Up to this point we have been reading about various prophecies of hope in what is often called “the book of consolation” in Jeremiah 30-33. But as we come to Jeremiah 33 God will do something different with Jeremiah. Rather than giving another prophetic message, God is going to have Jeremiah act out this particular message. Now you may remember that Jeremiah has been told to act out some of God’s messages. We have seen the potter and the clay prophecy acted out, followed by breaking the clay pot (cf. Jeremiah 18-19). We have seen the ruined loincloth representing the ruin of the nation (cf. Jeremiah 13). But now the Lord is going to give Jeremiah an inexplicable prophetic command in Jeremiah 32 and through this action show our hope in Christ.
The Setting (Jeremiah 32:1-5)
The setting for this prophecy is very important. We are told in Jeremiah 32:1 that it is the tenth year of Zedekiah’s reign. This would put this prophetic act at 587 BC, about one year before the fall and destruction of Jerusalem. Babylon has already invaded and exiled people twice up to this point. Verse 2 tells us that the final invasion is already going on. Nebuchadnezzar is besieging Jerusalem at this time. Please imagine the chaos and fear as the Babylonians are back and attacking Jerusalem. But in the midst of all that, Jeremiah had been kept in prison by Zedekiah because Jeremiah kept saying that Jerusalem would be given into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. We have read those prophecies in this book so far. Further, Jeremiah had said that King Zedekiah would not escape and he would be taken to Babylon also. What is important to note is that just because you do not like the message does not change the message. Just because you violently react to the message does not change the truthfulness of the message. Zedekiah did not like the truth that Jeremiah was preaching and was causing Jeremiah to suffer for his words. But it did not change one bit of what was going to happen and what did happen. So here is Jeremiah sitting in prison while the Babylonian invasion is happening to Jerusalem, just as he said it would by the word of the Lord.
The Obedience of Faith (Jeremiah 32:6-15)
The word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah that his cousin is going to visit him and tell him to buy a piece of property in his hometown of Anathoth. Now before we go forward I want us to think about this command and what Jeremiah knows. Jeremiah knows that Babylon will be successful in capturing Judah and destroying Jerusalem. Jeremiah also knows that Jerusalem is presently under attack. This is not the time for real estate purchases! This is not the time when you think it is a good idea to buy up some property because the Babylonians are going to succeed in taking the whole country and your property deeds will be meaningless. As completely unbelievable and illogical as the command is, Jeremiah does what the Lord told him to do. He goes through all the necessary paperwork and cost to buy the property (Jeremiah 32:9-12). Then he tells Baruch to take the property deeds and copies and put them in clay jar so that they will be preserved for a long time. Now I want us to notice verse 15 because Jeremiah is told the preaching message. The message is that houses, fields, and vineyards all be purchased in the land of Judah again. Now this looks like Jeremiah is completely on board and completely understands what he is doing and why he is doing it. But now we are going to see told what Jeremiah is thinking and how he handles it. Look at verses 16-25.
The Prayer of Faith (Jeremiah 32:16-25)
Jeremiah goes to God in prayer and look at how he approaches God about this prophetic transaction. Please appreciate where Jeremiah starts his prayer. He starts with praising God. The Lord made the heavens and the earth with his great power and outstretched arm. Notice what he confesses in verse 17. “Nothing is too hard for you.” This is such an important confession and an important foundation for our lives. Nothing is too hard for God. We need to know this for our faith journey with the Lord. There is nothing too hard for God to do. There is nothing outside of his knowledge or his capability.
Jeremiah continues his prayer by proclaiming God’s love and faithfulness. You show steadfast, faithful love to thousands but you also repay for sins. With your great wisdom and power you keep your eyes on everyone on the earth and reward them according to their deeds (cf. Jeremiah 32:18-19). You have shown your great power when you brought your people out of Egyptian slavery and took them into the promised land (cf. Jeremiah 32:20-22). But the people failed to obey what God commanded and that is why the present disaster have come on the people and city (Jeremiah 32:23-24). This is a great prayer regarding God’s power and faithfulness. But now look at verse 25. You have told me to buy a field for money even though the city has been handed over to the Babylonians. Jeremiah does not understand why the Lord would have him do this. It does not make any sense.
Here is what I want us to appreciate is the prayer of faith. The fact that Jeremiah does not understand why God would have him buy this property does not stop Jeremiah from obeying by faith. Further, I want us to see that the prayer of faith happens after his obedience, not before. We need to be impressed by this. Jeremiah is not given the instruction and then prays that he does not understand. Rather, Jeremiah is given the instruction that he does not understand and obeys anyway. Then, after his obedience, he prays to the Lord that he does not understand. We really need to hear this message because we sometimes put our walk of faith out of order. We want to first pray and then hope for a different understanding of God’s command rather than immediately doing what God has asked and then praying our confusion and perplexity to him. I want us also to see that obedience to the Lord does not require understanding. We can be completely perplexed by God’s command and still do what he has asked us to do. In fact, this is the very essence of faith. Faith will do what God has commanded. So after his obedience, Jeremiah prays in faith because he does not know why he just did what he did. This leads us to the messianic hope section of this chapter.
God’s Restoration Plan (Jeremiah 32:26-44)
You will notice that God answers with what Jeremiah confessed. The Lord asks Jeremiah is there is anything too hard for him to do. Jeremiah confessed that he knew that there was nothing too hard for God to do. But God is reminded Jeremiah of this truth again. Just because you can’t understand the message does not mean that what God said will not happen. Now God reveals his plan. Yes, the city will be given to the Babylonians because of the evil the people have committed (Jeremiah 32:28-30). Verse 31 states some shocking words. From the day that Jerusalem was built until that moment, the city has done nothing but arouse God’s anger. Everyone has committed evil: the people, the kinds, the officials, the priests, the prophets, everyone! No one is excluded from deserving God’s wrath. Notice the imagery of verse 33. They have turned their backs to me. They have not turned their faces to me. This is the imagery of rejection. Rather than seeking a relationship with God (face turned toward him), the people have rejected God (back turned against him). God has persistently taught them but they have persistently not listened to the instruction (Jeremiah 32:33). They put their idols and committed sinful acts in the very temple to the Lord (Jeremiah 32:34). They put idols all throughout the land, rejecting God’s command to be faithful and loyal to him. These are the reasons why the judgment on the nation and city have come.
But then God describes his restoration plan beginning in verse 36. Even though Babylon will conquer, God will gather his people from all the places on earth where he has driven them away in his wrath. God is going to bring his people back and they will dwell securely. I will again, as I have with each lesson in the book of consolation, point out that this promise was not fulfilled when the people returned from Babylonian exile in 536 BC or any other time in their history. The people have not lived securely as they remained in subjugation to the nations even when they returned. There is no time in their history that we can look back and see that the nation has lived in safety and security. As I have pointed out before, the solution is not to say that such a time is still coming for the land of Israel. God has repeatedly proven and shown in scripture that he does not care about that physical piece of dirt anymore. The other solution is God is speaking about the safety of his people and not the land. As we continue reading, we will see that this is what Jeremiah is highlighting.
Look at verse 38. The point of this security is that God will be their God and his people will belong to the Lord. God will not raise up a nation against his people to destroy them for their sins like he needed to do here. What is going to happen so that this relationship between God and his people can continue without God’s wrath intervening? Look at verses 39-40. God will give them one heart and one way so that they will fear God forever. Notice not only that God’s people will have a singleminded purpose to obey the Lord, but they will understand that their obedience is for their own good. I am continually amazed at how often God relates to us like a father relates to a child. The rules are for your good. The laws are for your benefit. In fact, God says he is making an everlasting covenant to never turn away from doing good to them. Further, God will put the fear of him in their hearts so that they will not turn away. The people will desire God and God will not turn away from doing good toward them.
Notice verse 41. God will rejoice in doing good for his people. He will take delight in doing good for them. The Lord is going to do good to them and will delight to do it. We must see our God in this light. We see this truth in Jesus. When Jesus was on the earth, do we not see this happening? Jesus delighted in doing good for his sheep. God would be so willing to do good toward us that he gave his Son for us. This helps us understand Isaiah’s prophetic words about what he would do to his Son.
But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief. (Isaiah 53:10 NASB)
Some translations read that it was the “will of the Lord to crush him.” Why would it be God’s will to cause his Son to endure the cross? Why would he be pleased to do this? It is not that he lacks love for his Son. Rather, it shows us the great delight he has for us. God delights in doing good toward us. We should understand this because a good parent delights in doing good for their children. Good parents enjoy birthdays and holidays so that we can give something to our children from the delight of our hearts. In God’s delight, he will fulfill his promises and restore his people (Jeremiah 32:42-44). In Christ we see the promise of God to do good to us. In Christ we see the promise of God to never leave us or forsake us. This staggering goodness of God will cause his people to have one heart, one way, and to fear God forever (Jeremiah 32:39). This ties to the new covenant promise we looked at in the last lesson where those who belong to the new covenant will have God’s law written on their hearts. They will love God’s law because they see God’s love and goodness toward them.
Friends, we obey the Lord because we know that God is doing us good and delights in doing good for us. Therefore, even when we do not understand what is happening in our lives, we know that God is intent on working good in our lives. Even when we do not understand God’s command, we know that God is intent on working good in our lives. We can pray in faith but we will obey in faith because of the goodness of God that is on full display in our lives and in the world. Let the words of the hymn resonate through our lives. God is so good. He’s so good to me. I love him so because he’s so good to me.