As we come to the end of Jeremiah, the judgment against the nations is concluded with a pronouncement against Babylon.
Throughout the book, the prophet has warned of the coming of the Babylonians. They will be successful against the people of God because of the sins of God’s people. Habakkuk will cry: ‘But the Babylonians are worse than we are!’ But it will not matter. Babylon is the servant of the Lord to punish His people.
How are God’s people supposed to respond? The prophet directed in chapter 29: “Build houses [in Babylon] and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 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. 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.”
But it wasn’t to be forever. Babylon itself would be conquered – and strangely enough, it would be conquered because she had so mistreated God’s people. God’s people might settle down in Babylon, but it is not to be their home. The time will come to flee.
This world is not our home. It’s just where we are until the Lord brings it to an end. We know a time of flight is coming. We must not be so settled and attached to this world that we cannot leave it with joy when the time comes, for we go to our real home, the dwelling of our heavenly father.