Today’s passage: Jeremiah 29:1-32
Helpful thoughts:
- Even in exile, the Jewish people would continue to receive false prophecies.
- Jeremiah even tells then not to believe their dreams. People can dream dreams that seem prophetic. Having a dream does not mean that the Lord sent it.
- Jeremiah 29:11 is part of a letter written to Israel during their exile about their return to the promised land.
- The promise of this verse has implication for the future as well, but people have often taken this verse too far in modern times. It is not a verse that promises us peace and prosperity every day.
- God’s words and plans show He is still very much in control in a time where the Jews would have felt like He wasn’t.
Questions to consider:
- What do you think Nebuchadnezzar’s first response would have been to verse 4? Whom would he have credited with defeating Judah? How would the culmination of the prophecies of verses 21-23 have given him reason to believe (If he remembered this letter)?
- What does God do with false prophets? If people have a desire to prophesy like an Old Testament prophet today, why should they think twice about it? How does Ephesians 2:19-21 help us understand the extent of the timeframe for the ministry of prophets (and apostles)?
- Jeremiah 29:11 is a great verse! What is it’s true meaning and right interpretation (Think: the Gospel and the fulfillment of all God’s promises in the future for His kingdom)? In what way would it be encouraging to a Christian today? Why is the real meaning of 29:11 even better than how people have misused it?