1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon; 2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) 3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying, 4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; 5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; 6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

Jeremiah sent a letter to the captives who had been taken to Babylon (597BC). This letter was to encourage them in living for the Lord while they were there, to inform them that the captivity length was 70 years, and to reprove the false prophets who had said, and were still saying that Jeremiah was wrong.

God had proven Jeremiah right, and a good prophet by doing exactly as Jeremiah had prophesied. God had taken them captive to Babylon. But these false prophets were hardened in heart, and still would not believe the true word.

Jeremiah's letter to the captives tells them, in essence, to "make the best" of their captivity "that ye may be INCREASED there, and not diminished" (verse 6). One cannot help but be reminded of how the Jews INCREASED while in captivity in Egypt.

7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

Jeremiah also reminds the captives to "seek the peace of the city" where they were now living. God had put them there, and they were to do all they could to enhance the character and integrity of the people there.

We, as Christians, should always strive to be an AID to our dwelling place.

They were also to PRAY for the place in which they were living. We certainly will not strive to be an AID to our present dwelling if we do not PRAY for it!

8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

There were some false prophets among them that were falsely "divining" by the use of "dreams." Jeremiah reproves them, and tells the captives not to listen to those prophets.

These false prophets were indeed LIARS, because God had PROVEN Jeremiah's prophesy to be true; and yet, they argued against him.

10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

The captivity length, pronounced by God through Jeremiah, would be seventy years. Soon Daniel would arise among these people and realize that the seventy years was a true length (Daniel 9:2).

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

God has an "expected end" for every person. His plan for these people was that they would be "returned" to Judah after 70 years.

Obviously some of these people would not live to see the release from captivity. That is why they were to marry, have children, and teach the children of the truth Jeremiah had told them (see verses 5-6).

Then they would be encouraged to pray at the appropriate time, and God would deliver them.

Our God is always ready to hear the voices of those pleading for His help. If we truly seek Him (verse 13), then He will truly be there with us in every hour.

Have you searched for God's "expected end" for your life? What is it that God wants you to be doing? Where is it that God wants you to be going? Seek Him with all your heart, and He will SHOW you.

15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; 16 Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity; 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: 19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.

The people in captivity felt shame and were somewhat bitter because others had not been taken captive, but were allowed to remain in the land of Judah.

But Jeremiah reminds them that a WORSE punishment is coming to those who remained in the land!

And the REASON for the worse punishment is because "they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD!" (verse 19)

God had sent many prophets. He had sent them EARLY to WARN the people. Consider this: God had sent Joel, Amos, Micah, Isaiah, and Zephaniah. But the people would not listen!

Friends, God is sending hundreds, even thousands, of preachers and teachers today that WARN of a WORSE captivity and punishment than the Jews ever received in history. That WARNING is of ETERNAL DAMNATION if one does not "hearken" to the Word of God!

20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes; 22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; 23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

Having told them of a WORSE fate for those who remained in the land, Jeremiah now says, "Hear YE therefore the Word of the LORD!"

Two false prophets are named that the people are NOT to listen to. Jeremiah says it will become a saying that these two men were chastised severely by God because of their insolence against His true Word (verse 22).

These two men will be delivered to Nebuchadnezzar and he will "slay them before your eyes" (verse 21). Friends, it does not warrant good to go against God's true Word!

24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, 25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks. 27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you? 28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

Jeremiah names another prophet to whom the people should not listen, Shemaiah. This so-called and self-proclaimed prophet had written a letter about Jeremiah to the deputy of the chief priest in Jerusalem. In that letter he wanted to know why Jeremiah had not been denounced and persecuted.

Shemaiah was one of those people who believed that God's "good" was always done to His people, and that "good" was according to the definition of PEOPLE and not God. But sometimes God does things WE believe are not "good" in order to do good to our souls!

Yes, Romans 8:28 is TRUE! God ALWAYS wants to "do good" for His people. However, sometimes what is really "good" for us is not what we think! At this particular point it was "good" for these people to be placed in captivity. This way two things would happen for their "good."

First, they would become more dependent upon God and draw closer to Him.

Second, they would be placed out of "harms way" when the impending and crushing blow came to Jerusalem.

30 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: 32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

Jeremiah was summoned and the letter was read to him (verse 29). And he sent back word that this Shemaiah was indeed a false prophet and that God would destroy him.

The REASON that the false prophet would be destroyed is because he "taught REBELLION against the Lord." Friends, when people teach that God does "good" according to man's definition of good, then that is a LIE, and it is REBELLION against God!

God is always SEEKING, and STRIVING to do "good" for His children. But we must not try to define God's "good" in our own way. We are simply to realize the "good" out of what God DOES in our lives!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.