We have two groups of people in this chapter. I guess that’s pretty common in the Bible. There is always a separation. Be holy and separate yourself from the world and to God! The other way around isn’t a good choice, even if in the very temporary moment, it seems like what you want. Separation from God is definitely not what you want. It’s one definition of hell!

We have those who have submitted and gone into exile. We have those who are believing the lie that they won’t go into exile and won’t surrender to God’s plan and give themselves over to Nebuchadnezzar. They will face sword, famine, and pestilence. One group will be torn down and destroyed. The others are told to build and plant. Submitting to God’s plan is a much better idea than going with your plan!

Those who submit and go into exile are promised hope and a future, but there’s something they need to do.

“You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and I will bring you back.”

They are to pray. They are to recognize their need for God as their Deliverer, as their Savior. They aren’t going to work themselves out of Babylon. Their freedom will only ever be in Christ, in God as their salvation.

We are to look to God to be saved. Their salvation wasn’t in Babylon. There was a future home for them, and even though they could prosper where they were, they were to keep an eternal perspective, so to speak. There was a future country awaiting them. They could build and plant, but they weren’t to get attached to the things in that world. There was something better.

We find that “better” in and through Christ. We seek Him until we find Him. Then we cling to Him. We don’t have to keep seeking forever. We can find Him and maintain a constant, abiding, relationship with Christ where we dwell in His presence. He will be found. Pray, seek, find.