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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His land purchase is designed to “demonstrate his faith in God’s promised restoration.” How do I show that same faith, demonstrate it as I contemplate the new heavens and earth, the promises of eternal life? By building on that faith with gold, silver, and precious stones, the good works He has planned for me to walk in. He has given me the Holy Spirit as my down payment on the “promised land” coming. Jesus paid the price of the “land” with His blood and wrote on the scrolls the transaction which is sealed by the Holy Spirit. He has given each of us a piece of land “in the middle of a war zone”: what Jesus did as He came into this world that was fallen under the Enemy’s power. What a beautiful picture of our salvation!
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I HAVE THE BOOK FOR THE JEREMIAH STUDY, BUT ALSO HAVE THE PLAN ON MY PHONE. I HAVE A DIFFICULT GETTING TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY. DISCOVERED THIS AND HOPE IT WILL BE EASIER.
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LAURA SAYLOR Thank you for your prayers ❤️❤️❤️
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To you ladies missing loved ones who can’t visit or ones who have already gone to heaven, I’ll be praying for you.
This is such a hard time in the world. It is not a mistake that God times this Jeremiah study for all of us now. We are reading about such difficult biblical times while experiencing our own present difficult times
Your words of faith are beautiful. Keep doing that!
In Him,
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I love thinking about the fact that God created everything and nothing is too hard for him. The pandemic that is happening in our world and the anxiety we are facing, he can handle it all. He knows what the future holds, and He has a plan and a purpose for it all. I pray that I would walk in obedience and trust.
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I struggled with yesterday’s passage, Rachel is weeping. I had full understood of that until my husband and daughter put their collective foot down and said that we cannot have our grandchildren coming to our house now. I’ll clarify, I have respitory issues and am in that COVID 19 “at risk” category. Before this week I have been with at least 2 of my 5 grand-creatures every weekend and several times during the week. Now I do not know when I will be with them again. I felt like this was more than I could bear.
God is good, God is faithful, God is the ruler of this universe…God is Lord over ever creature he created. Today with Jerermiah purchasing fields in an exiled land; my faith is stengthened. It is such a beautiful reminder of the hope and promise that God has provided. Jeremiah purchased land, God redeemed my soul.
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“Lord, Your thoughts and ways are better than our own.” I literally wrote this in my prayer journal before I logged on to the She Reads bible reading plan for today. I woke up this morning thinking about my husband and God’s great grace over his life. I miss my husband beyond measure but I know that God called him home for a good reason, a righteous reason so I will continue to give God all of the praise. He’s worthy, He’s worthy!!
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Jeremiah buying land in the midst of the Israelites’ exile is such a beautiful picture! I need to live like the Lord is telling the truth. The One who promised is faithful and He will surely do it!
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