Interestingly, one of the most frequently quoted verses among Christians, Jeremiah 29:11, is a verse that was written to 10,000 people who had been taken by force on a 550-650 mile march by the Babylonian military. This generation had been taken from their homeland of Judah and deported as exiles into the foreign land of the Chaldeans in 597 BC eleven years before their Temple would be burnt to the ground and their capital city of Jerusalem would be left in a smoldering heap of ruins. Jeremiah writes to these captives, most of whom, will never see their homeland again:

“ ‘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.’ ” - Jeremiah 29:11

The children and grandchildren of these exiles would be given a chance to return to rebuild residences out of the Jerusalem rubble beginning in 539-538 BC, fifty-eight years later. (See the book of Ezra.) Some of them might return as 60-90 year olds if they were 2-32 years old at the time of the deportation in 597.

Those who received this letter in Babylon knew the author Jeremiah. They knew it was from Jeremiah who was still in Jerusalem. They had heard Jeremiah proclaim his message and warn them that this captivity was just the beginning and that a greater destruction was coming. Some may have listened and repented or sneered and mocked during Jeremiah’s first thirty years of ministry. Jeremiah had progressively proclaimed his message in the years 627-597 BC.

Either way, these people now had another chance to hear and respond to the Word of the Lord. As captives in Babylon they were told, first, don’t leave you bags packed, but move in and plant a garden because you are NOT coming home.

Second, while you are in Babylon seek the peace and security of your new nation/empire. Bless the country you are living in because it is your home until the seventy years are fulfilled.

Third, have families and teach them that they have a great future in God’s plan for Israel.

Once again, Jeremiah’s words were contrary to the false prophets who were predicting a soon return and a miraculous deliverance. Even in captivity the people had to choose between the false message of false hope and the true message with a true hope.

While the people were in Babylon God would raise up for them a true prophet within the land of Babylon to guide, encourage, warn and teach them. While they built homes in Babylon, worked jobs in the Babylonian workforce, raised children in a Babylonian culture and planted gardens in the soil near the Euphrates River the prophet Ezekiel would explain many things to these people in his public lectures and object lessons. Ezekiel would speak about the people’s future, their current events and their past sins.

Paul was whipped on five different occasions with the forty lashes minus one (or, 39 lashes) by the Jews, beaten with rods as a Roman punishment three times (illegally since Paul was a Roman citizen), stoned one time by a crowd hurling rocks at him while he was confined, most likely, in a shallow pit and shipwrecked three times. (2 Corinthians 11:24-25)