I Know the Plans I Have for You

Series: “In Context”

Speaker: Lead Pastor Dustin Aguilar

Scripture: Jer. 29:11-13, Jer. 26:2-6,8  Jer, 27:14-17, Jer. 29:4-13xf```, Lev. 25:4, Lev. 26:33+, 2 Chron 36:20-21

What to Believe:
Jeremiah 29:11 — “you” is plural. Jeremiah was talking to only 2 tribes of Israel, the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Jeremiah is the weeping prophet. He prophesied, but no one listened or repented.

975 BC — King Solomon’s two sons fought over the kingdom & ultimately split the kingdom. North & South (Israel & Judah)

722 BC — Northern Kingdom overthrown (lost Ark of the Covenant –which was the presence of God)

700 BC — Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar takes Ark, sets up his own king over Judah)

586 BC — Destruction of temple

Jeremiah 27:14–17 — Judah is paying the price for its disobedience. Deportation.

False prophets keep prophesying that good is on the way, breakthroughs coming.

People trusted the lie; God took the false prophets out.

Q: Is Judah done for? No. After the 1st deportation & before destruction of the temple (permanent loss of Ark) Jeremiah prophesies: Jeremiah 29:4 — “Build houses, plant gardens, marry & multiply. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray for it.” Jeremiah 29:8–9 — Addresses false prophets – they are lying. Jeremiah 29:10 — “When 70 years are completed in Babylon, I will visit you, fulfill my promise, and bring you back.” Why 70 years? Leviticus 25:4 — every 7 years the land has a Sabbath year. But Judah had ignored this rule for 490 years. We know this because Leviticus 26:33–35 says the punishment for not honoring the Sabbath years in a land will be deportation so that the Sabbath rest for the land will occur. And 2 Chronicles 36:20–21 — The land observed Sabbaths for 70 years. God = specific direction, clear consequence = 70 years of punishment.

After the 70 years were ended, God allowed Judah to return to honor his promises that  “I will give you this land; you will bless the whole world, and a descendant of David will always sit on the throne.”

Jeremiah 29:11 — God is talking to a group that has earned their punishment. But He doesn’t discard them.

Cyrus prophecy — 570 years later

JESUS

Jeremiah 29:12–13 — Hope for wayward people.

The plan is Jesus — better than a God-given dream, big plans.

You can have God Himself living inside you.

Don’t let a ripped-up plan from the past rob you of the hope we have now — God in us now

How to Obey:

Repent from sin and trust God in exile

• Jeremiah 29:4–7 – Build houses, plant gardens, seek the city’s welfare even in exile.

• Don’t wait for better circumstances; obey God where you are.

Reject false hope

• Jeremiah 27:14–17; 28:10–17 – False prophets promised quick deliverance.

• Faithful obedience requires accepting God’s timeline.

Live with integrity even in judgment

• Leviticus 26, 2 Chron. 36 – Judah’s exile was due to disobedience (ignoring Sabbath years), but God preserved a remnant.

How to Walk Intimately with God:

As you study the Bible, ask:

• What does sin have to do with this verse?

• What does this verse have to do with me?