“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” Jeremiah 29:10
The amount of space in the Bible given to the matter of the captivity of Israel, specifically to that imposed upon the nation by Nebuchadnezzar, is remarkable. More remarkable are the truths, and the lessons, that we learn as we see God’s dealings with Israel before and after. It is this latter subject that we want to concentrate on, for in seeing how God dealt with Israel will reveal to us to some extent how He deals with us. Most importantly, leading up to this event, and afterwards, we discover something of the love of God, His justice, compassion, and longsuffering. We catch a glimpse of what the Bible calls, “tender loving kindness,” that personal and profound gracious dealing by God with men, though they be as dust…even rebellious, and unbelieving “dust.” It is in the pursuit of God that we look at this subject, in the hope and expectation of “…catching a glimpse of glory bright.”
The first thing we need to see, and understand, as John the Apostle wrote, ss that before the foundation of the world, the Lamb of God, Christ, was slain. What does this have to do with the captivity, or rather the God of the captivity? The God who immediately in the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve had fallen into sin, and death came upon all men, came with salvation, to clothe and cleanse them. From that time forward throughout Scripture, He testified through the millinea of history, of His mercy and grace, with all attention directed to the finished work on Calvary. This is the God of the captivity. Though God was not the “cause” of the captivity, it was this gracious and good God that declared that He “…caused Israel to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon.” (Jeremiah 29:4) Why? He did this first to demonstrate that He is God, and good, and saves and preserves life. Secondly, through the writings of Jeremiah, God again begins to reveal Himself to the people, restoring their vision of Him, seeing something of His goodness and grace, then trusting Him fully. God would tell the people of the captivity, to basically accept the fact that the captivity would last not less than seventy years. During that time, He instructed them to build houses, plant gardens, marry, give their sons and daughters to marry and have children. His purpose was not to destroy the people but to save them, preserve them, multilply and bless them, even in captivity. They were called upon to pray for the city wherein they were located, or lived, so that there would be peace in that city, “…for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” (29:7) It is to this people, so battered and downtrodden by the circumstances of the captivity, that God will reveal to Israel by means of wonderful promises, that which He will do during and after the captivity. During the period of seventy years, the people are to live, prosper, and worship again, though in a foreign land. Secondly, God declares to them that after that period, He will “visit” them, and “…perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place,” speaking of Judah and Jeruslaem. However, the blessing of God according to these promises does not stop with the return to the land. There are greater and more blessed promises.
To prepare the people to grasp something of these promises, He declares to them something of His heart, that they might see that He does love and care for them. Jeremiah writes: “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.” (29:11) He then gives them the greatest promise of all: “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” (29:13)
Dear Father, Strengthen us to find Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.