What is the meaning of Jeremiah 29:15?

Because you may say,

– The exiles in Babylon were tempted to interpret their circumstances through wishful thinking rather than God’s clear word already delivered through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11–12).

– Like Israel in the wilderness who grumbled, “Why did you bring us here?” (Numbers 14:2-4), they framed their situation with a “because” that started from human reasoning, not divine revelation.

– Cross references remind us that hearts can be deceived (Proverbs 14:12; James 1:22).

– Takeaway: any assessment of our condition must begin with what God has actually spoken.

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“The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”

– The exiles assumed that any prophetic voice emerging in their midst was automatically authorised by the LORD. Yet Jeremiah had already warned of false prophets “prophesying lies in My name” (Jeremiah 29:8-9).

– Scripture shows a consistent pattern: false teachers arise from among God’s people (Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Matthew 24:24; 2 Peter 2:1).

– Genuine prophets align with prior revelation. Jeremiah’s message of a seventy-year exile (Jeremiah 29:10) matched earlier prophecies (2 Chronicles 36:21). The Babylonian pretenders contradicted that timeline with promises of swift return (Jeremiah 28:2-4).

– Test of authenticity (1 John 4:1):

• Fidelity to God’s previously revealed word

• Call to repentance rather than comfort in sin (Jeremiah 23:21-22)

• Fulfilment of predicted events (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

– Application: evaluate every modern voice—sermon, podcast, blog—by Scripture, not by popularity or proximity.

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summary

Jeremiah 29:15 exposes a heart posture that replaces revealed truth with self-serving interpretation. The exiles’ claim that God had supplied new prophets in Babylon sounded spiritual but masked disobedience to God’s explicit word through Jeremiah. Scripture calls us to anchor every claim of divine authority to the unchanging standard of God’s written revelation, discerning true voices from false and trusting the Lord’s timetable even when it challenges our preferences.