Let’s start with a little history lesson. There are two kings mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. King Jeconiah and King Zedekiah. Jeconiah was king only for a few months before Nebuchadnezzar comes and removes the upper class to Babylon (think Daniel and the other Hebrew boys being educated and brought into Nebuchadnezzar’s court.)

Zedekiah is the appointed replacement, appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. Things aren’t going to go well with him. We’ll get to that later, though. Right now, he’s in Judah. Jerusalem still exists, but this large group of exiles is in Babylon. And who are they? The leaders of Judah. These are the people the Lord preserves. Jesus’ kingly line is preserved in that. The lines of the leadership of Judah are going to be preserved and be the ones who return to Jerusalem when their time there is up, as deemed by the Lord. Of course, He knew the exact timing before they went. The Lord tells the people it will be seventy years.

What is the word of the Lord to the exiles? Is it a rebuke telling them they are getting what they deserve? No, it’s an encouragement.

They are told to carry on with their lives, to settle in. They are to build and plant, to marry and multiply.

There are some very famous verses in here.

Verse seven records the instruction to seek the welfare of the city they are in. They are to pray to the Lord on its behalf.

The most famous verse is number eleven. You may have a version of it memorized. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God’s thoughts toward us are peace. He has deemed prospering for us, not harm. He wants us to live in hope, even when it seems like we’ve lost everything. If we have Him, we have everything. He’s the true value of our lives. As long as we have Him, there is hope.