Jeremiah 29:11

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.

This is one of the popular verses to be quoted around New Year’s.

It’s a great sentiment for an optimistic outlook. That the creator of the universe, God himself would have thoughts of peace towards you. Not evil. And that there is an expected end for you, with the implication that it’s a good end.

Isn’t that what we all want? A good end?

Maybe a good end to 2020. Maybe a good end in the future. Is that what Jeremiah is writing about?

We have to remember, when we read scripture, there are three important things to consider: context, context, and context.

Just like in real estate: location, location, location.

What is the Lord talking about here in context?

Actually, we find this verse is contained in a letter Jeremiah is writing to the captives in Babylon in the 500’s BC. Those Jews that were taken away from Jerusalem for seventy years.

Even though Jeremiah is writing these things down, it is the Lord speaking to His people captive in Babylon.

And He has some things to tell them. He says for them to marry and multiply. He tells them to build houses and plant gardens and seek to live a peaceful life in Babylon.

He tells these Jews in Babylon to pray for peace, and they will have it.

This had to be comforting to a people who had been taken away from their homes and were now being held captive in a foreign land.

The Lord was being merciful to them. He was telling them that he had not forgotten about them, even though they had disobeyed Him and gotten themselves into a mess.

He also gives them hope that they just have to last 70 years. Then He’ll allow them to return home to Jerusalem. Many would die in Babylon, maybe a few generations, but they could give their children and grandchildren hope from the Lord that they would be going home someday.

So, now that we know the context, what does this scripture have for us today?

I do think it has a message for us in 2020 and, actually, for anytime. And that message is the gospel.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you”

What thoughts does our Lord think towards His children today and in the coming year?

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Even though we are sinners, God has a great love for us. He has loving thoughts toward us.

God loved us, and he saved us by grace. Undeserved by us in any and every way.

“thoughts of peace, and not of evil,”

We just came off the Christmas season – peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:12-14 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

This peace is the peace between God and man that was bought by Jesus on the cross when he paid for our sins. Now, we can be accepted by a holy God.

“to give you an expected end.”

The expected end in this case is not a return from Babylon to Jerusalem in around 500 BC. Although, it kind of is.

Our expected end, our hope, is a return from this world of sin we live in, this spiritual Babylon, where we are being held captive to sin, to spiritual Jerusalem, that city that will descend from heaven when God creates a new heaven and a new earth after the resurrection, wherein will dwell righteousness forever more.

That’s the hope of the gospel. Our faith is in the resurrection. And in that faith there is a peace, too.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

May God Bless you all to have a most peaceful 2020.