a morning with the Lord in Jeremiah 29

It is a dark day for the Israelites.  They are in the land of Babylon as exiles.  God commanded them to go, to be subjugated by King Nebuchadnezzar, promising consequences and punishment if they did not obey.

Most obeyed the Lord and entered into exile in the land of Babylon; however, some Israelites remained behind, setting up a king and listening to false prophets.

While God promised consequences to those who remained behind their fellow Israelites, He also promised hope, a future, and restoration to those who yielded to Babylonian captivity: ‘They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’” Jeremiah 27:22

He reinstates His promise and plan in Jeremiah 29 via a letter written from Jeremiah to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, reminding the Israelites that there is hope.  When seventy years of captivity in Babylon have been completed, they will return to Jerusalem.  He instructs them, “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶ Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. ⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:5-7

The Lord then reminds those in Jeremiah 29:16-19 who remained behind in Jerusalem the very promise He made in Jeremiah 27:8 if they were disobedient to His will:  "...but this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile— ¹⁷ yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. ¹⁸ I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. ¹⁹ For they have not listened to my words,” declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets."

He reminds my heart this morning that my sin will not go unnoticed, that disobedience is abhorrent to Him, and that He desires a pure heart and clean hands.  He requires obedience, and He, in His way, will bless the obedient.  Obedience is a beautiful response; it is a bending of my will to His, yielding myself to His directive, humbling my heart to enter into sweet harmony with His.  Make it so in my life, Lord.