Every year, millions of people have to go into exile. In our text today, we find a historical fact, the exile of the Jews in Babylon. This exile was of an entire nation, and was orchestrated by God Himself, because of their rebellion against God.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God reminds and instructs the exiles of 5 realities. First, that their exile was a divine decision. Second, that they had to live their present reality. Third, that they were not to be influenced by false hopes. Fourth, that He has good plans for them, and fifth, that He expects a good response to His decisions. These truths are also for us.
Every exile has its spiritual background, something that many political scientists are unaware of or refuse to accept. It is today, and God continues to punish the rebellion of nations to Him in different ways; be it with earthquakes, with hurricanes, with famine, or by letting a dictator take control of the nation, forcing many into exile. In today's text, we read that the exile of the Jewish people, was as punishment for not obeying God, for not giving ear to the voice of His prophets, and for giving themselves to idolatry and perversion.
Something similar is coming over this country; violence, chaos, and the exaltation of perversity has been increasing in the last 25 years. I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I must say with pain in my heart, that the United States as the dominant world power is in its final days. Perversion and corruption reigns in all spheres of the American government and society, even in the churches.
The context of this passage indicates that the words we read are part of a letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent to the exiles in Babylon. They had already been living in Babylon for more than a decade, and everything indicates that many of them lived with the hope that in a short time they would be able to return to their land. But their hope was based on the words of the false prophets, who before and now in exile, prophesied to them what they wanted to hear; the prophecies were theirs and not God's. The false prophets prophesied what the exiles wanted to hear. Many false pastors and teachers are doing that today.
The false prophets prophesied that the Lord would bring them back to the holy land in a short time. And with that in mind, the exiles were living with what I call, the temporary mentality; to be thinking and making plans to return or for when they return to their homeland. With that in mind they focus on thinking about their homeland, on working and accumulating resources for when they return. In doing so, they forget to live their present reality, and worse, they put God out of their priorities,
In conclusion, in general, people, including believers, wait until they are in trouble to turn to the Lord. Do you think this is wise and reverent? We must recognize that God's decisions are not always to our liking, for many involve wilderness, exile, and misfortune. Many are due to our transgressions and rebellion to God, and others are part of God's purpose to help us mature in the faith. Are you living in real and spiritual exile? Turn to Him.
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