NOTES for Jer 29:1-32

Jeremiah writes a prophetic letter to the Israelites who had been deported to Babylon. The central meaning of this prophecy is that the Exile forms part of God's plan for the people, that it will serve their good, and that it will be prolonged. Yet it will end when seventy years have passed and two or three generations have grown up. During this time the people will be transformed from a nation into a religious community. Those who do not remain faithful to the Lord will mingle with the local population and dissolve into the Aramaic population of the Middle East. The Lord will remain with the exiles; He will instruct them through the prophets and lead them along the path of deepening faith.

The Babylonian Exile is one of the greatest catastrophes in the history of Israel. We too must reflect on it, so that we may learn to see in trials and catastrophes not only punishment for turning away from God, but also a path to God, a path toward gaining a new faith and a new relationship with the Lord.