Rev. AJ Espinosa, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Jeremiah 29:1-14.
Jeremiah writes a letter in order to proclaim the Word of God to the exiles in Babylon. The LORD tells His people in Babylon to settle down and make a home there. The exiles are to marry and give in marriage; they are to pray for Babylon and seek its welfare. This does not mean that the exiles are to assimilate into the idolatrous Babylonian culture; rather, they are to remain faithful to the LORD there in Babylon.Despite what false prophets have been proclaiming, the time of exile will be lengthy. Yet the LORD assures His people He knows what He is doing. He has set a definite end to the exile, and He will restore His people according to His plans for their future and their hope.
“A Time to Destroy and a Time to Build” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Jeremiah. The prophet calls the people of Judah and Jerusalem to repent of their faithless idolatry and warns them of the destruction that is coming in the Babylonian exile. Yet Jeremiah does not leave us without hope in the midst of such dark days. Jeremiah and all who believe the Word of God he preached survive because of hope that is found in the righteous Branch from the line of David, Jesus Christ.
