Jeremiah 29:11

There are different ways to reject the Bible. One way is to set it on fire. Another way it to set it on a shelf. A final way is to set it off in the wrong direction. The first way is direct. The second way is subtle. The final way is deceptive. Satan will take whatever way he can get, but his favorite is the last one. He is a deceiver, so he has no greater thrill than using the Bible to undermine the Bible. Not only does it match his skill set, it is incredibly effective in its binding effects. It has been said that if you can fake sincerity, you have got it made. In the same way, if the Devil can get someone to misuse the Bible, his job is done (see 2 Peter 3:16).

This problem is rife within the church. Is this not the cause for the weak and ineffective state the church finds itself in? The church is supposed to be the pillar and support of the truth, but for too long God’s word has been thrown to the floor and used to level the table of man-centered theology.

Today I want to look at another example of this distressing trend. Take a look at Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

This is a favorite verse for college students and all who have uncertain futures. Attach this verse to a mug or a bookmark and you have instant encouragement. Who wants a future with the possibility of difficulty and the death of dreams? Not these latte-sipping Christians. Raise that insulated BPA-free flask and say amen if you want a future and a hope. Oh yeah! Well, take this verse and go west young man. But theologically that is like saying “Be warm and well-fed on your man-centered compost pile of severed Bible verses.”

This verse is not promising you a future of no calamity and a welfare that lines up with your own desires. This verse isn’t even promising that to the Israelites. In the previous verse Jeremiah says the Israelites are going to remain in exile for 70 years! That means most of those hearing this promise from Jeremiah will be dead before the promise comes to pass. That fact destroys the common notions about this verse.

But rightly seen, this promise still had hope, even for Israelites who would die. Why? There are two reasons. First, because this promise puts a certain kind of God on display. This is the God who lives forever and who brings promises about over the course of generations. That kind of God can resurrect generations. And a resurrecting God is what they need. Second, this promise extends far beyond the restoration that would happen in 70 years. Those who saw a partial fulfillment in the return during Ezra would discover that there is a more important welfare and hope they need than just land restoration. The fullness of this promise did not happen in 70 B.C. Yet, God was again letting them know that He was going to do something so wonderful that they would seek him with all their heart and He would be found by them. God was promising a restoration that would begin with a circumcised heart and end with God dwelling in their midst. The new covenant is the fullness of this (31:33-34) and is ultimately what this promise is pointing to.

So this promise is far bigger than most ever dared dream. People want some hope, and this verse seems to offer it. But this verse’s hope is far bigger than just welfare. For others, all they want is run-of-the-mill prosperity. This verse is too big for a prosperity theology as well. The fatal flaw of all prosperity theology is not that it promises too much, but it promises far too little. That theology is built on the deceitfulness of riches which are so precarious in a cursed and fallen world. Nonetheless, those in that camp want to go their own way with a little bit of religious affirmation and a theological ticket that might literally cash out big.

But God is interested in a salvation that forever connects us to Christ and to unending glory. God’s promise is higher and deeper than any one lifetime. Whatever your dreams are, God’s are bigger, and they become reality in the true Israelite who will fulfill all the demands and receive all the blessings. In Christ we find our greatest welfare and future and hope. God is so good he will let our petty dreams come crashing down so that He can build a reality beyond our wildest dreams. It is a reality that will use every calamity for your good, grow you in Christlikeness, and continue growing in glory even after this life.

So look at this verse rightly, and it becomes a promise beyond what many would expect.