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Promises, promises
Last week I received a great question:
Wayne, in a recent message I saw, you mentioned God’s unconditional promises to Christians. I am trying to read through Jeremiah right now, and in the middle of these really sad stories, God placed a series of very encouraging statements. How do I know which of those relate to me as a Christian?
The full answer to that excellent letter is too long for this format. If you wish to learn about biblical hermeneutics – the process of properly interpreting scripture – a great resource is Grasping God’s Word by Hays & Duvall. A short answer is that the best way to keep from misapplying a passage is to note the literature and context.
1) We mustn’t take a statement God makes in non-promissory literature and recast it as a promise. A common culprit is Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (NASB)
Here, God shows parents the way life works here between Garden and Heaven, instructing us to train. However, this is a proverb, not a promise. The language is not promissory. There is no audience granted a pledge. Rather, this is a statement of fact for instruction of all people.
2) Context guides similarly. Even when the literature is promissory, context reveals whether the intended recipients include us. Probably the most famous example is Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (CSB)
Many people have been buoyed by this promise, and greeting card companies have rendered it among the most printed verses from the Bible. However, the context shows that this is a very specific guarantee to Judah during her Babylonian exile
For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (10-12 CSB)
Since Christians are neither a part of Judah in Jeremiah’s day nor have spent 70 years in Babylon, the statement of prophesy obviously isn’t intended for us. When we pretend this is our promise, we get out of step with scripture and play on the slippery slope of turning God’s Word into whatever we desire.
Now, when you are going through troubles and someone sends a card to you that quotes Jeremiah 29:11, it is not necessary to point out the mistake. They mean well, and the principle of that text certainly correlates to our own covenant. For the believer in Jesus, God’s committed love for Judah encourages us and informs our understanding of passages like Philippians 1:6.
For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (NET)
Give thanks for the God of Judah who keeps His words according to all His covenants. Just stay off the slippery slope of bad hermeneutics.
God bless,
Wayne