Jeremiah’s Land Purchase
Open Your Bible
Jeremiah 32:1-44, Psalm 62:11-12, 1 Peter 1:17-19
BY Claire Gibson
Confession: often, when I read the Bible, I’m less interested in what’s happening in the passage and more focused on what’s in it for me: What does this passage mean for me today? How can it help, comfort, console, or advise me right now? But rather than trying to turn it into a self-help book that is tailor-made to fix all of my own personal problems, I need to remember that the book of Jeremiah is a prophetic book written to a specific people at a specific point in history, though it also gives us a glimpse of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34).
In Jeremiah 32, something strange happens. Jeremiah dreams that someone will come and offer him the chance to purchase a field. Sure enough, his cousin comes to him and offers him the chance to buy a piece of land. However, the timing of this land purchase is odd; while the entire nation of Israel is in exile, away from the promised land, Jeremiah is reinvesting in it, doubling down on God’s promise. In essence, Jeremiah’s actions are saying that even though God’s people are in exile, He still has plans for the land and for His people. Jeremiah’s purchase is designed to demonstrate his faith in God’s promised restoration, and in purchasing the land, he participates in that restoration.
Jeremiah’s prayer is simultaneously one of great faith and confusion. At the end of his prayer of praise, Jeremiah rehashes all of the disaster that has come upon Judah. Their city is under siege, sword, famine, and plague, and yet God has asked the prophet to do this seemingly ridiculous thing: to buy a piece of land in the middle of a war zone. But God keeps His promises, something Jeremiah knew well. So while he was perplexed by God’s request, he continued to act on God’s orders anyway.
Though I should resist trying to translate this story directly to my own life, I cannot help but be amazed by Jeremiah’s willingness to follow the Lord in everything. He did not wait to completely understand God’s calling, to understand why, in order to obey Him. Obedience is hard, and the truth is, we need God to help us obey Him.
Lord, Your thoughts and ways are better than our own. Help us to trust you and strengthen us to obey You, even when we do not understand what You are doing.
60 thoughts on "Jeremiah’s Land Purchase"
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God is full of grace even in the midst of judgment. Judgment is never an end in itself but always has a purpose: repentance, redemption and reconciliation. Pray for our world in the midst of this crisis that he may pour out on our world a Spirit of grace and repentance.
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Nothing is too difficult for you.
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The heart of God is so beautiful here. When God says in verse 41: I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. It just moves me to tears to see the heart of our God. And just as many of you have said God’s word is so relevant today as we read of Jeremiah writing all this from his confinement.
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Thank you God for this reading today! With everything going on I’ve been terrified that the closing on the house we are buying will fall through, the house that God miraculously brought to us (long story – we didn’t even want to view it and then ended up in a multiple offer without having the highest budget). BUT today I bought curtains for our future bedroom. It may seems small but it was my “Jeremiah Land Purchase”. It was me finally saying through actions, “God I know you will come through on your promise, because you are constant even when everything else is changing!”
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I too see this study as so relevant to such a time as this. I see us as exiled into a time of quarantine. As a working RN I also can not visit personally with my children and grandchildren. I am clinging to Jeremiah 29:11 and psalm 91 as I go to work in one of the many, many hospitals without enough protective equipment. With the help of this study I can better trust God is with me and because His love is unfailing, he will bring us through this.
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I am a RN working in one of the many, many hospitals short on protective supplies. This study of Jeremiah is helping me to trust in God to bring me through this. I also can no longer visit my children and grandchildren. I have a husband and son (senior) at home that I worry I will bring virus home to them.
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We are in the middle of a life change. God made it clear to us in December that we would leave our beautiful home and living community to go to another one. We are to move in June. I felt I was being so obedient to do this. To let go of a place and a people I love and now this! We are selling our home in the midst of the corona virus with major uncertainty for everyone’s futures. And yet I know I can trust Him. So yes. Jeremiah did something counter cultural. I needed this today to be reminded that indeed God can do anything. Nothing is beyond His power. “Be still and know that I am God!”
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Pam G Williams, I have had issues with the app as well. I was with them when they raised money to fund the app. The original app was much better than this version. I am about to drop it and use SRT here. The app was supposed to be helpful by being able to highlight sections and save to your notes but you cannot do that. I have pointed out several problems to no avail.
Just use this, you will see more comments and be able to better interact.
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