Jeremiah 32:1 says, The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. God's word once again came to Jeremiah. It is now closer to the time of the desolation of Judah. Verse two states, For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house. Judah had been besieged, and Jeremiah was imprisoned in the king of Judah's house for prophesying the destruction of Judah, Verse three adds, For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; Zedekiah had imprisoned Jeremiah for his proclaiming the word that came from God, but Zedekiah asked him why he did so. People today may question our proclaiming God's word, and some may even be imprisoned for doing so, but if we are followers of Christ, we must never cease to proclaim or compromise His word. Verse four continues, And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes; Zedekiah especially questioned the part of Jeremiah's prophesy that said that Zedekiah was going to be taken away captive and come face to face with Nebuchadnezzar. Verse five concludes, And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper? The rest of the prophets were still prophesying victory, and Zedekiah questioned whether what Jeremiah was saying was really God's word. God said that Zedekiah would serve in Babylon for the rest of his life. No matter how many people may proclaim something that does not agree with God's word, we must never believe it. Verse six declares, And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Verse seven adds, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. While Jeremiah was imprisoned, God's word came to him once more, instructing him to buy a field from his uncle by right of redemption. He was told that Hanameel would come to him with the offer. God was still at work in the life of Jeremiah. Verse eight says, So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. When Hanameel came to Jeremiah at the prison offering to sell him the field, he knew that it was God's word that had told him to do so. Even if we do not see the immediate purpose behind doing what God tells us to do, we must do it anyway. Jeremiah may have wondered if he would ever receive any benefit from buying the land, but he knew that God had told him to do so. Verse nine adds, And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. Jeremiah bought the land, and I assume it was for the price that he was asked to pay. Matthew Henry has a long discussion about the small price, but I think we can only conclude that Jeremiah paid what was asked. Verse ten states, And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. Jeremiah said that he had the transaction recorded and that he paid the price asked for the land. The whole nation was about to fall captive to Babylon, but Jeremiah still had faith that one day the land would be his again. We have God's promise today of a heavenly home, and we must live by that belief. Verse eleven adds, So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: Verse twelve continues, And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison. Jeremiah had the Jews that were imprisoned with him witness the transaction. They may have felt that it was a wasted thing to do so, but Jeremiah was only doing what God had told him to do. Verse thirteen states, And I charged Baruch before them, saying, Verse fourteen adds, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. Jeremiah called for Baruch to take the evidence and seal it in an earthen vessel according to God's direction. Verse fifteen concludes, For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. Jeremiah said this was to be done because of God's promise that Jeremiah would one day return to Judah. We need to stand firm in God's promise even if the world seems to be coming apart around us.
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