 | This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." |
What a challenging passage. Verse 4 says that God took the Israelites into Babylonian captivity. Then He challenges them to get involved with Babylon. This is in sharp contrast to the separationist views that many evangelicals have today.
The apostle John said it this way: "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world". Do we really believe that? Can we see that God's purpose is for us to transform our neighborhood by getting involved? We miss many opportunities around us by trying to create alternative cultures. The gospel was meant to thrive in Babylonian environments.
Today's commentary by: Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org
What do you think? Discussion at: http://facebook.com/DailyBibleVerse