Jeremiah 29:11 - OUT OF CONTEXT SCRIPTURE

Hermeneutics - the science of interpretation. What "formula" or approach do you use when interpreting a given scripture? Is the Bible just a bunch of quaint sayings we apply to life, or is it a story that had meaning in it's historical context? Sadly, so many treat it as the former.

Christians need to stop looking at the Bible as if it was a book of good sayings and individual verses of encouragement. I believe this practice stems from a lack of Christians reading the Bible through in its entirety and doing so on a frequent basis anymore these days. It seems people do not view the Bible as a large interconnected story, but rather see it as a bunch of single books of sayings and wisdom type literature that can be used to guide mankind through life.

True, the scriptures are wisdom and do serve as a guide for our living, but this is only truly accomplished when Scriptures are read and understood in their correct context and proper application to their original audience - audience relevance being a key part of hermeneutics.

A true understanding and meaning can only be acquired by properly interpreting the original meaning, and only then can a passage be perceived and properly applied to daily living.

Context and audience relevance are the two key concepts that are required for any Bible readers who seek to handle the word of God accurately, and are sadly ever considered by the average reader.

As many of us were taught in grammar class, the reading and understanding of the Bible also benefits from applying the five Ws of grammar - Who - What - When - Where - Why? Before applying a verse to some universal situation, seek to ask these questions to ensure your interpretation holds up.

In this edition of my Out of Context series we examine Jeremiah 29:11 which is used quite often by Christians as a word of encouragement to other believers. It says:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord , plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

Saying this to another believer sounds encouraging and pleasant, true, but is that what this verse is meaning - is that why it was written and recorded in Scripture? Reading the whole chapter where this verse appears, or better yet, the entire book, would answer many answers, but lets start with the basics. Who was this written to, and what was it talking about? Who - What - When - Where - Why?

Who is speaking? Yahweh. This is known by backing up one single verse:

For thus says the Lord... (Jeremiah 29:10 ESV)

Who is He speaking to? To those sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: (Jer 29:4 ESV)

 What is He speaking of here? He is speaking of a promise involving and regarding them and their situation:

When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. (Jeremiah 29:10 ESV)

When was this written? Back in the 6th century BC - when Jerusalem was destroyed (586 BC) and the people were captive in Babylon (29:4).

Where was it written? It was written and sent to Babylon where the people were:

The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (Jer 29:3 ESV)

Why was it written? To show that God keeps His promises.

For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (Jer 29:10-14 ESV)

So hopefully you can see from just this cursory examination of the text in its context that it is dealing with a specific situation for a specific people in a specific time, and is not a general statement from Yahweh for all mankind to grab for themselves.

Yahweh is speaking to the exiles, people who had turned from his covenants and sinned greatly, and who were being judged by him by having their temple destroyed and the people led away as slaves. Yahweh is telling them that though he has brought this judgment upon them, He will not forsake and forget them.

He promises that when seventy years of exile are complete, he would restore them to the land and would hear them when they prayed and sought Him. And why would he do all of this? Because he knows the plans He has for them - those people, at that time, who he is directly addressing with this promise.

So, the declaration of welfare and hope is speaking specifically to these surviving people of exile. To seek to quote and apply this verse to every Christian as a general promise from God to bless them, is to misapply the original intent and ignore the audience and their message and promise being stated here. This just distorts the biblical text and application of it, and seeks to make Scripture just a bunch of disjointed motivational sayings.

Until Christians return to a proper handling of the Word of God, and refrain from abusively using it in this manner, the church will continue to be confused, and less effective and less influential to the world around it.

Conclusion: this promise in Jeremiah is not for you, or anyone beyond the intended people addressed. So what can we take away from this for our lives today? Yahweh is a God who makes and keeps His promises. 

View Other "Out of Context" Verses

Review: When Giants Were Upon the Earth: The Watchers, the Nephilim, and the Biblical Cosmic War of the Seed

When Giants Were Upon the Earth: The Watchers, the Nephilim, and the Biblical Cosmic War of the Seed by Brian Godawa

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a truly enjoyable read. I have read a handful of great theologically based books on giants in the past couple years, including Giants: Sons of the God by Douglas Van Dorn and The Sons of God and the Nephilim by Tim Chaffey, so the bulk of the giant related information covered in this Godawa book was not necessarily new. However, the difference with this book and the others, is that this one deals with a wider range subjects. It looks at the Divine Council and all kinds of other topics related to the battle between the seed of the serpent and the seed of Eve.

Mizpah (Genesis 31:49) - OUT OF CONTEXT SCRIPTURE!

The story contained within the whole of Scripture is just that - a STORY, a single interconnected story. Sadly, way too many church-goers make it a practice to treat God's Holy Scripture as a buffet of quaint sayings from which they can pick, choose and use in any way imaginable, even if the result is in no way related to the original intent of the verse in its context.

The Bible is not made up of thousands of disjointed pieces of "wisdom" and motivational sayings that we can choose and use to make a point or to produce feel good statements as desired. There are many parts of Scripture that when used out of context may still produce a valid point that doesn't stray too far outside the realm of the original intent, but then there are others that cannot, and they end up becoming twisted and distorted so much that they imply almost the opposite of their original meaning.

Review: The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus

The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus by Scot McKnight

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable read. As a good Reformed protestant that I have been for 25 years now, I of course shy away from any "Mary-ology" leanings. This books reveals the Mary I have never looked at or given the time of day to. That seems to be the main goal of this book, and at least for me, it works. I know have a new-found admiration for Mary, and believe all protestants should.

Review: Child to the Waters - James Everett Kibler

Child to the Waters by James Everett Kibler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me start by admitting that this type of book is not my normal read. Therefore, my rating and review will not be as "academic" as others who read this style for a living might write. Even though I have met Jim Kibler on numerous occasions - have heard him lecture, had meals with him, and sat in an easy chair in his company, I had just never gotten around to reading any of his books. I even used to carry most of them in my online book store, so I have accumulated them, but again, never read one - until now.

The first story in this book through me for a loop initially. The literary symbolism and descriptive language being used was just so foreign and I feared I would not make it far in this writing. But alas, it did not take long at all for it all to click, and I found that the more I read, the more enjoyable the writings became.

This book is a collection of short stories focused on a slow paced life of country/southern type characters - characters which come alive in these pages, and stories that suck you in to the surroundings. I found them very well written and each story seemed more enjoyable than the last. Now that I am officially familiar with this author's writings, I will be less hesitant to pick up another of his titles in the future.

View all my reviews
 

Review: Honestly: My Life and Stryper Revealed - Michael Sweet

Honestly: My Life and Stryper Revealed by Michael Sweet

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Wow, what a page turner - for me at least. I have been a Stryper fan since finding their first album in the record bin about 3 months after it hit the shelves. I have seen them multiple times in their heyday of the 80's, evening meeting them before and after shows a few times (the photos are on Facebook to prove it), as well as the very first reunion show in 2003 (meeting them before the show again). I have been a fan all through the years of everything the band and individual band members have released. So obviously when vocalist Michael Sweet released this bio, I pre-ordered it immediately. Upon receiving it in the mail, I began devouring it, and finished it quite quickly for my normal schedule.

Who Are the “Lost” According to the Bible?

While leading a weekly devotion meeting today using the latest weekly topic from The Wired Word that was dealing with the lost flight 370 incident, in the questions at the end, this multi-part question was raised:

What does the Bible mean when it speaks of "the lost"? In what way, if any, does that term relate to people who are missing? Some Christians use the term "lost" to describe people who don't (to their knowledge) have a relationship with Christ. Is that a useful or accurate term? If so, in what way is it possible to be "lost" from God?

The question resonated with me because only a couple months earlier I had preached a message on the parable of the Prodigal son that had touched on this area of thought, so I quickly pulled out a few quotes on the topic to share with the group. Here are those thoughts, which make a pretty good stand-alone article:

Review: Lincoln Unmasked: What You're Not Supposed to Know About Dishonest Abe by Thomas DiLorenzo

Lincoln Unmasked: What You're Not Supposed to Know About Dishonest Abe by Thomas J. DiLorenzo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what an absolutely amazing book! I have heard many lecture, read many smaller writings, and discovered so, so many truths about Lincoln over the past 20 years, and because of that I have never actually read a full treatise on him from start to finish (figuring I knew so much already). Well, I will say that most all of the topics in this book I was already aware of general thoughts about, but for once they all came together into one theme of why and how things went down.

Review: Christ and the Kosmoses by Charles W. Asbell

Christ and the Kosmoses by Charles W. Asbell
Scripture Research - Vol 4 - No. 14

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This little book was actually a nice read. I honestly was not sure what to expect, knowing nothing of the background or theological stance of the author. Even their web site had little theological affiliations listed to reveal their position. But I read on anyway, awaiting an answer.

This booklet deal with the idea of the Greek term kosmos, as used throughout the NT, is not actually referring to the world as a whole, but to a dispensation - a time - an era containing a specific people, and their dealing with God within it. I am not alien to this concept, and so it was not at all startling. I guess I just never looked at applying the use of kosmos to such a thought. I knew of the overarching "this age" and the "age to come" separation of the Hebrew understanding, and this kosmos understanding kind of aligns right along side of that.

Review: Revelation and the First Century: Preterist Interpretations of the Apocalypse in Early Christianity - Francis X. Gumerlock

What a great book! Very similar to the edition the author co-wrote with Gray DeMar (The Early Church And The End Of The World) but with much more content and more recent translated documents.

In a nutshell, this book has one goal - to close the mouths of those who speak as if preteristic understandings were totally absent in all of church history. As the author states in the introduction:

One common criticism against preterist interpretations of the book of Revelation is their alleged lack of representation in Christian history. Oponents of preterist interpretations of Revelation say that such views did not exist in ancient Christianity but were introduced into Christianity in the 1600s by the Jesuit names Luis Alcasar, sometimes spelled Alcazar. This, of course, implies that such interpretations are novel. For Christians, "novel" tends to mean that such interpretations are un-orthodox and not in agreement with the ancient faith handed down to us by the apostles.