BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON (JEREMIAH 29:1-11)
A wealthy eccentric died and left a million dollars to his nephew, John. When the will was read at the lawyer’s office, the lawyer said to John, “According to your uncle’s instructions, payment of your inheritance will depend on choices that you must make.” The lawyer held his two fists out in front of him and asked, “Do you choose what is in my right hand or in my left hand?”
John decided to take what was in the attorney’s right hand. The lawyer opened his left hand to reveal a gold coin and a silver coin. “Had you chosen this hand,” he said, “you would have received a substantial share in a gold mine or a silver mine in Chile.” Then he opened his right hand to reveal a nut and a coffee bean. “These represent a million dollars’ worth of nuts or coffee from Brazil,” said the attorney. “Which do you choose?” John decided on the nuts.
A week went by before John arrived in Brazil to take charge of his holdings. In the interim, fire destroyed a huge warehouse where the nuts that John had inherited were stored and coffee prices doubled. Since John hadn’t gotten around to insuring his holdings, he soon was bankrupt. He barely had enough for his airfare home to New York or Los Angeles, where he could stay with a friend. He chose Los Angeles. Just before he took off, the New York plane came out on the runway—it was a brand-new super jet.
For the connecting flight to Los Angeles, the plane was a 1928 Ford trimotor with a sway back that took half a day to get off the ground. It was filled with crying children and tethered goats. Over the Andes one engine fell off. Our man crawled up to the cockpit and said, “Let me out if you want to save your lives. Give me a parachute.” The pilot agreed but said, “On this airline, anybody who bails out must wear two chutes.”
John jumped from the plane and as he fell he tried to make up his mind which rip cord to pull. Finally he chose the one on the left. It was rusty, and the wire pulled loose. He pulled the other handle. The chute opened, but its shroud lines snapped. In desperation the poor fellow cried out, “St. Francis save me!”
Suddenly a great hand reached down from Heaven, seized the poor man’s wrist and let him dangle in midair. Then a gentle voice asked, “St. Francis Xavier or St. Francis of Assisi?” (Bits & Pieces, May 25, 1995, pp. 6-8)
In the last chapter (Jer 28) there was a backlash against Jeremiah and his advocacy of exile because the new and the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, (Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin were exiled in the first group) was advised by a group of patriots, including Hananiah the prophet (Jer 28:5). Setting his stage right, Hananiah challenged Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and of all the people ( Jer 28:1), insisting beyond all doubt that the yoke of the king of Babylon was broken (Jer 28:2, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13) – nowhere in the Bible is the word “broken” recorded more than in this chapter. Hananiah predicted that the returnees and vessels would return to Jerusalem within two full years (Jer 28:3) including the two former kings Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin and all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, insisting God will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. The word “broken” broke all records in the Bible with its six occurrences in the chapter. Jeremiah had to send a letter to calm the people and counter Hanani’s message.
How do you strengthen God’s people against false teachings and opportunistic people? What does the future hold for people who trust in God?
Follow His Footsteps Fully
1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.)
Are you an immigrant, foreigner, a migrant, a permanent resident, or alien resident? Immigrants have their fair share of opportunities and obstacles financially, culturally and linguistically. Do you how long it took for a good credit person like me to obtain my first credit card in Hong Kong? One and a half years. The biggest local bank asked me for a HK$100,000 deposit, but my wife balked.
As a new immigrant, I also cannot understand how locals can buy a 700 square feet advertised apartment or house but the living space is barely two third the size. The other third of the gross area includes the lift, the common walking area, bay windows and facilities. My wife suggested to accept it like a Hong Kong man. Local English is a hoot too.
The challenges continued, this time in English vocabulary. For example, what is a hash, a Shroff (a cashier, especially in a car park in East Asia), a plankbridge or a perambulator (stroller).
The verb “carried into exile” is prominent in verses 1, 4, 7, followed by the more specific clause “I cause to carry into exile”. God was active and not passive in leadership. The twofold reasons the Israelites were carried away to Babylon were because of their transgression (1 Chron 9:1). The direct distance for Israel’s exile from Jerusalem to Babylon was about 500 miles, but the travel distance was twice as much. An expert suggested 36,000 to 48,000 people were exiled, about one-eighth to one-fourth of the population. http://www.bible-history.com/map_babylonian_captivity/map_of_the_deportation_of_judah_jewish_encyclopedia.html
Leaving Jerusalem was oppressive for the Jews, but remaining behind was not optional. The palace officials, the religious leaders and the skilled workers were all deported to Babylon. Those taken were priests and prophets, eunuchs and carpenters and smiths. Previously Nebuchadnezzar took Jeconiah or Jehoiachin (v 2) in the eighth year of his reign (Jer 24:1, 27:20), including his mother, his wives, and his servants, all the princes, officers and “brave” warriors, the prominent people of the land and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand, and deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand “battle” warriors and a thousand skilled workers and artisans. (2 Kings 24:16) None but the poorest were left. (2 Kings 24:11-17). Leaving was a hardship, but staying was a hazard. Exile was not good but remaining was worse. The location and the locals in the new land were not that bad. Neighbors, friends, and countrymen such as the prophet Daniel were exiled with the previous king Jehoiakim (Dan 1:2). They were there as deportees and not slaves (James Burton Coffman), and Daniel rose to prominence in government. Things were not as miserable as they thought in the new country. Sure, there was a new language and lesson to learn, and a different and difficult culture to absorb. The best and brightest were there.
Not only were the people there, God’s presence was there as well. All the articles of value in the house of the Lord (2 Chron 36:10) were brought to Babylon. It would have been worthwhile to stay behind if the people were closer to repentance and revival than before. After Jeconiah left, however, all the leaders of the priests and the people did not repent, but “became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord. A few chapters later, the Lord sent messengers to them again and again, but they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets” (2 Chron 36:14-16). The scary thing was that the worst of human nature, the spiritual decline and moral lapses had not bottomed out.
Find Your Footing Fast
3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said: 4 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.”
A German, whose wife was ill at the Seney Hospital, Brooklyn, called the first evening she was there and inquired how she was getting along. He was told that she was improving.
Next day he called again, and was told she was still improving. This went on for some time, each day the report being that his wife was improving.
Finally one day he called and said:
“How is my wife?”
“She’s dead.”
He went out and met a friend, and the friend said: “Well, how is your wife?”
“She’s dead”
“Ooh! How terrible! What did she die of?”
“Improvements!”
The clause “I (God) carried into exile” (vv 4, 7, 14) appears three times in the chapter, not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. It is definitive, direct and damning. The Lord admonished and affirmed the departing Jews with five couplets of imperatives - build and settle, plant and eat (v 5), marry and have, find and give, increase (v 6), seek and pray (v 7). Build (v 5) is to erect structures, settle is to establish residence (v 6). Plant is to exert strength, eat is to enjoy harvest. Marry/find (take) is to exchange vows, have is to expect kids, find is to enter matrimony, give is to extend posterity, increase is to expand roots, seek is to express support - seek the peace and prosperity of the city (social, to people), pray is to encourage participation (spiritual, to God) - because if it prospers, you too will prosper (v 7).
From the physical (houses – up direction) is the agricultural (plant –down direction), the biological (marry, have, find, give - marrying), the numerical (increase - multiplying), and the cultural (seek), and spiritual. From industrial (building and settle) to agricultural (plant and eat), to marriage and families, from generations and neighborhoods, from increment (increase in number) to integration (seek the peace) and intercession (pray). The list goes from objects to food to people, the latter from family to city.
Hong Kong has her fair share of immigration tension. The important thing is to be pleasant, patient, positive, peaceable and polite, not to be proud, prejudiced, pushy, provocative and personal. Respect the city, country, culture and cleanliness.
Face the Future Favorably
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 fulfill 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.”
It was a dark and stormy night when a lady was on a boat crossing Lake Michigan. The lightning, thunder, and rain made her very nervous. She saw jagged rocks jutting above the surface of the lake. In fear, she asked the captain, “Do you know where all the rocks are out there in the lake?” “No,” the captain replied, “I don't, but I do know where it's safe.”
The future is not fearful because God’s presence, power and provision are available. “The Lord Almighty” (v 4, 8) makes a record-breaking 70 entrances in the book of Jeremiah, more than the next highest 50 references in Isaiah. Further, the phrase “Lord Almighty” (Lord of Hosts) appears a staggering 50 times in Jeremiah to a paltry once in Isaiah, and the phrase “the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel” 32 times in Jeremiah versus none in Isaiah. Jeremiah the prophet is more fiery, more passionate, convincing than Isaiah because Isaiah would only indirectly refer to the Lord of hosts but Jeremiah would quote verbatim what the Lord says.
The verb “deceive” (v 8) is not the regular verb for “deceive.” This minority version is traced to the way Satan “beguiled” (Gen 3:13) of Eve, a mixture of half-truths, lies and exaggerations. One is selfless, the other is self-serving. The noun “lies” occurs 37 times in the book, more than any book in the Bible.
The peace Jeremiah prophesied is peace after the pain versus the prophets who predicted peace without pain. The exile would be for seventy long years, not the short two full years Hananiah predicted (Jer 28:3, 11). Why should one extend roots if it was a mere 70 years. That was because many returned to Jerusalem or were scattered over the world, as evident in Acts 2:5 with the diaspora arriving in Jerusalem for the Pentecost. In truth, only a remnant returned to Jerusalem.
Prior to chapter 29, the verb “pray” (v 12) occurs three times only, each time relaying the Lord’s instruction to Jeremiah to “pray not” for the Israelites (Jer 7:16, 11:14, 14:11), because in this chapter God revealed to Jeremiah he wanted the Israelites to pray to Him while in Babylon. The second clause “I will not hear” is a mainstay of Jeremiah (Jer 7:16, 11:11, 11:14, 14:12, 22:21) but in this chapter the reverse “I will hear” (v 12) is uttered for the first time in the positive. The verb “seek” is an intensive piel stem. Verse 13’s “when” is “because” in Hebrew: “because you seek me with all your heart.” The verbs “seek” and “search” (v 13) are different things. Search is to seek with action, which is to follow. The following is not by steps, but with heart. HEART means humility, exclusivity, availability, residency, testimony.
