The document summarizes a letter from Jeremiah to exiles in Babylon. It encourages the exiles to settle down, have families, and seek the prosperity of Babylon, as their exile will last 70 years. However, it warns against listening to false prophets, and promises that God will fulfill his plan to bring the exiles back to their homeland and give them hope for the future when they wholeheartedly seek him.

1. Jeremiah 29 A Letter to the Exiles Pastor Chris Price

2. Rueben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun Dinah 1 2 3 4 9 10 Leah ABRAHAM ISAAC JACOB Rachel Bilhah Zilpah Joseph Benjamin Dan Naphtali Gad Asher 11 12 5 6 7 8 Married Maid

3. In 723 B.C. the Empire of Assyria conquered the 10 tribes of Israel.

4. In 605 B.C. the Babylonians defeated the Egyptians and began to march on the remaining two tribes of Judah. They overpowered Jerusalem around 598 B.C. and set up their own puppet King named Zedekiah.

5. In 586 B.C. the Babylonian army destroys Jerusalem and exiles it’s citizens to Babylon, leaving only the poorest of the poor.

6. “ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease”.

7. “ God blessed them and said to them, ‘be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it”.

8. “ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper”

9. “ Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them’ declares the Lord. This is what the Lord says: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.”

10. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”

11. “ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that we will be like his glorious body”.