A Purchase of Hope
“Hope is a good thing.” Andy tells Red in the movie,
Shawshank Redemption. The prophet Jeremiah declared,
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope
is the Lord.” (Jeremiah
17:7-8)
Even though he is often called “The Weeping Prophet,” he
still had a message of hope for the people of his day. (Jeremiah
30:2-3)
The 32nd Chapter of Jeremiah tells that God told
him to buy a field which turned out to be a “purchase of
hope.”
Text:
Jeremiah 32:1-44
Body:
I.
Jeremiah Buys a Field
(Verses
1-15)
·
Verses 1-5 Date: About 587 B.C. Two groups of Israelite captives had
already been taken to Babylon. Jerusalem would be taken in
a few months. The siege had already begun. Jeremiah was a
prisoner of Zedekiah, King of Judah. The reason was that
Jeremiah had preached the truth about Israel’s future.
Jerusalem would be captured by Babylonians as well as
Zedekiah himself. God would “visit” Zedekiah. He had also
prophesied the captivity would last seventy years. (Jeremiah
29:10-11)
But his message was also one of hope. (Jeremiah
30:10, 18, Jeremiah 31:7-9, 16-17)
·
Verses 6-15 Anathoth was Jeremiah’s hometown in the territory of
Benjamin. (Jeremiah
1:1)
He is told by the Lord to redeem a field from his cousin.
This was in accordance with
Leviticus 25:23-28.
In the event of poverty or debt, the next of kin had the
right to purchase the property in order to keep it in the
family. Buying this field showed Jeremiah’s faith that God
would eventually bring Israel back to the land. It was a
“purchase of hope.” The land
purchase was finalized with two deeds, one sealed and one
open. They were put in an earthen vessel so they would be
preserved for a long time. [Reason: Because houses and
fields and vineyards would be possessed again in the land.]
II.
Jeremiah Prays to God
(Verses
16-25)
·
“nothing too hard” (Genesis
18:13-14)
·
“loving kindness” (Exodus
20:16)
·
“eyes are open…” (Jeremiah
16:17, Jeremiah 17:10)
·
“calamity. . .” (Jeremiah
23:25) God
was behind the Babylonians taking Israel captive. (Jeremiah
21:10)
III.
Jeremiah Listens to God
(Verses
26-44)
·
Israel provoked Jehovah to anger. They did not listen to
receive instruction. They had been influenced by nations
around them and followed abominable practices. God then
made a series of promises about bringing Israel back to the
land. (Jeremiah
24:7)
God would also make a new covenant one day. (Jeremiah
31:31-34)
The captives would one day return and buy fields for money.
Jehovah would bring them back. (Jeremiah
32:42-44)
Conclusion:
Hope is truly a good thing. Listen to
Titus 3:4-7.
“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. whom He
poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
that having been justified by His grace we should become
heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” NKJV
Bobby
Stafford
September 22, 2013
