For I know that plans I have for you”-this is the LORD’s declaration-plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.    Jeremiah 29:11-12 HCSB

Jeremiah 29:11 is a very popular verse. When we read that God has good plans for us, to give us a future and a hope and not for disaster, it gives us great hope. It is often seen on wall hangings, coffee mugs, t-shirts, and bumper stickers. It is often used to encourage people. It’s really important, however, to consider the verse before it.

Verse 10 says, “For this is what the LORD says: “When 70 years are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place.” Jeremiah is warning the Israelites that God has grown tired of their idol worshiping. He’s encouraging them to repent and turn back to God. He’s telling them that God is going to allow them to be taken captive by the Babylonians if they don’t repent.

So, what verse 11 is saying is that after 70 years of captivity have passed, God will restore them to their homeland. At this point, some had already been taken captive and exiled, and Jeremiah encouraged them to live their lives in Babylon and even seek the welfare of that city. He encouraged them to pray to the LORD on behalf of that city.  You can read about this if you go even further back and read verses 1-9.

There are numerous verses in the Bible that we often pull out of context and use to address our current situation. In the case of Jeremiah 29:11, it is an encouraging Scripture, but it does not promise blanket well-being for everyone. It’s promising to restore the Israelites to Jerusalem after they have spent 70 years in captivity as a punishment for idol worship and turning away from God. And in verse 12, you see this is an offer made to those who seek the LORD with their whole heart.

Another horribly misquoted verse is, “An eye for an eye.” Many people use this as a greenlight to exact revenge on someone. But if you read it in the Old Testament in Exodus 21:24 or Deuteronomy 19:21, you will see that it was part of Mosaic law. God basically gave them a criminal code of procedure, much like the guidelines for our court system today. An eye for an eye simply meant that the punishment should fit the crime.

When Jesus said this in Matthew 5:38-39, He began with, “You have heard it said, ‘an eye for an eye’…” Jesus followed this up by telling them not resist an evildoer but to turn the other cheek. We are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, not as they have done to us or others. We are to leave vengeance to the Lord. This is found in Deuteronomy 32:35. Paul quoted this Scripture in Romans 12:19. Romans chapter 12 is often referred to as the Christian Code of Ethics.

If you see a verse that you like, take a minute to see what the verses before it and after it say. Consider who is saying it, who they are saying it to, and what situation it relates to. This gives us a deeper understanding of God’s word.

The more we understand God’s word, the more we understand His great love for us. When we understand how much He loves us, we can have a deeper understanding and an appreciation of what it means to be a child of God.

God’s word has so much to say to us; we should read and study it as much as we can. When you see a verse on a coffee mug or a t-shirt, take time to look it up and see what’s really going on and get the proper context. The more you study God’s word, the more you will want to. Don’t take my word for it, see for yourself.

Have a great day!