NOTES for Jer 29:1-32

The Lord requires of the captive Judeans the same thing He required of everyone who could hear Him: to believe and to wait. The time of salvation will come only after several generations, but it will come. Not everyone will live to see that time, but the Lord has promised, and they must believe. This theme runs through all of Scripture, from the story of Abraham to the last days.

This is probably the most difficult commandment: to believe and to await the fulfillment of God’s promises. It is all too easy to despair, become disillusioned, and forget along the way. That is what happened to many who went into exile: few preserved their faith and hope. But they must be preserved, and one must wait, so that what was promised may be fulfilled: “You will find Me!”