Songs of Deliverance No.1, Babylons
I’ve been hanging out in Jeremiah 29 recently. We often quote a familiar verse from it as a declaration of God’s good plans for us and the future and hope they bring.
For I know the plan I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. vs. 11
That is a wonderful promise to celebrate. It reminds us of what God has done for his people in the past. It reminds us of the fulfillment of his plans through the cross. And it also reminds us he is still moving today.
What has been intriguing about this passage most recently is the larger picture. Why is God speaking this to his people? This passage is about deliverance. This was God’s promise to his people who had been taken or driven out of their home into a place they were not created to live — Babylon. His people needed to be delivered.
If we think about Babylon as any place outside of the tuck of God’s wing (Psalm 91), it could be used to represent sin, mindsets, temptations, injustice, rebellion, and so on. When we find ourselves trying to survive in places (literal or figurative) without God or his presence, we are in a Babylon-like place. At some point, we have to ask ourselves, “How did I get in this place?” and let the Holy Spirit shine a light on the matter.
Maybe it is a harsh season when we are victims of injustice or the unfair turns in life. I’ve been in those places before. The example I’ll share today is when my late husband had cancer. That’s an unreasonable turn in life. We didn’t ask for it, nobody deserves it, yet we were in the middle of it. In those types of places that try to pull us from living under God’s covering, we have the choice to stay tucked in. Yes, I’ll be the first to admit that isn’t always easy. It feels contrary to our independent tendencies and to self-protect. I will also be first in line to say that I’ve never regretted choosing God, but I have always regretted—every time—when I’ve trusted in something else (chosen to dwell in a Babylon).
Maybe, like with God’s people in Jeremiah, it is our distrust and disobedience to God’s word that has led us to a foreign dwelling place. I’ve been in those places too. In a lighter example, there was the time I was over my head in debt and so mad at God about it. By some miracle and a lot of grace, I was able to hear this truth, “You trusted a credit card more than My ability and willingness to provide.” In that moment, I repented for not trusting God and asked him for help instead of picking a fight. It wasn’t an overnight turnaround, but I saw God’s favor and kindness working on my behalf. It felt like an extended strong arm to me.
Regardless of why we find ourselves in a “Babylon” or being pulled from God’s secret place, seeking him never turns up empty. That’s the point of these few verses in the middle of Jeremiah 29 — the promise (desire, willingness, ability) of God to deliver us from places we are not created to live.
We are created to live in relationship with our Creator — living in his presence and his presence living in us. God is Deliverer and he wants to rescue us from foreign dwelling places.
Look at these statements found in Jeremiah 29:10-14. It is a complete picture of deliverance. It is an invitation from God to us. This is God moving on behalf of his people, the people whom he loves and gave himself for (Galatians 2:20).
- I will visit you, vs 10
- I will fulfill my promise, vs 10
- I will bring you back to me (first time), vs 10
- I have good, peaceful plans of hope for you, vs 11
- I will hear you when you seek me, vs 12
- I will be found when you seek me, vs 14
- I will restore what was lost, vs 14
- I will gather you, vs 14
- I will bring you back to me (second time), vs 14
Whoa! Praise the Lord! That is jam-packed with goodness. That is what God has done for his people in the past. This is what God continues to do for us now. It is an individual work but it is also for collective work for the Church.
Babylon happens on this side of life. The question is, are we satisfied staying there? There is a day coming where they will no longer be a factor. Meanwhile, we have this promise in Jesus— a better covering, the place we were created to live, and freedom from other places vying for our residence.
Don’t be satisfied with a Babylon-like dwelling place. We weren’t created to live there. We were created to walk and talk with God all the days of your life, now and always. Seek the Lord. He will be found.
Brave Sparrow 