INTRODUCTION

Many love Jeremiah 29:11, but for the WRONG REASON…! The title of this blog article is “The Jeremiah 29:11 Fraud” because those who use this verse to encourage themselves and others about “the wonderful future plans God has for them”, interpret, apply, and appropriate it fraudulently, perhaps without realizing it…! Is it really such a big deal… and, can it cause any harm…?

WHY “FRAUD”?

Typically, we define “fraud” as intentionally deceiving to wrongfully gain some sort of benefit.

Well-intentioned Christians or those associated with the Christian faith often misuse this verse. Some do so intentionally and others unintentionally. They interpret it in a way that goes way beyond the intended meaning of both God and the original human author, Jeremiah the prophet. Moreover, this verse was never understood in the way by its original audience (Jews who lived as exiles in Babylon, roughly about 2500 years ago) as in the manner the vast number of today’s Christians do.

Misusing this verse generates false expectations of God. The LORD, being unwilling to act or respond favorably according to a misinterpretation or misappropriation of His Word, will certainly never meet such expectations. Consequently, this often (eventually) results in profound disappointment towards God in the individual’s heart and may even lead to a complete abandonment of the Christian faith.

Therefore, utilizing this verse to convey a false message, is equivalent to committing fraud with this verse. It fabricates words and a message in God’s Name that He never uttered or meant, fostering false and deceptive expectations that the uninformed then impose upon God. Mishandling this verse also crafts a misleading image/concept of God and His nature in the minds of the gullible and uninformed, one that contradicts the true image of God portrayed throughout all of Scripture.

JEREMIAH 29:11 IS VERY POPULAR!

Typing just the word “Jeremiah” into any search engine will likely prompt the first suggestion to be “Jeremiah 29:11” or a similar reference like “Jeremiah 29 v 11.” This suggests that this verse stands as one of the most frequently searched verses on the internet, reflecting its high level of popularity.

Searching for “the most popular Bible verses” on any search engine will likely feature Jeremiah 29:11 in that list.

Church auditoriums often display Jeremiah 29:11, people frequently place it on refrigerators, include it in their WhatsApp statuses, print it on graduation cards, quote it in some format to encourage a seemingly struggling fellow Christian, etc. Additionally, it’s commonly quoted or referenced in sermons and similar contexts.

Jeremiah 29:11 is more popular than even other crucial Bible verses, verses that speak about the importance of salvation and other important warnings in Scripture which all people desperately need to give heed to. Why is that…?!

From general observation, even individuals who aren’t devout Christians appear to admire and favor this specific verse. This raises an intriguing question: WHY WOULD EVEN NON-CHRISTIANS OR APOSTATE “CHRISTIANS” HOLD SUCH AN AFFECTION FOR THIS VERSE…?

THE “MODERN-DAY” INTERPRETATION OF JEREMIAH 29:11

Interpreting Jeremiah 29:11 solely at face value, devoid of context, gives the impression that God unequivocally promises immediate (or the foreseeable future) personal prosperity or success for His children. This misinterpretation usually includes the assurance of significant miracles, complete healing from all illnesses or deformities, escaping long-standing difficulties, expecting promotions in life, and experiencing breakthroughs in challenging situations.

Such a misinterpretation leaves the gullible Christian with the impression that “God has a good plan for me, therefore this suffering I endure will soon cease, leading to my flourishing!”

This perspective also conveys that God is “consumed” by constant thoughts about blessing us as His children. Teaching or preaching along these lines often links this idea with the need for Christians to transform their thinking regarding God’s intentions, desires, and purposes—to aid, bless, prosper, heal, promote, and deliver them. Consequently, it suggests that a person’s lack of sufficient faith in God prevents these blessings from manifesting. This aligns with the (incorrect/unbiblical) statement: “God said it, I believe it, that settles it!”

Hence, this contemporary (unbiblical) perspective asserts that if these occurrences fail to manifest in a believer’s life, it’s because of the lack of faith on the part of the believer… They haven’t adequately embraced “the promises” of God’s Word, and therefore remain “trapped” in unscriptural thoughts concerning God and His intentions for them… God wants to bless them, but they first need to think and believe correctly (and in some instances also have to make proper “declarations” and also do it enough times for all these blessings to “break through” from the LORD).

THE IGNORANCE

Why do so many people fall for this kind of inaccurate handling of the Word of God?

There might be numerous reasons, but the primary one is the ignorance of the average Christian on how to correctly understand and interpret the Bible for themselves! Most of them lack training in this aspect, compounded by the unfortunate reality of their Church leaders who consistently set a dismal example by mishandling the precious Word of God every Sunday! When leaders misinterpret and misapply Scripture, their spiritual flock inevitably follows suit.

By avoiding the diligent study of this verse’s context—skipping the hard work and critical questioning—people opt for the “easy” path. They directly apply the verse to themselves based on what it sounds like or appears to say, sidestepping the effort needed for a correct interpretation and application.

Thus, they prefer to “find encouragement and comfort” in this verse, interpreting Jeremiah 29:11 as having “a broader message” that God has good plans for His followers, plans that offer hope, prosperity, and a positive outcome in the long run.

THE ATTRACTION

What is it about Jeremiah 29:11 that attracts so many people?

CARNAL DESIRES

Well, put simply, this verse appeals to people’s carnal desires and wants when it’s only superficially considered. Out of its proper context, it offers pleasant assurances to individuals without qualifications. It tells people what they want to hear—about blessings, promising great destinies, a hopeful earthly future, and more. It pledges blessings without imposing any requirements.

A “GOD” THAT EVERYBODY WANTS

In this narrative, man is positioned at the center, with God merely portrayed as the “agent” through whom all these wonderful things manifest in a person’s life. This perspective shifts the focus to God serving us rather than us serving God as it should be. It portrays a “god” everybody wants (even to the unbeliever)! Who wouldn’t want a divine being who only plans and promises pleasant and hopeful things for his children/subjects…?!

Thus, the true danger and tragedy of mishandling Jeremiah 29:11 lie in its contribution to crafting an IDOL—a false god—in the minds of the unsuspecting. These individuals mistakenly identify this constructed deity as “the God of the Bible”, yet it is a god they have fashioned themselves according to their own perceptions, beliefs, and likes! The carnal person wants a god that can be easily manipulated by him/her; a god that won’t make any demand on the person (e.g. repentance and holiness); a god that gives the person his/her desires, wants, and needs; and that tells the person what he/she wants to hear… i.e. a false gospel and the proclamation of a false Christ (Gal. 1:6-9)!

The way Jeremiah 29:11 (among many other Bible passages) is “gladly” mishandled can at least in part be seen as the fulfillment of Paul the apostle’s prediction under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

THE CONTEXT OF THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH

JEREMIAH AS A PROPHET & THE TIMESPAN OF HIS MINISTRY

Jeremiah was a priest from the small village of Anathoth. He was called by God to the office of a prophet (Jer. 1:1-14) at a young age. He ministered as a prophet for five decades, starting from the thirteenth year of Judean king Josiah (627 B.C.), extending past the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586 B.C. There’s a possibility he continued ministering until around 570 B.C. and might have lived to write the book’s closing scene around 561 B.C. in Babylon. If he was still alive at that time, Jeremiah would have been between eighty-five and ninety years old.

THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE OF JEREMIAH’S DAY

Assyria held world dominance until the early days of Jeremiah’s life, but its political and military strength gradually diminished. By 612 B.C., Assyria became so weak that its seemingly invincible capital, Nineveh, was destroyed. From that point onward, the Neo-Babylonian Empire emerged as the dominant world power, achieving military victories against Assyria, Egypt, and Israel.

JEREMIAH’S MISSION AS A PROPHET

God primarily called the prophet Jeremiah to minister to his fellow Jews residing in the southern kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital (Jer. 1:14). However, at certain times, his prophetic ministry extended to other nations as well (Jer. 1:5, 10).

The Jews living in Judah were deeply engaged in flagrant idol worship and other atrocities. Through his prophecies, Jeremiah urged his fellow countrymen to repent and warned them about God’s impending judgment, which would arrive through an invading nation and army.

But, Judah refused to repent and the foreign invasion became inevitable. Jeremiah then pleaded with the then-reigning Judean king and his fellow countrymen not to resist the Babylonian conqueror to prevent utter destruction. Jeremiah also urged delegates from other nations to heed his prophetic counsel and submit to Babylon. At the same time, he prophesied God’s judgments on various nations.

A SUMMARY RUN-UP TO JEREMIAH 29:11

Now that we have a grasp of the general essence of the book of Jeremiah, let’s examine the progression of God’s message through the prophet Jeremiah from chapter 23 to chapter 29. This exploration will enable us to position Jeremiah 29:11 within its appropriate context. The contents of chapter 29 are primarily rooted in the narrative spanning from chapter 23 to chapter 29:

JEREMIAH 23

God sternly rebuked and warned the false prophets in Judah and Jerusalem of severe judgment against them as they were intentionally misleading the remnants of their countrymen in Judea. They’ve claimed to have received special messages directly from God. But according to God, they have not.

JEREMIAH 24

God assured those carried off to exile in Babylon of His kind-hearted intentions towards those who would submit under His discipline. He promised to bring them back, settle them in their native land again, and above all, grant them a heart to know and submit to the LORD. This would consist of deep repentance and returning to Him with all their hearts. Consequently, they would be His people once more, and He would be their God.

JEREMIAH 25

The LORD foretold severe calamity and judgment upon the inhabitants of Judah for ignoring His warnings delivered by the prophets He had sent. Nations from the north would bring desolation and astonishment, forcing them into 70 years of exile. Eventually, God would also pass judgment on Babylon.

JEREMIAH 26

God instructed Jeremiah to prophesy calamity in the temple at Jerusalem, hoping the city would heed the warning and repent. If ignored, Jerusalem would face a fate like Shiloh of old—a cursed destruction. Despite hosting God’s house, the city would be ruined, and severe harm would befall His covenant people. Jeremiah’s prophecy stirred anger, prompting an attempt on his life by those who cherished the city and temple. Yet, the princes of Judah intervened, with Ahikam safeguarding Jeremiah by hiding him from those seeking his destruction.

JEREMIAH 27

Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would reign over all nations, warning against false prophets who claimed otherwise. Those who submitted to Nebuchadnezzar would stay in their lands. He directly urged King Zedekiah to yield to Babylon’s rule, rejecting false prophecies of freedom. He foretold that the remaining temple vessels would be taken in the next Babylonian invasion but promised eventual restoration after 70 years of exile when God would revisit His people.

JEREMIAH 28

In the temple, Hananiah, a prominent false prophet, opposed Jeremiah, falsely prophesying the imminent breaking of Babylon’s yoke and the return of temple vessels and exiles within two years. Jeremiah countered, stating true prophets are validated by fulfilled prophecies from the LORD. He declared that Hananiah misled the people with lies and predicted his death within a year. True to Jeremiah’s words, Hananiah died in the seventh month of that year.

JEREMIAH 29:1-10

This is Jeremiah’s prophetic letter to the Jews in Babylonian captivity. God directed them to abandon hopes of a quick return home and to settle in Babylon for the long term. They were urged to contribute to the peaceful coexistence within the cities, refrain from rebellion or disruption, and seek the prosperity of Babylon’s rulers, which would also be for their own benefit.

Jeremiah cautioned them about false prophets promising a swift end to the Babylonian exile. He affirmed that God would only fulfill His promise (“GOOD WORD“) of their return to Judah and Jerusalem after a complete 70 years had passed.

JEREMIAH 29:11-14

Verse 11

We now delve into the heart of the matter. By considering God’s covenant with Abraham, the Mosaic law, and His prior history with Israel, we can better understand the meaning behind this verse. In essence, it can be summarized as follows:

God stated that His thoughts (plans/intentions/purposes) with them in captivity were that:

1. They would have continual peace (safety, prosperity, good health, and restful dwelling – the general meaning of SHALOM/”peace”). He wanted them to understand that their ongoing captivity at that time wasn’t predictive of their eventual destruction as a nation in Babylon.
2. He still regarded them as His covenant people. Their special status as Yahweh’s covenant people hadn’t ended. Just like ancient Israel, they could anticipate a certain future and hope with the LORD. God would restore them to every aspect of being His covenant people.

Verse 12-14

These verses, combined with verse 10, provide a clearer description of God’s positive future intentions for the exiled Jews. The LORD would restore them from captivity, enabling them to serve as His covenant people in Judah and Jerusalem:

1. They would worship Him truthfully once more, praying and receiving answers from the LORD.
2. They would earnestly seek the LORD with all their hearts, and He would be found by them again.

Verse 15-20

God promised severe judgments, including exile, for the current inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem because they ignored the true prophets He had sent to call them to repentance.

Verse 21-23

The LORD issued a severe judgment against two false prophets residing among the Hebrew captives in Babylon. They misled the exiles by falsely prophesying in God’s Name and lived in blatant immorality. For their punishment God let King Nebuchadnezzar burn them alive in a furnace.

Verse 24-32

God judged Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon who deceived the Jewish exiles and opposed Jeremiah’s prophetic letter. As punishment, God cursed him and his family, denying them the promised blessings outlined in Jeremiah’s prophetic letter to the exiles in Babylon.

SO, WHAT ACTUALLY DID GOD PROMISE IN JEREMIAH 29:11?

GOD’S RESPONSE TO FALSE PROPHETS

We must understand that Jeremiah’s prophetic letter to the exiles in Babylon was God’s corrective response to the false prophets’ lying prophecies with which they were deceiving the Jews of that time. They were prophesying contrary to God. Thus, in summary, God was setting the records straight about what the Jewish exiles could and should expect:

• A lengthy exile which was indicative of the depth and severity of their apostasy while they were still living in Judea.
• They were still God’s covenant people as they have always been. Nothing of the agreements in the Mosaic covenant they entered with God at Mount Sinai were obsolete – both the blessing and the curse.
• They still had a future with Him as His covenant people as God repeatedly promised in the Mosaic law (and had reiterated in several places throughout the Old Testament).

THE CONTEXT

Taking into account the broader context of the Old Testament, the context inside chapter 29, as well as what we read in verse 11 itself, would have caused the original recipients to understand the meaning of Jeremiah 29:11 as follows:

• Even in exile, God intended to prosper them as His covenant people.
• God did not intend further harm or destruction toward them. The exile and their negative experiences were simply the fulfillment of the consequences outlined in the Mosaic law.
• As His covenant people, they, as a nation, still possessed a certain and promising future. At the appointed time, God would sovereignly permit their return to their homeland, allowing them to fulfill their intended role as His covenant people.

For them to later authentically function as His covenant people back in their homeland would be what God’s good plans/thoughts/purposes would be for them – thoughts of “peace”, a future, and hope.

These plans of peace, future, and hope God had for them were by no means intended to be mere comfortable and self-serving circumstances. It wasn’t about giving these Jews an easy life in which they could have all that the carnal hearts desired. No, it was the return to a state of living for God’s glory under His Lordship as His covenant people!

HOW DOES JEREMIAH 29:11 APPLY IN OUR MODERN DAY?

HOW IT DOESN’T APPLY

Let’s first come to grips with how Jeremiah 29:11 DOESN’T apply to the Christian of today:

1. Today, this verse applies very differently to us than to the Jews to whom it was originally written. God’s promises here were extensions of the agreements within the Old Covenant they had with God. Those covenant agreements do not apply to us as New Testament Christians (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 8:13; 10:9).
2. Just as much as the promises of Jeremiah 29:11 don’t speak of carnal blessings, etc. which the Jews could claim for themselves based on this verse, much less can we do it! If mere fleshly and human-centered blessings were not what God intended for the Jews of that time through this verse, then it certainly is also not what we can assume for ourselves from this verse.
3. We cannot directly apply what was promised (or seems to have been promised) by God in this verse to our lives – if we do that, we would deal fraudulently with this text and God’s Word! Doing so would mean that we intentionally ignore the biblical process of properly interpreting, applying, and proclaiming God’s Word. THAT IS FRAUD! It’s placing words in God’s mouth that He NEVER said, or intended to be understood this way…! Thus, Jeremiah 29:11 is NOT a promise from God that New Testament believers can “claim” for themselves…!

HOW IT DOES APPLY

If we can’t DIRECTLY apply Jeremiah 29:11 to our lives, how can modern-day Christians apply it legitimately and effectively?

GOD’S NATURE

We learn much about the nature and character of the God of the Bible, with whom we have a relationship. Among many characteristics, we discover that God consistently operates according to His covenant agreements with His children. He acts in ways that glorify Him, not us, and in what prepares us best for eternity, rather than following fleeting emotions. His discipline is consistent and fair despite our opinions or the pain or discomfort it might bring us. However, in His covenantal love, He remains faithful, merciful, providing, encouraging, restoring, and protective—even in what might seem as exile-like circumstances. He maintains sovereignty in all situations.

PARALLELS

We do find various truths that run parallel to the teachings of the New Testament and of how God deals today with His Children in the New Testament Church. Some of these parallels are things like:

• God’s discipline (Heb. 12:5-6, 10-11; Rev. 3:19).
• The promise of future glory to His covenant people (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17; 5:1; Col. 3:4).
• The warnings against false prophets who try to deceive God’s people (Matt. 7:15; 24:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 Joh. 4:1).
• The assurance that we are His special covenant people – that He has not and will never forsake us, even though He might not bring a speedy end to our exile-like hardships in this life (1 Pet. 2:9-10; Matt. 28:20; Rom. 8:38-39; 2 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 13:5).
• The admonitions that we should fear Him and not make light of what He instructed us in His Word (Matt. 10:28; Luk. 12:5; Heb. 12:28-29; 1 Pet. 1:17).
• The judgment of God (Rom. 2:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27; 2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 20:12).
• God doesn’t always cut seasons of hardship short just because He feels sorry for us – He has divine purposes that are beyond our comprehension of why He allows extended periods of suffering in the lives of His children without any foreseeable escape from it (Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 12:9; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 4:19).
• God’s ultimate goal is to shape us into true worshippers who seek Him constantly with all our hearts (Joh. 4:23-24; Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:15).

There are many more we could add to this list. The idea is not to provide an exhaustive list of ways on how to apply Jeremiah 29:11 to our lives today but rather to inspire CORRECT ways on how to approach and interpret this verse.

IN CONCLUSION

Jeremiah 29:11 is NOT about God having wonderful plans for our lives today!

It’s a call for Christians to submit to God’s loving discipline, promising to mold us more into the likeness of Christ and deepen our intimacy with God. This transformation ultimately glorifies God.

Our lives with God in the here and now will eventually culminate in a New Heaven and New Earth. There, what’s currently veiled in exile-like coverings/circumstances will be made manifest in its fullness without any restrictions or pain…