Submission and rebellion, even in exile both were present.
Jeremiah the prophet, had sent a letter from Jerusalem, with the Lord’s word, to the elders and people exiled in Babylon. Jer 29 The Lord had told the exiles to settle down in Babylon, ‘Increase in number THERE; do not decrease’. A separation of the people had occurred under God’s hand, some were left in Jerusalem but the majority had been taken to Babylon.
God’s word regarding the people in Jerusalem; “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like the poor figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten”. Jer 29:17 They had no future in God’s plans and purposes.
Life in exile was probably a struggle and they would have had to obey their Babylonian masters in all things, yet God’s word to them was; ‘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 a hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you(good word for us today)”, declares the Lord and will bring you back from captivity. They had a future in God, but they had to endure in exile! We all want to get out of difficulty as soon as possible, but God may want to teach us some valuable lessons first.
To those in the exile, two men, Ahab and Zedekiah were, ‘prophesying lies to you in My Name’. God was about to hand them over to king Nebuchadnezzar, ‘to be put to death before your very eyes(a warning to others)’.
Another man, Shemaiah the Nehelamite, sent a letter in his own name, to Zephaniah the priest in Jerusalem telling him, ‘to put Jeremiah into stocks and neck-irons… I will punish Shemaiah and his descendants…he will have no-one left to see the good things I will do for My people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against Me’. Jer 29:32
Sometimes it’s better to be in a place of struggle(EXILE) AND WITH THE LORD than just going through the motions and far from Him. God’s love and His favour are worth far more to us than an easy time here. Hold on in the tough times, God loves us and will bring us through,
‘I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord.
God bless and keep you today.