Transitions: Transitioning Church: Ready Or Not

Last week, we brought our questions about suffering to Jesus. We learned that He can handle our questions and will answer us with love, but also with His purposes in mind. 

This week, we’ll look at a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish people who were living in exile in Babylon, which is modern-day Iraq. The people had been taken by force from their land and resettled in a foreign place. Jeremiah had remained behind but sent his letter to encourage and give instruction from God. The Jews would have to live in Babylon for 70 years. How would they make the kind of transition that would bring about their flourishing?

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

Read Jeremiah 29.

Who were the recipients of Jeremiah’s letter, according to Jeremiah 29:1? Verse 2 gives us more information about who was in Babylon. It would have taken the people eight days to reach their temporary home. How did Jeremiah make sure the letter would arrive safely (see verse 3)?

Jeremiah was writing on behalf of someone else. Whose words were contained in the letter (see verse 4)? On the surface, it might seem that Babylon had carried the people away from their land. Who was behind their exile?

Make a list of the things God asked His people to do in Babylon, according to verses 5-7. What do you think about these commands? Do they surprise you? What were God’s warnings in verses 8-9? There were false prophets who were trying to convince the people not to go to Babylon. But, God wanted them to go, and even thrive in the place where He sent them. How long were the people going to stay in Babylon (see Jeremiah 29:10)? What does God promise to do when the seventy years are over? 

What other promises can they enjoy as they wait for the seventy years to be completed in Jeremiah 29:11-14?

We know that God fulfilled His promises to Israel and brought her back to her land after 70 years. The people never worshiped other gods again. 

How do you relate to the idea of exile? To be exiled means you are barred from your own native country, typically for political or punitive reasons. Most of the people reading this Bible study have not experienced exile in this way. But, that doesn’t mean that those who follow Christ will never feel out of place or at odds with the world as we know it today. Sometimes the evil in this world is overwhelming. We shake our heads and wonder what we can do about it. We ask why God would allow things to get so bad. It can feel as if the world is going from bad to worse. 

We can apply God’s words in Jeremiah’s letter to this situation. Read Jeremiah 29:4-14 again. This time think of God’s directions and His promises, and apply them to your life. Think about your attitude and activity in today’s culture. 

When you look at the truths God provides about Himself in verse 4, which one(s) are you grateful for? How do these truths give you strength and comfort as you live in this fallen world? 

Babylon was the capital city of the ancient Babylonian Empire. In the Bible, it is associated with the location of the tower of Babel, a word that meant “confusion” (Genesis 11:19). Instead of ruling the Israelites from afar, Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, forced the people to walk to Babylon and live there. 

What instruction do you find in God’s words in Jeremiah 29:5-7? Does this surprise you? What are the lessons for us in verses 8-9? One application we might take from the warnings in these two verses is to be careful not to disengage from the world. Christians need to be engaged with the culture around us. Just as there was a limit to Israel’s exile: 70 years for them (see verse 10), God has also set a time for us to live on this earth. Since this timing is in His hands, how should we live while in the midst of our culture today? 

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most beloved verses in the Bible. In it, God promises to be with us even when He is allowing us to experience the consequences of our sins. Israel had worshipped other gods and broken their promises to God. This is why God sent them into exile. Even so, God had not broken His promises to them. God reminds HIs people that He is still their God, but that they will have to bear the repercussions of their sin. Have you strayed from God? Have you separated yourself from Him, from His people? Have you experienced any negative consequences from your mistakes? Some may be exiled to prison. Others may have to enter a facility where they can face their addictions. There are people who must live away from their family until they get themselves back together. These are certain kinds of exile. The truth of our passage tells us that we can still be a blessing to others while we are kept from our “normal” lives. 

For those who view the world as evil and without redemption, you can read Psalm 137, thought to be written by the Jewish people during their exile. Perhaps you will relate to its mournful tone. There is a strong lean toward retaliation. This is somewhat at odds with the instruction that God gave to the exiles in the verses we have covered. What do you think of this? Psalm 137 lets us know that we can mourn the falleness of our world. It is okay to want God to take vengeance on the evil we hear about every day. But, the counter balance to this truth is that God also wants to use His people to make a difference in the world. While we are alive, we must fight evil and be Christ’s image-bearers to everyone we encounter. We are His hands and feet. He will work through us to bring His will on earth as it is in heaven. 

Will you commit to being a conduit for good in the world today, wherever you are planted?

Prayer: Lord, we worship You as King of the world. There is no part of the Universe where You is not in charge. As Your church, we are Your ambassadors. Help us represent You in all that we say and do. Amen.