I very much appreciate this analysis. I have heard well-meaning people analyze these verses saying “Well, it really doesn’t mean God has a plan for our lives, because the Israelites were on their way to a 500-year exile…” and I appreciate how you explain how the historical context does not detract from the promise and the hope in these verses, but rather deepens it. As someone who has been through some very dark times, it is hopeful and comforting to know that even if we are going through a dark time, God still has a plan for us.
