God’s Word of Prayer
Introduction
Jeremiah 32:1-15: Today’s reading occurs during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia (588 B.C.) when Judah was being invaded by the Babylonians. At such a time the purchase of land would seem to be foolish, but Jeremiah’s action indicates confidence in the future.
Scripture Reading
Jeremiah Buys a Field
1 The Lord spoke to me in the tenth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, which was also the eighteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. 2At that time the army of the king of Babylonia was attacking Jerusalem, and I was locked up in the courtyard of the royal palace. 3King Zedekiah had imprisoned me there and had accused me of announcing that the Lord had said, “I am going to let the king of Babylonia capture this city, 4and King Zedekiah will not escape. He will be handed over to the king of Babylonia; he will see him face-to-face and will speak to him in person. 5Zedekiah will be taken to Babylonia, and he will remain there until I deal with him. Even if he fights the Babylonians, he will not be successful. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
6The Lord told me 7that Hanamel, my uncle Shallum’s son, would come to me with the request to buy his field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, because I was his nearest relative and had the right to buy it for myself. 8Then, just as the Lord had said, Hanamel came to me there in the courtyard and asked me to buy the field. So I knew that the Lord had really spoken to me. 9I bought the field from Hanamel and weighed out the money to him; the price came to seventeen pieces of silver. 10I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the money on scales. 11Then I took both copies of the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the contract and its conditions, and the open copy— 12and gave them to Baruch, the son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I gave them to him in the presence of Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase and of the people who were sitting in the courtyard. 13Before them all I said to Baruch, 14“The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, has ordered you to take these deeds, both the sealed deed of purchase and the open copy, and to place them in a clay jar, so that they may be preserved for years to come. 15The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, has said that houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”
Today’s Key Verse: Jeremiah 32:15
“The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, has said that houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”
Reflect
Why had King Zedekiah imprisoned Jeremiah? In what ways do Jeremiah’s actions demonstrate his trust in God? What promise is given?
Pray
Lord God, teach me to trust in you and in your promises, even when circumstances may cause me to lose hope. Help me to hold fast to your precious Word. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
Jeremiah 32:16-44: Jeremiah prays.