Jeremiah 32:1–3a, 6–15
Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him. Zedekiah had said, ‘Why do you prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord: I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;
Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.
And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy; and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.
Reflection
Jerusalem was about to collapse. Times of doom and gloom all around for God's Chosen. Jeremiah is a prisoner. He is a prophet that was optimistic yet realistic. Jeremiah relayed God's Word but appeared to King Zedekiah as too pro-Babylonian.
Jeremiah's optimism led to a vision from God of the return from exile for the people of Jerusalem. Jeremiah proclaimed hope and deliverance in the midst of doom and gloom and the message was too much for the people to accept. Jeremiah came with a message of hope and salvation in the midst of pain and suffering. Jeremiah fully believed in the word that God gave to him to proclaim to the people.
So the test of faith came when Jeremiah's cousin, Hanamel offered to sell a field to him at Anathoth. The field now belonged to the enemy, how could it be sold? But the sale went on in the hope that the field would be a future possession and the sale documents were put in order. So, Jeremiah bought the field with funds he had even though he was still in prison. The field sold for about one year's wage. What hope and trust and faith in God's Word!
This example of believing in God is a wonderful example for me and for you. We can take God at his Word and take it to the bank. God has given us his Word in written form, in spoken form and in the flesh of Jesus. We can believe in our salvation through Jesus because God said so. I don't need any more proof than that. I know that God sent his Son into this world in Jesus to save me from sin, death and the devil. I can turn to God and proclaim that I believe. I can follow in Jesus' footsteps as a joyous disciple through any kind of storm and in the midst of his Light. I can do all of this just because God said so in and through his Word.
That's all the Word that Jeremiah needed to believe and that's more than enough for me to believe and for you as well. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, open your Word in my heart and show me the face of my Savior... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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