Whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
The action of love
The Lord says He will send His people into captivity “for their good.” How marvellous is the action of love! The parent sends away the child he cannot live without for the child’s good; men undertake long and perilous and costly journeys that they may accomplish a purpose that is good. Jesus Christ Himself said to His wondering disciples, “It is expedient for you that I go away.” Who can understand this action of love? It would seem to us to be otherwise: that it would be best for Jesus to remain until the very last wanderer is home. Are we not sent away? have we not lost fortune, station, standing? have we not been punished in a thousand different ways-chastised, humiliated, afflicted? have we not been suddenly surrounded with clouds in which there was no light--yea, and clouds in which there was no rain, simply darkness, sevenfold night? Yet it was for our good; it was that our vanity might be rebuked, that the centre of dependence might be found, that the throne of righteousness might be seen and approached. Let us look upon our afflictions, distresses, and losses in that light. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Outward circumstances no standard by which to judge of one’s true state
The captives already in Babylon are compared to good fruit, such as is fit for use and sweet to the taste. The party in Jerusalem as yet free, is compared to bad fruit, unfit for use, and nauseous to the palate. And yet if one judged by the mere outward aspect of things, the state of the captives in the enemies’ city seemed a much more undesirable one than that of their brethren in the metropolis of their own land. Hence we see that the good or evil of one’s circumstances is not to be judged by outward appearances. Often what seems a peculiarly hard and distressing position proves to have been the very best for us. God humbles us, and tries us sorely at the first, in order to do us good in our latter end. (A. R. Fausset, M. A.)