Hope For Exiles: The Story Behind Jeremiah 29:11

It is graduation season. Which, for many of us listening to commencement speeches and graduation sermons, means it is Jeremiah 29:11 season.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.[1]”

This scripture has provided encouragement for people in times of uncertainty for centuries. But this passage is even more impactful, and challenging, when you consider the context.

A Message To Exiles

Jeremiah 29:11 was written to a displaced people. The Israelites who received this letter were exiles in Babylon, taken by force to a foreign city - away from their homes, the temple, familiar foods, the mountains they grew up seeing in the distance. They were afraid, they were angry. Maybe they wanted to rise up and seize power. They all wanted to go home.

But instead, they were told to settle into their new home. “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens…Marry and have children. …And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.[2]”

The message was clear. You will not dominate the culture. You will not sit in the seat of power. You may even be second-class citizens. But your faith can still thrive.

You can imagine their frustration, their disappointment, even their rage. “God! How could you?” And into that tension, God speaks this promise. “For I know the plans I have for you…plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.[3]”

God had a different goal, a different definition of success, a different timeline. One of the most beautiful promises God ever made was spoken to people in exile.

Faith On The Margins

This is a pattern that repeats throughout the history of Judaism and Christianity. The God of the Bible is a God of the exiles and the displaced. God’s people being in charge was an exception, not the norm.

Abraham heard the voice of God and left his home to head west. He was a perpetual immigrant, a vagabond with a promise[4]. Joseph was given a place of incredible influence in Egypt, managing the household of one of the most powerful men in government. But he was still a slave. Israel grew from a tribe to a nation while they were refugees in Egypt[5]. Some of the most beautiful insights into the heart of God were written when Israel was in exile. Indeed, the concept of galut or exile is central to Jewish theology, describing a condition in which faith is tested and deepened.

Christians see this same pattern in the life of Jesus, a second-class citizen in his own homeland, living under the rule of a foreign power. He lived for a time as a refugee in Egypt. Jesus was offered massive political power on at least two occasions, and turned it down both times. Jesus told his followers, “You are blessed when people hate you, when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil.[6]”

In China, Christians live this reality every day, actively opposed by the government. Many are even imprisoned or lose their jobs because of their faith. Yet there are an estimated 100 million Christians in China. And some research suggests Christians in China are more than twice as likely as their U.S. counterparts to attend regular worship gatherings. Apparently they feel what they receive from God is worth the incredible cost.

We find parallels in other religions, philosophy, even nature. Mohamed endured eight years of persecution in Mecca before leading his community in exile to Medina. The Buddha left the palace, voluntarily accepted exile from privilege. The great stoic thinker Epictetus was once a slave. Trees growing alone, exposed to the wind, develop stronger roots and denser wood.

Is The Promise For Me?

People of all types of faith, even those who do not believe, can recognize the linkage between exile and promise. So, can we still quote Jeremiah 29:11 at graduations? Are we stealing a promise meant for someone else? After all, those words were written for exiles.

But there are many kinds of exiles.

An exile finds themselves in a situation they do not want to be in, but lacks the power to change it. We can be trapped in a foreign land. Or, we can be trapped in grief, sickness, anxiety, economic distress.

In perhaps his most famous sermon, Jesus named a long list of people in shades of exile - those who are mourning, those who are in poverty, those who are persecuted. Then he says all of these people are blessed of God.

Notably, this blessing does not necessarily take the form of immediate resolution of the problem. “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.[7]” Comfort is not the same as resurrection. The Psalmist wrote “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.[8]” The mountains may still crumble, but God will be a refuge in the midst of it.

I may be an exile in Babylon, the mountain I built my life around reduced to rubble. There are situations when I cannot celebrate my own power, cannot see my future, cannot conjure up my own hope. Sometimes I must sit in the uncomfortable space between my reality and what I thought was my destiny. There is hope to be had in those moments, a comfort that seems out of place given the situation, a hope that seems almost unjustified.

Perhaps that is the voice of God, delivering this ancient promise to another weary heart:

“For I know the plans I have for youThey are plans for goodNot for disasterTo give you a futureAnd a hope.[9]”

I can only truly take hold of that promise when I let go of my need for power.

Footnotes

[1] Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[2] Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭4‬-‭7‬‬ ‭NLT‬

[3] Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[4] Gen. 12:1–4

[5] “In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land. Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[6] ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭22‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

[7] ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[8] ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[9] Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[10] 1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[11] Phil. 3:20