Does Your Life Seem Like it is Sitting Still?
May 19, 2022
Commentary
In the 32nd chapter of Jeremiah’s prophecy we find that what got him thrown in jail was his insistence that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, would conquer Jerusalem. Jerusalem’s king Zedekiah didn’t like that! While in prison, Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanameel offers the prophet the right to purchase land in Anathoth. How strange! If the prophet’s prediction came true (and it certainly did), then land titles issued under Hebrew law would be worthless. And if the prophecy failed, Jeremiah would stay in jail.
It seemed like Jeremiah’s life was on hold. We know in our heart that God never forgets about us and His desire is for us to keep moving closer to Him, but there are times in our life when it seems that it is on hold. So what are we to do:
- Keep doing what God has told you to do (vv. 1-3). – Jeremiah did not stop doing what God had told him to do even when it was going to land him in prison. We may want to stay away from church, stop praying or reading our Bible.
- Don’t force an easy solution (vv. 3-5). Zedekiah was giving Jeremiah an easy way out. Change your prophecy about me and you will get out of prison. It is easy to bail out of a marriage, for a teen to leave home or quit our job. God’s solutions usually take longer.
- Trust God’s Word even when it may seem radical to others (vv. 6-9). Jeremiah was in prison and the Babylonians were coming. The only real reason to buy the land was because he trusted God.
- Remember that exercising faith does not always bring immediate results (vv. 10-15). Jeremiah knew that this act was something for future generations. Praying is like this. Many of my mother’s prayers were not answered until after she was with the Lord.
Application
And like Jeremiah, there are times in my life when I have to recognize that instead of focusing on doubts, fears, or excuses, I too am called to live a life of faith that with God all things are possible.
Jeremiah 32:1– 15 (NET)
1 In the tenth year that Zedekiah was ruling over Judah the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. That was the same as the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
2 Now at that time, the armies of the king of Babylon were besieging Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah was confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse attached to the royal palace of Judah. 3 For King Zedekiah had confined Jeremiah there after he had reproved him for prophesying as he did. He had asked Jeremiah, “Why do you keep prophesying these things? Why do you keep saying that the Lord says, ‘I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon? I will let him capture it. 4 King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the Babylonians. He will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon. He must answer personally to the king of Babylon and confront him face to face. 5 Zedekiah will be carried off to Babylon and will remain there until I have fully dealt with him. I, the Lord, affirm it! Even if you continue to fight against the Babylonians, you cannot win.’”
6 So now, Jeremiah said, “The Lord’s message came to me, 7 ‘Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will come to you soon. He will say to you, “Buy my field at Anathoth because you are entitled as my closest relative to buy it.”’ 8 And then my cousin Hanamel did come to me in the courtyard of the guardhouse in keeping with the Lord’s message. He said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Buy it for yourself since you are entitled as my closest relative to take possession of it for yourself.’ When this happened, I recognized that the Lord had indeed spoken to me. 9 So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I weighed out seven ounces of silver and gave it to him to pay for it. 10 I signed the deed of purchase, sealed it, and had some men serve as witnesses to the purchase. I weighed out the silver for him on a scale. 11 There were two copies of the deed of purchase. One was sealed and contained the order of transfer and the conditions of purchase. The other was left unsealed. 12 I took both copies of the deed of purchase and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. I gave them to him in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase, and all the Judeans who were housed in the courtyard of the guardhouse. 13 In the presence of all these people I instructed Baruch, 14 ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, “Take these documents, both the sealed copy of the deed of purchase and the unsealed copy. Put them in a clay jar so that they may be preserved for a long time to come.”’ 15 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’