Praise the Lord! The Lord God Almighty has been good to us throughout the past week. So far in life, we have been strengthened and spiritually blessed by being in the company of our resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for our spiritual pilgrimage from Earth to glory. Since we are strangers and pilgrims on the Earth (Hebrews 11:13), our home is not in here on Earth but in Heaven (Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 13:14-16). Right now, we are on a spiritual pilgrimage towards our home in Heaven where the throne of God, the King Eternal, is established in the timeless past (1 Kings 22:19; Psalm 11:4; 93:1-2; 103:19; Isaiah 6:1; 66:1; Daniel 7:9; Matthew 5:34; 23:22; Revelation 3:21; 4:2; 22:1, 3). As our heavenward pilgrimage is in progress, we must keep moving forward without turning left or right until we reach our intended destination. This requires a great deal of perseverance and determination (refer: 1 Samuel 6:7-16). Jesus said: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). So, Jesus is the One who set the way for us (John 12:32) and the path is of the cross (Luke 9:23). For many, this spiritual pilgrimage looks like a never-ending path, but the Holy Spirit, the helper and comforter sent by God the Father, will help us reach our destination. The Holy Scripture is the guidebook for us and in Scripture the blue-print-directions to our destination are well explained.

Despite all assurance from the triune Godhead (God promised His presence with us throughout our spiritual pilgrimage [Genesis 28:15; Exodus 33:14; Isaiah 41:10; 43:2; Hebrews 13:5], Jesus, the master planner of our pilgrimage, is on our side [Matthew 28:20; John 14:23; Colossians 3:1-2; Hebrews 12:2], the Holy Spirit, the comforter and helper, is with us during our spiritual pilgrimage [John 16:7, 14:16, 26; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4]), we are doubtful of trusting God, we lost confidence in our ability to lead a spiritually healthy life, and we are afraid to move forward in our spiritual pilgrimage. Such failures happen in our lives because we follow our own instinct and do things in a way that is convenient or beneficial to us instead of trusting fully in God’s power and letting Him to do His will in and through our lives. The fact is that when we do things in our way, the final outcome will be an utter failure, and when things do not happen the way we planned, we are worried and disturbed (Matthew 6:27). However, in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to the people who are worried about their life [especially ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’] to stop worrying about life or about the things needed in life, rather place your trust in the Lord God Almighty, and He will provide you with whatever you need for life (Matthew 6:25, 31-34). He will provide you the things you need according to His riches and glory (Philippians 4:19). Jesus said, Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33; 7:7-8; also refer Philippians 4:6). All we need for our survival is food, clothing, and shelter. Apostle Paul wrote if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that (1 Timothy 6:8).

In the light of the above discussion, we must understand the context of the passage we chose for the Scripture for the Week meditation, which is Jeremiah 29:11-13. When we study the life story of the Israelites – the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – we can understand that they were a special people for God and were chosen for a specific purpose in God’s plan in the world. Remember, the Israelites were chosen not because they were very powerful or more numerous than any of the people on Earth, but God chose them because He loved them and made a covenant with their ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), as it is mentioned in the Scripture:

7 The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments (Deuteronomy 7:7-9)

As per the promise of God to Abraham, all the peoples on Earth will be blessed through him, which also denotes that all the peoples on Earth will be blessed through his descendants (Genesis 12:3b). In fact, they were chosen to be a blessing to all the people on Earth and a light to the nations (Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3; John 8:12; Acts 13:47; 26:23). Another reason God chose Israel was that the promise He made regarding the Messiah would be fulfilled through them (Genesis 3:15; 12:1-3; Deuteronomy 18:15). God chose them while they were weak and helpless, few in number, and when they did not have a land of their own. However, He increased their number and made them numerous (Genesis 26:4; Exodus 1:7; 1 Chronicles 27:23), He made them His very own people (Deuteronomy 7:6), His treasured possession (Psalm 135:4), and He made them like the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8). The following Scripture passage indicates that God chose the children of Israel as His very own as He delivered them from Egyptian bondage:

3 The Lord called to him [Moses] from the mountain and said, This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole Earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites (Exodus 19:3-6)

Following the Israelites’ deliverance from Egyptian bondage and God choosing them to be a special people, God gave them very specific laws and decrees (religious as well as civil laws) to follow in their life, as it is mentioned in the Scripture (the Hebrew Bible), which includes the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39-40; Acts 3:21; 2 Timothy 3:16).

Psalm 78:5-7 states that,

5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, 6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

Psalm 105:9-10 states that

He remembers His covenant forever, the promise He made, for a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, the oath He swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.

Psalms 147:19-20 states that

He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation …

Moses, through whom the Lord God delivered the Israelites from the land of their bondage and through whom He gave His righteous laws and decrees to the Israelites, reminded the Israelites again and again that there is neither any other nation that has such a great and awesome God as Yahweh nor has the righteous laws and decrees like the ones Yahweh given to them:

5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? 9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them (Deuteronomy 4:5-9)

Moses consistently urged the Israelites to comply with and obey the righteous laws and decrees that the Lord God gave them without wavering to the left or to the right and live their according to God’s commandments:

Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5 (At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said: 6 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (Deuteronomy 5:1-6)

All the above passages (and more) signifies that God gave the nation of Israel (as a chosen people) a special place among all other nations of the Earth and gave them very specific laws and decrees to follow. Israel as a nation, including both the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah), neither followed God wholeheartedly nor obeyed His righteous laws and decrees. God warned them every time they failed Him and whenever they repented and returned to Him, He, being a compassionate and loving God, forgave their iniquities and accepted them as His very own. Yet, most of the time, their repentance lasted only for a while and they would again stir up His jealousy by worshiping foreign gods and provoking His fury with detestable deeds (Deuteronomy 32:16). They never completely stopped sinning against Him. Despite all the warnings through His prophets, the children of Israel continued to disobey the righteous laws, decrees, and commandments God had given them.  Rather, they provoked the Lord God by disobeying all His commandments (Jeremiah 9:13-14; 25:4-7; Zechariah 7:11-12). They practiced idolatry and became involved in many other evil activities. Prophet Jeremiah warned the people of Judah that if they don’t return to God by changing their attitude and turning away from their vile activities, He will raise their enemies against them and punish them (Jeremiah 2:13; 26:1-6; 36:1-32 [refer: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16; Ezekiel 23:1-49]). Because of the sins of Israel, both the kingdoms (Israel and Judah) went into captivity – the Northern Kingdom Israel fell in the hands of the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:1-41; 18:11-12; Hosea 13:9-16), and the Southern Kingdom Judah fell under the Babylonians (2 Kings 24:1-25:21). Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon conquered Judah and Jerusalem and the people were carried off into exile (Jeremiah 25:1-11). Prophets like Daniel (Daniel 1:1-6; 6:13) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:3) were among the exiles whom the king of Babylon carried from Jerusalem to Babylon and they continued their ministry from Babylon, but prophet Jeremiah was left behind in Jerusalem along with the remnant and continued his ministry from Jerusalem (Jeremiah 29:1; 40:1-6).

Although God punished His people for their sins and sent them into captivity, He did not forsake them completely. He promised them that He will bring the exiles back to the land He promised to their forefathers (Jeremiah 16:15; 29:10; 30:1-3, 16-19; 31:1-14; Ezekiel 11:14-20). When we read Jeremiah chapter twenty-nine (29), we can understand that God is giving specific instructions to His people through His prophet Jeremiah and encouraging them to live their lives in the land where they were exiled (Jeremiah 29:1-32). For instance, God precisely instructed them to do the following while they were in the land of their deportation (Jeremiah 29:5-7):

• • Build houses and settle down (v.5a)
  • Plant gardens and eat what they produce (v.5b)
  • Marry and have sons and daughters (v.6a)
  • Find wives for your sons (v.6b)
  • Give your daughters in marriage (v.6c)
  • Increase in number in the land of exile (v.6d [Genesis 1:28; Exodus 1:7; Psalm 107:38])
  • Seek the peace and prosperity of the land to which you are exiled (v.7a)
  • Pray to the Lord for the land where you stay (v.7b)
  • When the land prospers, you too will prosper (v.7c)

In most cases, captives might not be allowed to follow their native country’s practices in the land where they are taken as captives, rather they are forced to follow their captors’ rules, regulations, and orders. If the captives do not follow them, there will be punishment for not following the laws and orders of the land. This is what exactly happened to the Israelite captives in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar issued an order: Then the herald loudly proclaimed, Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do …Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace (Daniel 3:4-6). Perhaps, the people of Israel who were in captivity in foreign countries also struggled to worship the God of Israel or follow the laws and decrees the Lord God gave to them through His servant Moses. This is because, as captives, they might have had no freedom to do so, or because they were denied the rights to worship the God of their fathers, or because of their oppressive enslavement in the land of their captivity. This was evident from the passages noted in Daniel 3:1-30; 6:5-14. Psalm 137 is also another example of the situation the captives faced in the land of their captivity:

1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land (Psalm 137:1-4)

There could be possibility that some might have given up the Jewish religious practices while in captivity and embraced their captors laws and orders. Yet, it is sure that most of them might have followed the laws and decrees that God gave them and worshipped the God of their fathers (in public or in a secret way) wherever they were deported. Among whom people like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, prophet Ezekiel, Ezra, Nehemiah and many others did not compromise their loyalty to the God of their fathers, or give up their trust in the God of Israel or worship any god other than Yahweh, the God of Israel, even though they were captives in a foreign land and the consequences were very severe. God heard the prayers of His saints while they were in captivity and answered their prayers (Daniel 9:1-19; Nehemiah 1:4-11).

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (the passage we chose for this week’s meditation), relates to us words of encouragement, especially if we are going through difficult situations in life. In and through these verses, God was revealing His plans for His people Israel who were then spending their years in captivity. Let us examine the assurance God gives to His people Israel who are in captivity:

• • God said: I know the plans I have for you (v.11a)
  • God has plans to prosper His people (v.11b)
  • God has plans not to harm His people (v.11c)
  • God has plans to give His people hope and a future (v.11d)
  • God has prepared ways for His people to call upon His name (v.12a)
  • God has allowed His people to come before Him to pray (v.12b)
  • God would listen when His people pray to Him (v.12c)
  • God knows that His people will seek Him (v.13a)
  • God will be found when His people seek Him (v.13b)
  • God will reveal Himself to His people when they seek Him with all their heart (v13c)

God’s promise to Abraham was that all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3), God’s promise to Isaac was that through your offspring all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed (Genesis 26:4b), and God’s promise to Jacob was that all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you and your offspring (Genesis 28:14b). In addition to that promise, God promised Jacob that He would bring him back to the land God promised to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, as it is mentioned in Genesis 28:15 that I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Overall, God’s promise was that He will restore His people, He is going to bring His people back to the land He promised to their forefathers, and He is going to bless them with the hope that He will be found by them when they seek Him with all their heart.

In the light of our meditation, let us trust in the Lord God Almighty wholeheartedly and be assured that our God is compassionate and He is faithful and He never changes His word (Deuteronomy 7:9; Isaiah 40:8; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; 1 John1:9). He is also a forgiving God as it is stated in Exodus 34:6-7 The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. God reveals Himself to His people who seek Him earnestly and hears their prayers and answer them. The promise God gave to the children of Israel is applicable to you and me also. Apostle Paul wrote: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). God spoke through prophet Isaiah that:

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the Earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:8-12)

May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!