiah’s heart to respond to Shemaiah’s accusations in a letter to all the captives (Jeremiah 29:30). Exposing Shemaiah as a fraud and a liar, Jeremiah wrote: “Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie” (Jeremiah 29:31). Declaring God’s judgment, Jeremiah prophesied that Shemaiah would suffer and that his lineage would never see the blessings God had planned for His people. Why? Shemaiah had “taught rebellion against the LORD” (Jeremiah 29:32).

Closing thought –

Believer, we are living in a changing and troubling time. Fear, anxiety, and depression are rampant in our society, and I fear many believers are struggling with them. Take heart, my friend, for the God who assured the captives of His loving care and omniscience is our LORD. His thoughts toward us are “thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jeremiah 29:11). When you pray, take comfort in knowing that the LORD hears and answers prayer (Jeremiah 29:12). However, remember that this blessed promise comes with a condition: 

You must be willing to turn from your sins, seek the LORD, and search for Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Take a moment to examine your heart and confess any sin that hinders your seeking and finding Him.