Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon: Build ye houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. Take ye wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
—Jeremiah 29:4-6

Several months ago, Church and Family Life organized their annual conference around the above text. While living as captives in pagan Babylon, Jeremiah calls God’s people to “build, dwell, and plant.” So we are called to do in our pagan Babylonian world today. At the conference, Church and Family Life interviewed our editor as follows:

Question 1: What lessons should we learn from this charge to “build, dwell, and plant” as Christians today?

• Just as the Jewish exiles of Jeremiah’s day were sojourners in Babylon, so believers today are strangers and pilgrims in this world (Phil. 3:20; Heb. 11:13). Living as strangers and pilgrims in this world applies to how believers live as individuals (Jer. 29:5), as families (v. 6), and in society (v. 7).
• Like the Jewish exiles of Jeremiah’s day, God’s people must expect to sojourn in this world for a lifetime while awaiting entrance into the Promised Land (heaven). During our sojourning in this world, we must be diligent and make spiritual investments (“building” and “planting”) and honor God in our vocational and family lives (including, generally speaking, by getting married and having children).
• God has sovereignly placed us in the families, churches, and nations in which we find ourselves. God calls us to serve and glorify Him in the daily life of this present evil age (the tension between the “already” and the “not yet”).

Question 2: How should fathers embrace this call to action?

• Fathers can embrace Jeremiah’s call to action by proclaiming the authoritative Word of God for all of life in their families. Just as Jeremiah interceded for Judah and proclaimed the Word of the Almighty, covenant-keeping God (Jer. 29:4), so fathers must act as prophets to teach their children the whole counsel of God’s Word (Acts 20:27), as priests to intercede for them in prayer (Job 1:5), and as kings to rule and guide them—and all of this as part of the fatherly calling to bring children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). Fathers must instruct their children to submit to the authority of God’s Word of God’s majestic power, as the LORD of hosts, and covenant love, as the God of Israel (Jer. 29:4).
• In dependence on the Holy Spirit, fathers must call their children to heartfelt repentance for their sin and heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Fathers must instruct their children not to simply rely for salvation upon their privileges as family members under the means of grace, but instruct them to flee to Christ for salvation in dependency on the Holy Spirit.
• Fathers should help prepare their sons and daughters for two major aspects of adult life—vocation and family life (marriage and childrearing). First, they should pray that the Lord would save their children (and the future spouses of their children) and build them up in Christlikeness. Second, fathers should prepare their children for responsible adulthood in both marriage (“taking wives and giving daughters”) and vocation (“building and planting”). Third, fathers should give counsel and guidance to their children to be and to look for godly spouses based on the directions of Scripture instead of the prevailing culture of the world.

Question 3: How should mothers embrace this call to action?

• Mothers should embrace Jeremiah’s call to action by preparing their daughters for family life. First, mothers should fight against feminism by showing their daughters, through both word and example, the joy and dignity of glorifying God as wives and mothers.
• Second, mothers should help their daughters develop skills—both inside and outside the home—that prepare them for the noble calling of marriage and childrearing or a godly and fruitful life as a single woman if the Lord should not bless her with a spouse.
• Third, mothers should set an example of modesty, cheerfulness, submission, and love for children.

Question 4: How should children and young people embrace this call to action?

• Children and young people can embrace Jeremiah’s call to action by praying for their own salvation; respecting, honoring, and obeying their parents; praying for a future godly spouse; and diligently preparing for a vocation, marriage, and childrearing.
• Children and young people should cultivate diligence in work (“building” and “planting”). Young people should also faithfully join the local church in truth and serve it.

Question 5: How should singles and widows embrace this call to action?

• Singles and widows can embrace Jeremiah’s call to action by prayerfully considering whether God has given them the freedom and self-control to maintain a life of celibacy (1 Cor. 7:7), remembering that it is most common for Christians to marry for several reasons, including to avoid sexual immorality (1 Cor. 7:2). If one falsely believes that they have the so-called gift of celibacy, they may well place themselves in the path of temptation (cf. 1 Cor. 7:5).
• Singles and widows who struggle with controlling their sexual desires should pursue marriage (1 Cor. 7:2, 9; 1 Tim. 5:14). Pursuing marriage involves persistent prayer, seeking godly counsel, pursuing Christlikeness that will attract a godly spouse, and using the means to find a spouse (such as diligently finding opportunities to meet other Christian young people). However, Christian singles or widows who desire to be married should not pursue marriage with an idolatrous or lustful spirit but should seek the Holy Spirit’s grace to pursue marriage in a contented and submissive way—even if the Lord delays bringing them a spouse or does not choose to bring them a spouse at all.
• Singles and widows can resist self-pity and sexual temptation by giving themselves fully to self-sacrificial service for the physical and spiritual good of others inside and outside the church.

Question 6: How should church shepherds lead their flocks, in view of this call to action?

• God calls elders to shepherd and teach the whole counsel of God to the church (Acts 20:27–28)—including instruction in biblical family life (Eph. 5:22–6:9). Pastors should remind believers who they are (exiles) and who God is (the Almighty LORD of hosts and the covenant God of Israel, see Jer. 29:4).
• In reminding believers who they are, pastors should encourage their churches to cultivate a pilgrim mentality, to pursue fruitfulness in the tension between the “already” and the “not yet,” and to embrace God’s providence in putting them in their unique time and place. Notice that God—not Nebuchadnezzar—was the ultimate cause of the exile (Jer. 29:4b). Pastors can shepherd their flocks by exhorting them to avoid the wickedness and worldliness of our generation.
• Pastors should teach biblical family life by outlining the biblical description of the complimentary roles of husbands, wives, and children. Pastors should also provide singles in their churches with opportunities to meet other Christian singles.

Question 7: Imagine you are a young man living in Babylon, what particular strategies should a young man maintain in that environment?

• Much like the twenty-first century Western world, Babylon was a hub of idolatry and sexual immorality. These are the two temptations about which young men must be especially aware.
• Regarding idolatry, young men living in Babylon (like Daniel) must refuse to compromise with the world and insist on maintaining a distinctly God-centered lifestyle in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Does love for Jesus and the longing for Christlikeness define how we spend our thoughts, words, time, energy, money, and resources, or do we worship at the shrines of self-centeredness, pride, lust, wealth accumulation, and power? Do we remain faithful to God amid the pressures and temptations of idolatry—even if we are the only ones standing?
• Regarding sexual immorality, we must have zero tolerance for lust. In the power of the Holy Spirit, we must utterly destroy sexual lust in our hearts and remove entry points of temptation. We must be active and proactive to avoid certain people and places and to redirect our energies to godly labor and service. We must also prayerfully and deliberately pursue a godly spouse as God’s divinely-designed outlet for sexual desire and expression.

Jeremiah’s charge is to marry and have children, echoing the dominion mandate found in Genesis 1:28. Yet today childbirth has plummeted in every developed nation, including the United States—dipping below replacement rate.

Question 8: How should the church respond to this troubling trend?

• Children are a blessing, not a curse (Psalms 127–128). God commands us to be fruitful and multiply as part of the dominion mandate (Gen. 1:28; 9:7). Men must be diligent to provide for their families and should trust the Lord to provide for their growing families. An increasing number of children and families is a gift from God (Jer. 29:6), although husbands should be sensitive to the physical health and capacity of their wives (1 Peter 3:7).
• First, the church should demonstrate that the divinely-designed model for family life is to be fruitful and multiply in fulfillment of the dominion mandate (Gen. 1:28; 9:7). Second, the church (particularly pastors in their teaching) should stress the biblical description of children as a blessing (Psalms 127–128). Children are a blessing because they reflect God as His image-bearers, bring great joy, provide an opportunity for discipleship, and (with God’s blessing) preserve a godly witness for the future.
• Third, the church should teach that God will provide for His people—even if He blesses them with many children. Fourth, members of the church should joyfully bear children and show the world the biblical, pure, and delightful family life that God has designed and that is a picture of the gospel.

Question 9: What does Jeremiah’s charge tell us about the importance of pursuing fruitfulness and a strong family life—even in hard times?

• In twenty-first century America, times are relatively easy compared to the suffering of most Christians in most places and in most times. In dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit and in joyful response to the gospel, we must settle down, expect opposition to the gospel (as there has been for the past two thousand years), and glorify God in our lives as individuals, families, and churches.
• Christians should literally pursue fruitfulness in embracing the blessing of children despite political and economic pressures (like inflation). In this way, believers can demonstrate their trust in the God of providence—the Almighty God (the LORD of hosts) who is also the covenant Lord (the God of Israel).

In Psalm 92 we read, “Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing” (Ps. 92:13-14).

Question 10: Considering this Psalm, how important is the local church for families as they endeavor to “build” (Jer. 29:5) and “flourish” (Ps. 92:1)?

• The local church is very important for the edification and flourishing of Christian families. The ministry and gospel proclamation of the church is vital for the edification of regenerate family members and the salvation of unregenerate families members.
• The local church can encourage godly “upbuilding” by proclaiming the full counsel of God (Acts 20:27)—teaching, preaching, shepherding, discipling, visiting, evangelizing, serving, and counseling.
• The only way for families (and individuals) to flourish is in a doxological life. The local church helps families direct their attention away from self and circumstances to God as Creator, Redeemer, and Lord.

Question 11: What role should the church play in our lives, week to week?

• The church should infuse every aspect of biblical family life. Christian families should strive to attend every worship service (as well as prayer meetings) of the church. Worship services and prayer meetings should be the highlight of the Christian family’s life.
• Christian mothers and fathers should strive to model for their children submission to the elders, joy and delight to attend church on the Lord’s Day and throughout the week, love for the church, and service in the church.

In Psalm 37 we read, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed” (Ps. 37:1-3).

Question 12: Though evil may surround us here in Babylon, what should our posture be as Christians who are sometimes prone to anxiety and frustration?

• Although we certainly live in a wicked age, our day is no more wicked than civilizations that have come before us, such as Babylon and Rome (which were arguably more wicked than our own nation). In fact, these civilizations were arguably more wicked than our own. Although we are surrounded by ungodliness, we must patiently and submissively trust the God of justice who will vindicate the righteous and destroy all evil.
• Frustration with the wicked exposes our lack of trust in God’s goodness and justice. Do not seek revenge but love your enemies, for this is a sign of kingdom citizenship (Matt. 5:44–45).
• Believers should trust God’s provision amid economic duress and persecution. We must never return evil for evil. God calls us to pray, do good, pursue diligence, and seek peace in the place of our sojourning.

While living in pagan Babylon, Daniel and his three friends were compelled at key points to respond to tyrannical demands by Nebuchadnezzar, among others.

Question 13: With their examples in view, how should we as Christians respond today when our government acts tyrannically? How do we balance our duties to God and to the state when the state oversteps its bounds?

• By God’s grace, we do not live in a tyrannical country in the sense that we are not imprisoned, executed, or tortured for our faith as Christians are in evil dictatorships like Iran and North Korea. Jeremiah never commanded the Jews to rebel against Babylon (consider that Daniel himself was a civil servant in Nebuchadnezzar’s bureaucracy!); Paul never commanded the early Christians to rebel against the Roman Empire; and the Lord Jesus Christ never commanded His disciples to rebel against the occupation of Palestine. Although Babylon and Rome had self-indulgent leaders, high taxes, and grave injustice, God never called His people to transform Babylon or Rome into theocracies, democracies, or republics; rather, He called them to faithfulness and holiness amid the darkness of this present evil age.
• If the government indeed became tyrannical, God still commands us to submit to the governing authorities insofar as they do not command us to sin (Rom. 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13–17). God commands us to pray for the governing authorities (1 Tim. 2:1–2). We must be very careful that we do not justify or excuse unbiblical political rebellion under the guise of faithfulness to God.
• When the government calls us to sin or to participate in idolatry, we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29)—just like Daniel and his friends. We must also pursue a distinctive lifestyle as citizens of God’s kingdom. Occupy Till I Come

Question 14: In Luke 19, we read these words from Christ, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). What does this tell us about our duties as Christians—in both good and bad times?

• Christians should stay busy and pursue diligence in church, marriage, childrearing, vocation, business, service, use of the means of grace, outreach to the lost, and missions to the world. We should make meaningful spiritual (and even physical) investments (“building” and “planting”).
• Christians should steward their resources to promote God’s everlasting kingdom. At the workplace, they should shine as lights in their conversation and work ethic; in their families, they should disciple their children; with their finances, they should give generously to kingdom endeavors and missions; and with their time, they should dedicate themselves to faithful and diligent service.

As Moses closed out his earthly ministry, he gave this pointed charge: “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it” (Deut. 32:46-47).

Question 15: What’s the lesson for parents, here, who desire to build and plant for Christ?

• In pursuing their task of bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 4:6), Christian parents must deeply meditating upon, love, and assimilate the Word of God (“set your hearts”); they must teach with loving authority (“command”); they must teach the whole counsel of God (“all the words of this law”); and they must make it central to every aspect of family life (“because it is your life”).
• We cannot obtain eternal life by keeping the law. However, keeping the law in love is a fruit of vital spiritual. God does not guarantee physical blessing in this life because of obedience (although that is not uncommon), but He does promise spiritual blessing to His people: God will grant His people increasingly Christlikeness even through their difficulties, weaknesses, and sicknesses. The kingdom citizen can have joy in God in both prosperity and persecution.

Ephesians 5:22-6:9 is part of what theologian’s call, “the family life codes” or “household codes.” They explain the most important assumptions and duties operating in the family life of a Christian. They are also reflected in 1 Peter 2:13-3:7, Colossians 3:18-4:1, and Titus 2:1-10. In
German, they were nicknamed by Martin Luther, “Haustafeln,” or “house table.” They define how Christian households should be run.

Question 8: What are some of key lessons from these texts for building strong marriages and families?

• Godly family life reflects the gospel and is rooted in the gospel. Sanctification is rooted in a person, not a list of principles. God commands wives to submit (or yield their wills) to their husbands as to the Lord; He commands husbands to exercise self-sacrificial (not selfish) servant leadership like Christ; He calls children to obey their parents in the Lord; and He calls parents to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—or to bring them up to the point of maturity through a loving and biblical balance of discipline, admonition, instruction, rebuke, and physical and spiritual nourishment for flourishing.
• Biblical submission (of wives to husbands, children to parents, employees to employers, citizens to the government, and church members to elders) is an expression of submission to Christ Himself. Husbands must not expect their wives and children to submit to them if they show a lack of submission to their elders at church, their employers at the workplace, and their politicians in the government.
• We will fail because the flesh continues to war against the Spirit. It is for this reason that we need radical dependence on the Holy Spirit, radical saturation in the gospel, and radical conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ.