Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"Seek the peace of the city"
Text: Jeremiah 29:7
PRAYING FOR THE BABYLONIAN CITIES
This word from the LORD must have surprised many! The LORD was urging the Captives to actually pray for the peace of the city they find themselves in!
“And seek the peace of the city
where I have caused you to be carried away captive,
and pray to the LORD for it;
for in its peace you will have peace.
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
Do not let your prophets and your diviners
who are in your midst deceive you,
nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
For they prophesy falsely to you in My name;
I have not sent them, says the LORD.”
Jeremiah 29:7-9
1. “And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive,
and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace”
a) Seek the peace of the city.
i) This is an important first step.
ii) The Captives must stop having antagonistic feelings towards the Babylonians.
iii) They must learn to live in peace.
b) Seek to understand the LORD’s will.
i) It was His will that Judah was exiled.
ii) This was His chastisement of the people for their wicked and idolatrous ways.
c) Praying to the LORD for peace.
i) Not just for peace for Israel.
ii) But for peace to be given to Babylon and other cities the Captives find themselves in.
d) In the peace of the city:
i) In the peace of Babylon, they will find peace too.
ii) But if they keep agitating the Babylonians, they will never find peace.
2. “For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed”
a) This word must be taken seriously.
b) It comes from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel Himself.
c) The prophets and diviners
i) They have been deceiving people for so long already.
ii) They keep drawing people to themselves by speaking of their so-called dreams.
d) Personal dreams
i) Perhaps, in part, because of all the talk about dreams, the Captives start to
have dreams too.
ii) They are encouraged not to listen to their own dreams!
3. “For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD”
a) The so-called prophets
i) They are rebuked by the LORD.
ii) They are rejected as false prophets.
b) They may use the name of the LORD.
i) God sent a disclaimer.
ii) He has not sent them at all.