Sketchy Lent: Exile and hope in the Wilderness
A visual devotional on one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible
"For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 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 29:10-11, ESV)
Finding hope in The Wilderness
In Jeremiah 29, we find the Israelites in a different kind of wilderness: the exile in Babylon. They had been taken from the promised land. The temple was destroyed and the king was a puppet of Babylon.
Despite the warnings of the prophets, the people were in shock.
They were supposed to be God’s chosen people and under his protection. For this to happen, God must have abandoned them. What would happen next? How should they survive in this new reality?
As they sit by the banks of the River of Babylon, God sends them a message of hope through the prophet Jeremiah.
He tells the exiles to settle down, build houses, plant gardens, and pray for the peace and prosperity of the city where they now live. He assures them that after seventy years, He will bring them back to their homeland and fulfil His promises to them.
Now there’s a big detail there — 70 years.
This wasn’t a promise of an immediate change of fortune. Most of the people who heard this prophecy wouldn’t live to see the return from exile. They needed to follow God with the possibility that they’d never see the fruits.
Most of us will experience a time of life like this. When we feel that following God hasn’t worked or we feel far from God’s presence. We might even think God is working against us.
Jeremiah reminds us that even in the darkest of times, God has not forgotten his people. He is still at work, planning for our future and our ultimate restoration.
Reflections
Have you ever experienced a season of life that felt like an exile? What was that experience like?
Have you ever felt far from God, only to look back and see his hand at work? What helped you see that?
How does the message of Jeremiah 29 speak to you in your current circumstances? What does it look like for you to "build houses and plant gardens" — to invest in the place where God has placed you, even if it feels like a temporary wilderness?
Prayer
Father, thank you that you are with us no matter the circumstance. Thank you that you remain faithful to your covenant even when we break it. Help us to trust you and your plans even when we don’t understand them. Help us to be a blessing those around us in our exile, till we are reunited with you.
Amen
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