The first lesson is to always consider the context. That means, you have to read and then reflect on the historical setting. That takes time and effort. There is no short cut to understanding God’s Word. Psalm 1 says, blessed is the man who delights and meditates on God’s Word day and night!

My wife recently asked our grandson, Benjamin, how school went. His response was non-committal. So she asked him what he had read. “Oma,” he said. “I can’t read. I only read the Bible.” Curious, my wife enquired, what do you mean? “I read the Bible in my mind!” he declared. What he meant was, what he knew from the Bible, he reviewed in his mind. That’s a good definition for meditation: read or reread the Bible in your mind. Back to the promise we’ve been studying.

God was saying to His people in exile, “You are going to be in exile for seventy years. So build homes, plant gardens, marry, have children, and have them marry and have children. Pray for your captors to prosper, so you can prosper while in exile. And though many of you will die while in exile, some of your offspring will experience the fulfillment of God’s plan. God will return His people to Jerusalem, and they will prosper and not be harmed, they will have reason to hope and enjoy a wonderful purpose.

Preparing for your offspring’s future is your legacy.