Jeremiah 36:1-10

See the text and comments for October 9, one week ago.

Acts 14:8-18

See the text and comments for October 9, one week ago.

Luke 7:36-50

See the text and comments for October 9, one week ago.

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14

Prepare for a Seventy-year Exile in Babylon

29:1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (Jeremiah 29:1, NRSV)

4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD.

10 For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (Jeremiah 29:4-14, NRSV)

Jeremiah writes a letter to people deported from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. (cf. Jer. 39:1-2). They were “being misled by the same baseless assurances of speedy return as those in Palestine (ch. 27)” (Mark E. Biddle, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Jer. 29:3). Jeremiah counters these baseless assurances (vv. 8-9) with advice to “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease” (vv. 5-6). They are to prepare for a lifetime (“seventy years,” v. 20) in Babylon. They are even to pray for Babylon’s “welfare” (v. 7). As we know from hindsight, Jeremiah’s prediction proved to be correct. The edict of Cyrus which permitted the Jews to return (538 B.C., 2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4) took some years to be fully realized, and many Jews settled permanently in Babylon. They said of Hillel that, like Ezra, he came up from Babylon to teach Jerusalem the Law. Eventually it was the Babylonian Talmud (not the Palestinian Talmud) that became the official Jewish Talmud.

Jeremiah, while giving sound advice, was hardly aware of what the centuries would bring. But he passes on the word of the LORD that, for the captives from Judah in Babylon, the LORD has “plans for your welfare and not for harm,” “a future with hope” (v. 11). When they repent and “search for me,” you will find me, if you seek me with all your heart” (v. 13). The LORD “will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you” and “bring you back” (v. 14). Here, as often in Jeremiah, he must contradict the superficial optimism of false prophets with sound advice which may seem bitter for the moment, but in the long run, holds out more substantial hope.

Jeremiah 39:11-40:6

Jeremiah, the Babylonian Captain of the Guard, and Ebed-melech

11 King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, 12 "Take him, look after him well and do him no harm, but deal with him as he may ask you." 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rabsaris, Nergal-sharezer the Rabmag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon sent 14 and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan to be brought home. So he stayed with his own people.

15 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the guard: 16 Go and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to fulfill my words against this city for evil and not for good, and they shall be accomplished in your presence on that day. 17 But I will save you on that day, says the LORD, and you shall not be handed over to those whom you dread. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have trusted in me, says the LORD. (Jeremiah 39:11-18, NRSV)

The Babylonians, now clearly in charge, having slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons (Jer. 39:6), captured and put out the eyes of Zedekiah (v. 7), sent him bound to Babylon (v. 8), and exiled most of the rest of the people (v. 9), were prepared to deal kindly with Jeremiah. Perhaps they were aware of his repeated advice that Zedekiah should surrender to them. A previous promise to Ebed-melech–while Jeremiah was still “confined in the court of the guard” (v. 15)–rewords his trust in the LORD (v. 18). “But I will save you on that day, says the LORD, and you shall not be handed over to those whom you dread. For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but you shall have your life as a prize of war” (vv. 17-18a),

Jeremiah and Gedaliah (cf. 2 Kings 25.22-26)

40:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in fetters along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, "The LORD your God threatened this place with this disaster; 3 and now the LORD has brought it about, and has done as he said, because all of you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice. Therefore this thing has come upon you. 4 Now look, I have just released you today from the fetters on your hands. If you wish to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will take good care of you; but if you do not wish to come with me to Babylon, you need not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain, then return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the towns of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or go wherever you think it right to go." So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land. (Jeremiah 40:1-6, NRSV)

Gedaliah was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar as “governor of the towns of Judah” (Jer. 40:5), and Jeremiah, given a choice of going to Babylon (v. 4) or staying with Gedaliah (v. 5), chose the latter (v. 6).

Acts 16:6-15

Come Over to Macedonia!

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. (Acts 16:6-10, NRSV)

Paul’s vision at Troas of the man of Macedonia, who said, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9), and the response of Paul, accompanied by Silas and Timothy, has come to symbolize for some the entry of the Gospel into Europe–though it may be that Christian believers were in Rome soon after Pentecost. For Luke, it represents the Holy Spirit’s guidance of the mission. They were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (v. 6), though Paul would later spend more than two years at Ephesus (Acts 19:10), the major city in the Roman Province of Asia. They were also not allowed to “go into Bithynia” (Acts 16:7), one of the provinces in northern Asia Minor, one of the regions to which 1 Peter is addressed (1 Pet. 1:1). This guidance of the Holy Spirit brought them to Philippi where, though imprisoned briefly, they would establish an important church. Paul’s later letter to the Philippians would find little to criticize, but thank them for their assistance to his mission (Phil. 1:5, 7; 2:25; 4:10-20).

Lydia

11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." (Acts 16:11-15, NRSV)

Lydia was undoubtedly an important leader in the new Christian congregation at Philippi. She was from Thyatira, a city in Asia Minor in a region that produced the “purply cloth” in which she was “a dealer” (14). The Philippian church very likely met in her home, and as a business-woman, she probably was a substantial contributor to the help Paul was to receive from the Philippian church (see above).

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

The Seventy Sent Out on Mission

10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. (Luke 10:1-12, NRSV)

The Seventy Return

17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20, NRSV)

The account of Jesus sending the Twelve out on mission is found in three Gospels (Mt. 10; Mk. 6; Lk. 9), but the Mission of the Seventy (Lk. 10:1-12), though it incorporates material that Matthew uses in the speech commissioning the Twelve (Mt. 9:37-38, leading up to the speech, cf. Lk. 10:2 and Jn. 4:35; Mt. 10:16, cf. Lk. 10:3; Mt. 16:9, cf. Lk. 10:4; Mt. 10:12-13, cf. Lk. 10:5-6; Mt. 10:10, cf. Lk. 10:7; Mt. 10:7, cf. Lk. 10:9, 11; Mt. 10:14, cf. Lk. 10:10; Mt. 10:15, cf. Lk. 10:12), has no parallel as such in Matthew or Mark. The fact that the Seventy were sent out “in pairs” has been used as a model for community visitation by modern churches.

Luke makes brief reference in the interval between the going out and the return of the Seventy to woes which Jesus pronounced on Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum (Lk. 10:13-15; Mt. 11:20-24). He also includes the promise that “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Lk. 10:16; cf. Mt. 10:40; Jn. 13:20).

 The Seventy, upon their return, marvel that “even the demons submit to us!” (Lk. 10:17), but Jesus, who “watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning” (v. 18), tells them to rejoice rather “that your names are written in heaven” (v. 20). According to Marion Lloyd Soards, “Jesus did not regard exorcism in itself as a sign of God’s kingdom (11:19)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Lk. 10:20). But Jesus’ emphasis on the long-range value of citizenship in Heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20; Heb. 11:10), is a useful reminder for us.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com