Stroll through Scripture for July 6, 2025

Based on Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14

In this Sunday’s reading, we have what amounts to a postcard to those in exile in Babylon.  Judah has been conquered, but not completely.  Many have been sent into exile to Babylon.  God is offering a sense of hope to these exiles.  

The message is simple – live your lives and know that you are not forgotten.  This is such an important message to those that are exiled or oppressed.  God is essentially saying, “Do the best you can in these circumstances.”  And of course there is the promise of return.  

So much of the Hebrew Scriptures is about promised land.  The people are promised land.  They are also promised to return to the land when they are forced from it.  This passage is no different – God is telling them that they will return.  

One key to this is that this promise is not an individual promise, but rather a collective promise – that the nation will return.  It reminds us that we are not just individuals, but part of something bigger.  Something that goes beyond us in many ways.  Something that exists before we were born and will persist after we die.  We are part of something much bigger.  

This passage also reminds the people about who they should and shouldn’t listen to.  List to the Lord, but not the false prophets.  False prophets are ones that claim to speak on behalf of God or deliver some kind of special message from God, but their message conflicts with God’s truth.  They do this to mislead people and often manipulate people for their own gain and power over people.  We still have false prophets today – proclaiming messages of division, despair, excuses for injustice and violence, claiming that God wants Christians to have control over all aspects of society, prosperity gospel messages, and more.  Just like the false prophets of old, these false prophets are also to be ignored.  

Lastly, God promise to restore the people.  God says they will return after being in exile for 70 years, which is exactly how long they remained in exile.  It’s not a return to the land.  It’s a restoration of so much more.  God is always in the business of restoration.  

Questions for further reflection:

• There are many false prophets around today – often they utilize fancy technology and have very polished messages to fool people.  But they are still false prophets.  Why do you think their messages are so appealing to people?  And what are ways to ensure that we don’t fall for their lies?
• God promises restoration to the people after the established period of exile.  Why do you think there needed to be a 70-year period of exile?