Four ways of understanding the Bible
Part 2, Context

This year, I want to learn how to study the Bible focused on Jesus, and it will have 4 parts.

• Jesus
• Context
• Fruitfulness
• Flourishing

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    for ever.

Psalm 23 ESVUK

Many people use Jeremiah 29:11 as a verse of hope, and my church even emailed it to me on my birthday. Here it is:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Here’s what Google’s AI says about this verse:

Jeremiah 29:11 is widely cited as a favorite biblical verse because of its powerful message of hope, purpose, and the assurance that God has a good plan for people’s lives. It is a source of immense comfort and encouragement for many individuals facing difficult times or uncertainty about the future. 

Here’s the problem. Google’s AI is wrong.

The AI is wrong for two reasons: more people have used Jeremiah 29:11 as a positive message of hope online than have used it in context, and AI is biased to favour positive things. I use AI in editing because I’m dyslexic. What comes back is seldom the opposite of what I meant, but it is often changed. When all I want to do is unscramble the meanderings of my confuddled mind, to simplify what I write. At least I want the same meaning.

Taking Jeremiah 29:11 alone ignores its context. These words are addressed to people recently exiled in Babylon, who do not want to be there. Jeremiah advises them to settle down, have children, and pray for Babylon’s prosperity, as they will not be returning home. That is not a comforting message; it is the opposite of what they want.

The worst thing that could happen was exile, being forced to leave home for another land. And it happened. These people just want to return home, but God says, “No!” He tells them to stay in a place they dislike because that’s where He will bless their children and grandchildren. Is this the hope and purpose they really wanted, as Google AI suggested? When a text is taken out of context, it’s just a con.

Jeremiah 29:11 is about God working alongside you through your hardest, darkest times. It is about God’s blessing not on that generation, but on one to come.

Now you know what those words meant to the original readers, you can start to apply them to yourself or others you know. The song Kind by Cory Asbury asks questions like this. In troubled times and heartbreak, the kindness of Jesus is constant.

Moving on to the reading, the same every time during this short Advent series, Psalm 23.

David, the shepherd who became a King, had an interesting reign, hunted by the previous king, Saul. David was a musician and poet, but also a warrior. As king, he had one of his soldiers sent on a suicide mission to take his wife, despite having a harem of his own. He lost his crown to his own son, only to win it back. When David wrote of the valley of the shadow of death, he was speaking from experience of God helping in troubled times.

With this context in mind, read through the passage again, slowly, taking care to see that this is a song of praise written out of hurt.

The Bible was not written just to record stories or to entertain. It was written to change the minds of those who read it. It’s not usually when a Bible verse gives you a warm feeling, but when it disturbs or challenges you that the Holy Spirit is using the Bible to make a change.

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The Bible and Jesus
Intro |Jesus | Context | Fruitfulness | Flourishing