JEREMIAH 32A
Jeremiah in prison because of his message verse 1- 5
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
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
For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up – saying
Wherefore do you prophesy – and say
Thus says the LORD
BEHOLD – I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon
and he shall take it
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
And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon
and there shall he be until I visit him says the LORD
though you fight with the Chaldeans
you shall not prosper?
LORD commands Jeremiah to buy a field verse 6- 7
And Jeremiah said
The word of the LORD came unto me – saying
BEHOLD – Hananeel the son of Shallum thine uncle
shall come unto you – saying
Buy you my field that is in Anathoth
for the right of REDEMPTION
is thine to buy it
Jeremiah buys field from his cousin Hanameel verse 8
So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the PRISON
according to the word of the LORD – and said to me
Buy you my field – I pray you – that is in Anathoth
which is in the country of Benjamin
for the right of INHERITANCE is yours
and the REDEMPTION is yours
buy it for thyself
THEN I knew that this was the word of the LORD
Jeremiah has witnesses to sale verse 9- 12
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
And I subscribed the evidence – and sealed it – and took witnesses
and weighed him the money in the balances
So I took the evidence of the purchase both that which was sealed
according to the law and custom and that which was open
and I gave the evidence of the purchase unto
Baruch son of Neriah son of Maaseiah
in the sight of Hanameel
mine uncle’s son
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
Sale signified return of people verse 13- 15
AND I charge Baruch before them
saying
Thus says 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
For thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel
Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed AGAIN
in this land
Prayer of Jeremiah: Praise verse 16- 20
Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto
Baruch – the son of Neriah – I prayed unto the LORD
saying
Ah Lord GOD!
BEHOLD YOU have made the heaven and the earth by
YOUR great power and stretched out arm
and there is nothing TOO HARD for YOU
YOU show loving- kindness unto thousands
and recompenses the iniquity of the fathers into
the bosom of their children after them
The GREAT – the MIGHTY God – the LORD of hosts
is HIS name
Great in counsel – and mighty in work
for YOUR eyes are open upon all the ways of the
sons of men to give every one according to his ways
and according to the fruit of his doings
which have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt
even unto this day in Israel among other men
and have made YOU a name – as at this day
Prayer of Jeremiah: Promise verse 21- 23
And have brought forth YOUR people Israel out of the
land of Egypt with signs – wonders – strong hand
and with a stretched out arm and with great terror
And have given them this land which YOU did swear to
their fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey
And they came in – and possessed it
BUT they obeyed not YOUR voice neither walked in YOUR law
They have done nothing of all that YOU commanded them to do
THEREFORE YOU have caused all this evil to come upon them
Prayer of Jeremiah: Prophecy verse 24- 25
BEHOLD the mounts
they are come unto the city to take it
And the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans that fight against it
BECAUSE of the sword – famine – pestilence
and what YOU hast spoken is come to pass
and – BEHOLD – YOU see it
AND YOU have said unto me – O Lord GOD
Buy you the field for money and take witnesses
For the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans
Reason for judgment given by LORD verse 26- 31
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah – saying
BEHOLD I am the LORD – the God of all flesh
Is there any thing TOO HARD for ME?
THEREFORE thus says the LORD
BEHOLD – I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans
and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon
and he shall take it – and the Chaldeans
that fight against this city
shall come and set fire on this city
and burn it with the houses
upon whose roofs they have
offered incense unto Baal
and poured out drink offerings
unto other gods to provoke ME to anger
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done evil
before ME from their youth – for the children of Israel have only
provoked ME to anger with the work of their hands
says the LORD
For this city hath been to ME as a provocation of MINE anger
and of MY fury from the day that they built it
even unto this day
That I should remove it from before MY face
Persons responsible for judgment verse 32- 35
BECAUSE of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah
which they have done to provoke ME to anger
they – their kings – their princes – their priests – their prophets
the men of Judah – the inhabitants of Jerusalem
And they have turned unto ME the back and not the face
though I taught them – rising early and teaching them
YET they have not hearkened to receive instruction
BUT they set their abomination in the house
which is called by MY name – to defile it
AND they built the high places of Baal
which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom
to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through
the fire unto Molech
which I commanded them not – neither came it into MY mind
that they should do this abomination
to cause Judah to sin
Everlasting covenant of hope promised verse 36- 41
And now therefore thus says the LORD – the God of Israel
concerning this city –whereof you say
It shall be delivered into the hand of the
king of Babylon by the sword – famine – pestilence
BEHOLD I will gather them out of all countries
whither I have driven them in MINE anger – MY fury – MY great wrath
And I will bring them again unto this place
and I will cause them to dwell safely
and they shall be MY people – and I will be their God
and I will give them one heart – and one way
that they may fear ME forever
for the good of them
and of their children after them
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them
that I will not turn away from them
to do them good
BUT I will put MY fear in their hearts
that they shall not depart from ME
YEA – I will rejoice over them to do them good
and I will plant them in this land assuredly with
MY whole heart and with MY whole soul
Promise of future prosperity verse 42- 44
For thus says the LORD
Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people
so will I bring upon them all the good that I have
promised them
AND fields shall be bought in this land – whereof you say
It is desolate without man or beast
It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans
Men shall buy fields for money – and subscribe evidences
and seal them – and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin
and in the places about Jerusalem
and in the cities of Judah
and in the cities of the mountains
and in the cities of the valley
and in the cities of the south
for I will cause their captivity to RETURN
says the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 16b–17 I prayed to the LORD, saying: ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Devotion: Sometimes situations and circumstances threaten our belief in God and His power. Jeremiah knew what lie ahead for the people of Israel! He knew that captivity and long years away from Israel was forthcoming. Yet when God told Jeremiah to buy and record the deed to land he did it because Jeremiah also knew that God kept His word and they would return to the land one day. There is nothing too hard for God (v. 27), He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (All-knowing). If He could lead the children of Israel out of Egypt He could also lead the Israelites out of captivity in Babylon. The people of Israel would have to trust that He was the same God.
Application: Just as the children of Israel were called upon to trust the Lord at His word so we are also. We are called to students of His word (Acts17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15) so that we can rest upon the promises that are ours today! There is nothing too hard for the Lord, even in our technology based culture today! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruitof his doings. (6529 “fruit” [pariy] means reward, offspring, result, or harvest.)
DEVOTION: Jeremiah is praying to the LORD after a purchase of property in the land of Anathoth.
Where was he when he purchased this property? He was in prison. Why was he in prison? He delivered a message from the LORD to Zedekiah king of Judah. What was the message? It was a message of captivity for the city of Jerusalem. It was also a message of captivity for the king of Judah which happened to be Zedekiah.
Zedekiah didn’t want to hear this message. He liked what the false prophets were saying. They were promising peace. They were saying it as if the message was coming from the LORD. They were lying. The king would rather believe the lies of the false prophets than the truth from a true prophet of God.
So here we find Jeremiah in prison buying property to show that the LORD was going to restore the land back to the children of Israel in the future. They were going into captivity for seventy years.
Now after the purchase Jeremiah, remember he is in prison, prayed to the LORD. He called God the creator of heaven and earth. He realized that the LORD had great power. He realized that there was nothing TOO HARD for the LORD to do.
Even in prison he felt the LORD’S loving-kindness. He knew that the LORD was great in his counsels. He knew that HE was mighty in HIS work.
Finally, he makes the statement that HIS eyes are on every man, woman and child in the world. HE know every deed of every man, woman and child. Nothing escapes HIS eyesight.
What does HE do with this knowledge? HE gives everyone according to his or her actions. There are consequences to our actions. God knows the motives behind each of our actions.
The New Testament informs us that what we sow we shall also reap. There is a relationship between our actions and HIS actions. We always receive a harvest from our actions.
Today we need to examine our actions to see if they are in accordance with the Word of God. If not, we need to change. We need to move closer to HIM.
CHALLENGE: Check out our own history to see what God is doing in our life. Spot areas that need change and change. HE is going to reward us according to our actions.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 42 For thus says the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. (1696 “promised” [dabar] means to speak, to subdue, answer, appoint, command, declare, commune, give, or pronounce.
DEVOTION: The LORD loves to use illustrations because we can understand them better. Here is an illustration regarding the return of the children of Israel from captivity to future blessings.
The illustration is Jeremiah buying a plot of ground in the territory of Benjamin while he is a prisoner of the king because of his preaching. He buys the land and tells his servant to get the document seals to confirm the sale. There is going to be a future for the children of Israel. At the present time it does not seem to be true. However, Jeremiah uses the phrase concerning the power of the LORD: “is nothing too hard for THEE” in his prayer.
The children of Israel and Judah are going to suffer the consequences of their sins. The evil that is being brought upon them was captivity. The city of Jerusalem is going to be burned. The houses are going to be burned because they offered incense unto Baal on their roofs.
Israel was given an everlasting covenant that they would return to the land. When God gives HIS word, HE keeps it.
We need to realize that God will always keep HIS word to us. There are consequences to our sins. One way to lighten the consequences is repentance.
We need to understand that all hard times are not consequences to some sin in our life or the lives of others. Sometimes hard times are just for our good and growth in the LORD. We need to trust that hard times and good times happen at the same time. This life is only a short time in the light of eternity. Keep looking up.
Continue to study the promises of God that are important to us. Understand that these promises are permanent. Chastening is for a limited time for our good. HE continues to be a God of HOPE for the children of Israel. HE is a God of HOPE to us as well.
CHALLENGE: Meditate on the promises in HIS Word. They are ours now and for eternity.)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
- Chastity (Purity in living)
- Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
- Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
- Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
- Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
- Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
- Frugality (wise use of resources)
- Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
- Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
- Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
- Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
- Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
- Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Jeremiah’s prayer verse 16- 25
- Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
- Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 1, 6, 8, 26
Law verse 11, 23
Commandment verse 23
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 3, 5, 6, 8,
14- 16, 18,
26- 28, 30, 36,
42, 44
Word of the LORD verse 6, 8, 26
LORD of hosts verse 14, 15, 18
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 14, 15, 18, 27,
36, 38
God of Israel verse 14, 15, 36
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner) verse 17, 25
GOD – Jehovah verse 17, 25
Lord GOD verse 17, 25
Creator verse 17
Lovingkindness verse 18
Great verse 18
Mighty God verse 18, 19
Great in counsel verse 19
Wonders verse 21
Strong hand verse 21
Keeps promises verse 22, 42
Judgment of God verse 23, 42
Fulfillment of God’s word verse 24
God of all flesh verse 27
Nothing too hard for God verse 27
Anger of the LORD verse 37
Rejoice over HIS people verse 41
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nebuchadrezzar verse 1, 3, 4, 28
Babylon verse 2, 5, 28, 36
Chaldeans verse 4, 5, 24, 25, 28,
29, 43
Ways of the sons of men verse 19
Land of Egypt verse 20, 21
All flesh verse 27
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Iniquity verse 18
Open not LORD’S voice verse 23
Not walking in Law of the LORD verse 23
Disobey commandments verse 23, 35
Worshiped Baal verse 29, 35
Other gods verse 29
Provoked God to anger verse 29- 32
Evil verse 30, 32, 42
Turned back to God verse 33
Not listened to instruction verse 33
Abominations verse 34, 35
Defile God’s name verse 34
High places verse 35
Fire of Molech (human sacrifice) verse 35
Sin verse 35
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Prophet verse 2
Prison verse 2, 8, 12
Prophesy verse 3
Redemption verse 7, 8
Inheritance verse 8, 23
Prayer verse 16- 25
Loving- kindness of God verse 18
Accountable to God verse 19
Taught verse 33
Promise verse 37, 40, 42, 44
One heart verse 39
One way verse 39
Fear of the LORD verse 39, 40
Good verse 39- 42
Everlasting covenant verse 40
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jeremiah verse 1, 2, 6
Zedekiah – king of Judah verse 1, 2, 4, 5
Jerusalem verse 2, 32, 44
Hanameel – son of Shalllum verse 7- 9, 12
Anathoth verse 8, 9
Benjamin verse 8, 44
Subscribed the evidence verse 10- 12, 14, 16
Sealed verse10, 11
Witnesses verse 10, 12, 25
Baruch verse 12, 13, 16
Jews verse 12
Israel verse 14, 15, 21, 30,
32, 36
God’s people verse 21, 38
Judah verse 30, 32, 35, 44
Kings – princes – priests – prophets verse 32
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Everlasting covenant verse 40
QUOTES
32:40–41The new covenant would be everlasting, a phrase found fourteen times in the OT and implied in other verses (e.g., Gen 9:16; 2 Sam 23:5; Isa 55:3; Ezek 16:60; 37:26). God’s love under the new covenant is unconditional. He would “never stop doing good to them,” and they would never again desire to turn away from him. He would take delight in doing them good (cf. 31:28; Deut 30:9; Isa 62:5; 65:19). He would “assuredly plant” (“plant in faithfulness,” MT) them in the land. His promise of restoration is just as sure as his promise of punishment. He would do these things with “all my heart [leb] and soul [nepeš].” This is the only time this dual expression, heart and soul, is used of God. “Soul” is often not the best translation of nepeš. A better translation is often “self” or “being” to avoid association with the Greek concept of soul, which is foreign to Hebrew thought. Humans are nepeš (Gen 2:7), as are animals (Gen 1:30; Lev 24:18). (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, pp. 295–296). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
They will beHis people and He will be their God (see comments on Jer. 30:22). With singleness of heart they will follow the Lord as He makes an everlasting covenant with them. This “everlasting covenant” is another term for the “New Covenant” (see comments on 31:31–34). It was called “everlasting” (‘ôlām) to stress its duration. Then God will never stop doing good to His people, and they will never turn away from Him. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1174). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The Lord then affirmed to Jeremiah that the situation wasn’t lost, for He would gather His people and bring them back to their land (vv. 36–44). This promise seems to apply to the end times when Israel will be gathered “out of all countries” (v. 37) and the New Covenant will be in force, for the people will have a changed heart toward the Lord. Next, Jeremiah heard the word that gave him joy: “And fields shall be bought in this land” (v. 43). The day would come when Jeremiah’s purchase would be validated and his “action sermon” vindicated!
The application of this Scripture for today’s believer is obvious: The world laughs at us for our faith and our investments in the future, but one day God will keep His promises and vindicate us before people and angels. Instead of living for the sinful pleasures of this present world, we seek the joys of the world to come. We refuse to sacrifice the eternal for the temporal. The unbelieving world may ridicule us, but ultimately God will vindicate His people. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 136–137). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Kings, princes, priests, prophets, and the commonalty of Judah and Jerusalem, had all been of one heart to do evil in His sight. They had turned their backs upon Him; and though He gave them instructors who would fain have recovered them to Himself, they had refused to heed their messages. Even in His own house they had set up their abominable idols, thus defiling its sacred precincts, while unmentionable idolatrous practices (of which He could say, “which I commanded them not, neither came it into My mind”) had they perpetrated (vers. 32–36).
Therefore there was no remedy; He would give them up until His chastisement had yielded “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” In that day He will “give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear [Him] forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them” (vers. 37–39). When, in true repentance, they turned back to Himself, He would “make an everlasting covenant with them,” and never more turn away from them, but would put His fear in their hearts, that they should not depart from Him (ver. 40). With His “whole heart and soul” He will rejoice over them to do them good. How touchingly human the language used! (ver. 41.) (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 172). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Ver. 41. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, &c.] His covenant-people, to whom he gives one heart and one way, and who have his fear implanted in them, and shall never depart from him, but persevere to the end: these he loves with a love of complacency and delight; he rejoices over them, not as considered in themselves, but as in Christ; he rejoices over them, as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride; and which does not merely lie in expression, but appears in fact; he does them good, and with the utmost joy and pleasure; he delights in shewing mercy to them, beautifies them with salvation, and takes pleasure in their prosperity; he has taken up good thoughts and resolutions concerning them in his heart; has promised good things to them in his covenant; has provided good things for them in his Son, and bestows them on them in regeneration; and constantly supplies them with his grace, and will withhold no good thing from them, till he has brought them to glory; all which he does cheerfully and with the utmost delight. The Targum is, “my Word shall rejoice over them;” the essential Word, Christ; he was rejoicing in them, and his delights were with them from eternity; he rejoices over them, as his lost sheep found at conversion; and they’ll be his joy and crown of rejoicing to all eternity; and it was for the joy of having them with him that he endured so much for them in the redemption of them: and I will plant them in this land assuredly; or in truth, or in stability and firmness; for it does not seem so much to relate to the truth of the promise, and the assurance that may be had of the fulfilment of that, as to the reality and constancy of the blessing itself. A Gospel church-state was first planted in Judea, and from thence has been spread into other parts, and has never been rooted out of the world since; and when the Jews, upon their conversion, are settled in their own land again, they will never more be removed: with my whole heart and with my whole soul. Grotius thinks these clauses are to be connected with the former part of the verse, that God will rejoice over them to do them good with all his heart and soul; but this the accents will not admit of; but the meaning is, that he will do this particular good for them, as well as all others, in the most cordial and respectable manner, even planting and establishing them in their own land. The Targum is, “by my Word, and by my will.” (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 589). London: Mathews and Leigh.)