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Jeremiah 29:7
7Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in the peace of it shall you have peace.
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God told the exiles to "seek the peace of the city where I have sent you." Sent—even exile was mission. The exiles were to bless Babylon, pray for their captors, work for the city's good. Jeremiah 29:11's hope included missional vocation.
Jeremiah 29:11 is often quoted for individuals: "I know the plans I have for YOU." But in Hebrew, the "you" is plural—this promise was to a community, not one person. The exiles' welfare was bound together.
"Read the context: 'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile.' The promise of hope comes WITH a command to work for the common good. Jeremiah 29:11 is not private prosperity but communal flourishing—your welfare...
"The exiles were sent—not abandoned. 'Where I have sent you' transforms exile into mission. God's plans include our displacement. Every strange land is a mission field; every exile is a sending. Hope and future come as we embrace our sent-ness." — Lesslie Newbigin.