Sometimes I receive assortments of greeting cards from Christian organizations who are asking for financial support for their ministry. The cards are usually very attractive and contain Bible verses on the cover or inside. I have made a practice of putting cards with certain Bible verses on them in the recycle bin regardless of how beautiful the card is. One of these verses is:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
Please don’t misunderstand. I have a high regard for all Scripture and have nothing personal against this particular verse. The reason I don’t send this verse to friends or family members is that it too often is misunderstood to be a promise for prosperity and material blessings to any Christian who claims it. (Or, worse, to any human being, regardless of their spiritual status.) It’s also commonly used as a blanket response to someone wondering what God’s will is for his or her life, with the implication that only good things are in store. It's just so commonly used out of context that I don't want to risk someone interpreting it that way. (I wrote a previous blog about another verse commonly taken out of context and used on greeting cards and other gifts items.)
Years ago, this was a verse that often came to mind when I wanted assurance in difficult circumstances, or just as an encouraging reminder of God’s love and care for me. While it can, indirectly, be applied to us as encouragement of God's faithfulness to His people, I was taught to interpret this verse as if it were written to me personally. No one ever explained who the 'you' was God was talking to, or what the circumstances were.
As I learned more about the importance of context in accurately interpreting Scripture, I became painfully aware that this verse has no direct application to any individual Christians today (including me!). The initial disappointment of this realization turned into gratitude once I examined the entire story surrounding this verse. I was thankful not to be the “you” the verse was written to!
The “you” in Jer. 29:11 is a collective, not an individual 'you,' and specifically refers to the Jewish exiles living in Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar's rule. The prophet Hananiah had just given these captive people a false prophecy (for which he was later killed) that their exile would end within two years; but God then tells them they would remain captive for 70 years (see Jer. 29:10) before He allowed them to return to their homeland of Judah. Most of those Jews to whom God spoke through Jeremiah would not live long enough to see the fulfillment of this promise. God was promising to keep His convenant with Israel.
In the next chapter of Jeremiah, God makes another promise to the very same group of people (the same 'you') regarding their time in captivity. I doubt you will ever see this promise on a greeting card!:
“…I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.” (Jer. 30:11)
The 'you' in Jer. 29:11 is the same 'you' in Jer. 30:11. The Jewish exiles were to be disciplined by God during the 70 years of captivity before being restored to their homeland. That's a long time to learn obedience!
In Jeremiah 44, God promises the remnant of Jews who had exiled themselves in Egypt that He would punish their sin by bringing disaster upon them:
"Behold, I will set my face against you for harm, to cut off all Judah...I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence." (Jer. 44:11, 13)
In each case, 'you' is collective and refers to God's covenant people, the Jews, who had sinned against a Holy God and incurred His wrath. The 'you' is not you. It's not me. As modern-day believers, we can be encouraged by promises made specifically to Christ-followers in the gospels and epistles of the New Testament. This is not to say these Old Testament verses have no application or use for us today. We can certainly learn true things about God from these passages and the entire chapters. We can know that, in contrast to the words of false prophets like Hananiah, God’s words are true and what he promises will come to pass. We can see the general principle of God's faithfulness to His people reflected in other Scripture.
Context is crucial for rightly understanding and applying all of God’s Word. Scripture tells us we are to ‘rightly handle the word of truth’ (2 Tim 2:15) which means we need to use it in its proper context and not twist it to make it say whatever we want it to say. We can't 'cherry pick' verses out of context and claim them as personal promises. We should be willing to receive God's discipline just as readily as we receive His blessings.
There is no guarantee anywhere in the Bible that things will go well for us in this life. In fact, we are told to expect trials and suffering (James 1:2, John 16:33); but, we do have God’s promise that the trials and suffering we endure in this life will end, and that in Christ we have a hope of future glory and an inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading" waiting for us in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4).
It was difficult for me to throw away those beautiful cards at first, but my determination not to encourage anyone to take verses out of context got me through that initial difficulty pretty quickly. Truth trumps beauty! (I do support some of those Christian organizations, and use the cards I can share with a clear conscience.)
So well said!