The Babylonians are at the gate and Jeremiah is in the custody of a petulant King...what could go wrong?
The year is 587-586 BC. The Babylonians are besieging Jerusalem and the King of Judah, Zedekiah, had taken Jeremiah into custody for prophesying from the Lord that the city is about to be turned over to the Babylonians. This is the tenth year of Zedekiah and the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary states that the siege set up in the 10th month (January) of 588 BC and lasted at least 30 months until the 4th month (July) of 586 BC. The events of this chapter occur with about a year before destruction.
Jeremiah's prophesy went on to specify that the King would be taken to Babylon and face Nebuchadnezzar face to face. And he was warned that if he went to battle against Babylon, he would lose.
When our hearts get hard, we can't hear reason or logic or even the voice of God. When we want what we want what we want it can make us blind, deaf, and definitely dumb.
But God.
In summary, Jeremiah is being held as a prisoner of the King, the Babylonians are at the gate, and God has foretold that the Babylonians are going to win.
With that context in mind, the Lord speaks to Jeremiah and tells him that Jeremiah's uncle's son is coming to him and is going to offer to sell Jeremiah a field.
- Jeremiah has the right to buy the field because of kinsman redeemer rights. The nearest relative can redeem property to keep it in the family. There is another whole post about the kinsman redeemer, but, basically, the Lord is our Kinsman and can redeem us. And He did. He paid our debt and bout us back into the family. This principle runs through the Bible and ends in Revelation when the Lord possesses the deed to the whole earth.
- The land being offered to Jeremiah was in Anathoth. This had already fallen to the Babylonians. So not only was Jeremiah's situation fraught with discouragement, but he's being offered land that has no value, as it is already under enemy control. (Again, the bigger parallel is that we're living in enemy territory until Jesus returns.)
And then, just as the Lord had foretold, the relative shows up to the court of the guard, where Jeremiah is being held, and asks Jeremiah to buy the useless field in Anathoth. Of course, Jeremiah knew this was now a God thing. The message had come to pass.
Jeremiah buys the field for 17 shekels of silver. He signs and seals one copy of the deed and includes an open copy. He gets a witness, weighs out the silver, and closes the deal. Jeremiah had complete faith that his family would be back from captivity one day and possess the land. He had faith, under all of those dire circumstances, that the Lord would be faithful in his lifetime or that of his future family.
The day is coming when the Apostle John will look on as there is a search for the One who can open the seal. Only Jesus will be able to open the seal and the "conditions" will be met for Him to have bought back the land that had been lost to the enemy. Captivity will be over and we will all return to the land forever.
Jeremiah got to be a part of that story with this illustration. He is the weeping prophet for a reason, but he is also utterly blessed.
The point of the exchange is made clear to the participants at the time ion verses 14 and 15 as Jeremiah gives instructions for how to protect the deed for the day when houses and field and vineyards will once again be bought in the land.
Starting in verse 16, Jeremiah prays to the Lord.
- He opens with praise to the Lord for who He is.
- He affirms that nothing is too difficult for the Lord.
- He points to God's compassion, but also His justice.
- He lifts up the names of the Lord.
- He praises the Lords fairness, strength, and interactions with humanity.
- He recounts all that the Lord has done for his people.
- And then Jeremiah brings up the land, specifically.
- he recounts how valuable the land was
- they took possession, but did not obey
- they brought calamity on themselves
- and now they are at the end of their time in the land for now. the enemy is at the gate and ready to breech.
- but the lord tells Jeremiah to buy land in this terrible situation
Then the Lord responds
27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” 28 Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. Jeremiah 32: 27-28, NASB 95, biblegateway.com
The Lord reiterates that He is the Lord, God of all flesh. That's a new name for Him as far as I remember. And then affirms Jeremiah's premise that nothing is too difficult for Him. And then He also affirms that Babylon is coming and will take Jerusalem. He didn't leave any caveats, no ray of hope, just the fact that Jerusalem's time is up. He goes on to explain that the Chaldeans (Babylonians) will be setting fire to all of the houses in which people offered sacrifices of incense and libations to false gods. He points out that this generation has been unfaithful from their youth and Jerusalem has been unfaithful since its founding and He is done. He points out that it was everyone. Political leaders, faith leaders, men, and general inhabitants. He tried to teach them and they remained unfaithful. They sinned, sacrificed to false idols, and sacrificed their children. (Note to Planned Parenthood- God does have a slow burning wick, but not an indefinite one.)
But God.
Verse 36 is when Jeremiah hears what his faith believed but his broken heart wanted confirmed.
37 Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. 38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. 41 I will rejoice over them to do them good and will [i]faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. Jeremiah 32: 37-41
- gather them
- bring them back
- dwell in safety
- My people
- their God
- given by Him: one heart; one way (there's the unity we read about so much in the New Testament.)
- they may fear Me always for their own good
- everlasting covenant, and won't turn away (sounds similar to His promise following the flood)
- they won't turn away from Me (I think this is a new promise no other people have from Him!)
- I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul (That one is just too good to summarize!)
42 For thus says the Lord, ‘Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. 43 Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, “It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” 44 Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the Negev; for I will restore their fortunes,’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 32:42-44
Here's the personalize promise to Jeremiah so that this one man's promise can be the bedrock of the hope for all of those who end up in captivity. Plans for a hope and a future.
- I promised them this disaster was coming and I am faithful in serving justice.
- You can now equally count on My faithfulness in My promise to bring them out and return them to then normality of buying and selling land.
- Their fortunes will be restored
Oh to be one of His chosen people. So many promises made and kept. They can know and trust Him. And many do. And many more of us get to observe it as grafted-in, co-inheritors through Jesus. What an amazing God we worship. The only one worthy of praise.
Amen.