seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Jeremiah 29:1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin[a] and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
15 You may say, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon,” 16 but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— 17 yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse[c] and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. 19 For they have not listened to my words,” declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord.
20 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name: “I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your very eyes. 22 Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.’ 23 For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it,” declares the Lord.
24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, 25 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord; you should put any maniac who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck-irons. 27 So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? 28 He has sent this message to us in Babylon: It will be a long time. Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.’”
29 Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, 32 this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against me.’”
a. Jeremiah 29:2 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
b. Jeremiah 29:14 Or will restore your fortunes
c. Jeremiah 29:18 That is, their names will be used in cursing (see verse 22); or, others will see that they are cursed
This chapter reminds me of what kids think when they are put in daycare for a couple of hours. Those kids are afraid to join in any games or fun because their parents will "be right back". God told Jeremiah to let the descendants of Jacob [Israel] know they should join in the games or fun in Babylon because they were going to be there 70 years. I just turned 69 last month. 70 years is a lifetime.... right? "Might as well make yourselves at home..... " "Get married.... have babies".
There were some people, though, who just could not make it if they thought they would be enslaved for a lifetime. Those were the people who would revel in a message that shortened the length of this enslavement. Ahab and Zedekiah were the "feel good" prophets of the day. They were telling people God was going to rescue them quickly. I bet they were reveling in being worshiped as heroes bringing them great news..... even if it was a lie.... people were happy with them.... and that was good.... right???? wrong!!! God said He would have them burned alive by Nebuchadnezzar.
Then there was the letter from Shemaiah..... he called Jeremiah a maniac, called him a liar, and wanted Jeremiah put in the stockades. The priest who received the letter from Shemaiah.... showed the letter to Jeremiah. God took care of Shemaiah.
This is from Bible-studys.org.
Jeremiah’s “letter” to the exiles taken away to Babylon in 597 B.C. presents Israel’s true hope for the future in contrast to the empty promises offered by the false prophets.
Jeremiah’s counsel to Israelites in Babylon was to take all the steps in living as colonists planning to be there for a long time (70 years). Further, they were to seek Babylon’s peace and intercede in prayer for it, their own welfare being bound with it (compare Ezra 6:10; 7:23).
“Shall ye call upon me”: What God planned, He also gave the people opportunity to participate in by sincere prayer (1 John 5:14-15).
“Because ye have said”: Amazingly still rejecting God’s true message, Jewish captives listened to false prophets among them. This was the very sin which would cause God to send a further deportation to those still in Judah (586 B.C.).
The Lord would carry out the death penalty for false prophets (Deut. 18:14-21), by delivering “Ahab” and “Zedekiah” into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, who would put them to death for inciting treason.
“Ahab … Zedekiah”: Two captive, false Israelite prophets, who had been misleading exiles in Babylon (verse 15), will stir up the wrath of their captor king, who will cast them into a furnace (as in Dan. Chapter 3). They aroused not only the Babylonian potentate’s hatred, but God’s also, because of prophecies against His word and physical adultery.
Just about the worst thing that could happen to a Hebrew, was not to have sons to carry on the family name. Of course, this was not the only punishment spoken against Shemaiah. He would not live to see the return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. Shemaiah was disclosed as a false prophet (God did not send him). The reason for the punishment was that he taught rebellion.
This is what the easy English site has about Shemaiah....One of the priest's duties was to lock up mad men. Also he had to lock up anyone who behaved like a prophet. Shemaiah wrote that Zephaniah should have locked up Jeremiah because of his advice to the exiles. Jeremiah had told them that they would be in Babylon for a long time. He had said that they should build houses. Then they should remain there. They should plant gardens. They should eat what they produced. There is no record of the rest of Shemaiah's letter. The other prophets did not like Jeremiah. He was telling the people that they would be in Babylon for a long time. But they wanted to get back to their own country quickly.
Zephaniah read the letter to Jeremiah. He may have sympathised with Jeremiah or wanted to warn him. But he did not act against Jeremiah.
Jeremiah wrote to the exiles. His answer was similar to his answer to Hananiah (Jeremiah 28:15-16). Shemaiah had told a lie. And he made the people believe it. The LORD had not sent him. So the LORD would punish him and his descendants. None of them would live to see the good things that the LORD would do for his people. He had sinned. They had taught people to turn away from the LORD.
I have been making dolls and bears made out of worn T-Shirt material. Yesterday.... I was finishing the hand-stitching on a bear when out of the blue.... that thought came to mind.... "if your preacher is preaching peace..... run.... he's preaching to the paycheck and the free housing".
It must have been hard to decide which prophet to believe. These were not prophets and priests right out of prophet and priest school.... these were people who had been "known" to prophesize or preach for years and years..... when the Babylonians were marching.... these were the ones who stood in the pulpit saying "they won't hurt us.... we are chosen". Once the descendants of Jacob [Israel] had been raped or castrated.... once the descendants of Jacob [Israel] had been force marched for months and forced into servitude in Babylon.... these are the ones who were preaching.... "survive... we will be saved in a short time.... don't make waves..... stay secluded.... "they won't hurt us.... we are chosen".
Not one of those false prophets would tell the descendants of Jacob [Israel] the truth. God was angry.... He warned them.... and they chose to listen to the "feel good" preacher who would lie to them to make them feel better, so he can keep his fancy suit....home... vehicle.... and of course.... all that adoration that comes with making the people happy..... even if it is a lie.
It must have been a real burden.... telling people to plant a garden.... because they were going to stay a while..... but, hey, they had been warned.
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