LIFE IN THE ROW BOAT
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Audio Book
  • SEMINAR REPLAY
  • Audio/Video
  • CARE PACKAGE
  • Links
  • Parable of the Paling Fence
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Likes
    • Blog Archives

God, what were you thinking!!!!

28/4/2015

3 Comments

 
Picture
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Confession is good for the soul they say.

So let me confess that I am guilty of having taken the above verse totally out of it's context in order to apply my own meaning to it.

The obvious question that follows is: what is the context?

In brief, Jerusalem has been destroyed and those who have not been killed are now captives in Babylon. The really frightening thing is that Verse 4 of this same chapter tells us that God orchestrated this!!!!!

Which brings us to the word "thoughts".

I can imagine that the majority of Israel were saying either out loud or to themselves: God, what on earth were you thinking to allow this to happen to us?

This passage is riddled with seeming contradiction and tension. If you take the time to read it you will see what I mean.

Unfortunately, every time I have plucked this verse out of Scripture to soothe my own experience of contradiction and tension I have left behind the contradiction and tension that is at the heart of this passage.

The word thought means: device, plan, purpose or invention. No real surprises there.

However, the word pictures yield the following meaning: when the house is destroyed,/separated from chaos.

The house of Israel (Jerusalem and the Temple) has been destroyed and the people have been carried away captive. God's purpose in all this: to separate them from chaos.

Up until this point in time the nation of Israel had a long history of mixing idol worship with the worship of Yahweh. After the Babylonian captivity the nation of Israel is never found worshipping idols.

So, by all means use this verse to comfort yourself but do so with the full knowledge that God will not hesitate to orchestrate the destruction of your "house" in order to deliver you from your idol worship and usher you into a place of peace and hope. The Book of Job is recommended reading.

3 Comments
Michelle
26/4/2015 03:29:10 pm

I'm guilty as charged too! I've written that verse in cards & memorised it as a "pick me up" Scripture so thank you (I think?!😵) for putting it in back in its correct context for me! Time to sink my teeth into the Old Testament... While confessions are on the table I much prefer reading the NT!! About to read the other blogs I've missed... 😊

Reply
David E
26/4/2015 03:50:24 pm

Context is good but application makes it relevant to today

Reply
Brian Fleming link
29/4/2015 10:42:38 pm

That is so good my friend. I think this is most quoted verse in the Old Testament. 99 times out of 100 is quoted as you reference and not looked in context.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture

    Author:
    ​Richard Eagle

    After 63 years I am now pursuing my passion of sharing spiritual gems with a worldwide audience. Join me in this amazing journey of discovery!!!

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo used under Creative Commons from juliamaudlin
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Audio Book
  • SEMINAR REPLAY
  • Audio/Video
  • CARE PACKAGE
  • Links
  • Parable of the Paling Fence
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Likes
    • Blog Archives