BUYING A FIELD
Jeremiah
32:1-15 | 6 And Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord
came unto me, sayinG, 7 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.” 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 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. 9 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.”
BACKGROUND: Jeremiah was a
prophet from the reign of Josiah
through that of Zedekiah – a span
of almost 40 years. He was also a prophet during the time of Daniel.
Zedekiah was
placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar. He had seriously divided loyalties between the
king of Babylon and the people
of Israel. God’s messenger, Jeremiah, was a thorn in Zedekiah’s flesh.
Jeremiah is in
prison because Zedekiah didn’t like
what Jeremiah preached. Jeremiah
had prophesied that the present invasion of Israel would last 70 years and was the
result of God’s judgment (he was right).
Zedekiah
eventually took part in a rebellion against Babylon. As a result
he was taken to Nebuchadnezzar’s
military headquarters at Riblah were his sons were killed and he was blinded as
punishment for his rebellion (v 4-5).
“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; 5 And
he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon,…”
Jerusalem was being blockaded by the Babylonian military, which already occupied the land and was advancing on the city.
In our text, God speaks to Jeremiah, who is in prison and tells him
to buy a field.
Common sense says, “this is not the
time to invest in real-estate”, yet Jeremiah
does as instructed. Why? Because Jeremiah knew…
If we are to accomplish the work God called us too . . .
1.
We must recognize opportunity using spiritual perception (v 6-8).
· Perception
is the condition of being aware, conscious, and alert to our surroundings. God told
Jeremiah an opportunity was going to be presented to him, and he was to seize
that opportunity. This property had been a part of his family inheritance.
Before a Jewish person could sell a piece of property, which had been a part of
their inheritance, they had to offer it to a kinsman first (Lev 25).
Jeremiah
is offered a field – he can redeem or reject it.
Jesus said, “The field is the world” (Matthew 13:38)! Christ died to redeem that field!
· The Field is before us and the Right
of Redemption is ours. John 4:35 Say not ye,
There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you,
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to
harvest.
· We’ve been given the ministry of Reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 Now all things are of God, who
has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not
imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading
through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God…
·
We must seize the
opportunity! If we don’t, the right of redemption will pass to another. If we do not
act it goes by default to the devil!
If we are to accomplish the work God called us too . . .
2. We must learn to see what
others can’t (v 1-2). The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in
the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of
Nebuchadnezzar 2 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.
· We need VISION! This property was nearly worthless.
It was in the control of the enemy. It is
no wonder that Hanameel didn’t want it. Jeremiah was an old man; he would not
be around when the 70 years of captivity would be over. Though he is in prison, he saw what others could
not see!
· We need to see what others cannot see. We
are under siege by Babylon! Prophetically, Babylon will continue to grow and
engulf the world. Many believers are saying let’s Sell out or let’s give in.
But the Christ centered thinker sees opportunity to reconcile souls.
“Never doubt in darkness what God has
given you in the light!”
If we are to accomplish the work God called us too . . .
3. We
must get all the information we can from God’s revelation (v 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 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.
·
God
speaks through His… Word, Spirit, Messengers, Providence
If we are to accomplish the work God called us too . . .
4.
We
must be obedient to the information God has given (v 9-15). 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. 10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took
witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 11 So I took
the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law
and custom, and that which was open: 12 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. 13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14
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.
·
He did not hesitate! What God has revealed we must pursue!
·
God wants His seal placed upon “earthen vessels” (v 14).
·
We have been entrusted with the
Gospel of Redemption.
2 Corinthians 4:5-7 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus
the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we
have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be
of God, and not of us.
If we are to accomplish the work God called us too . . .
5.
We
must act with anticipation of God’s Promise (v 15). Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel;
Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.
· The Location of Anathoth is 3 miles outside of
Jerusalem. It is the birth place of Jeremiah. It is in the middle of the enemy
encampment.
CONCLUSION:
·
Fear often
shows up in our lives when we’re at risk of losing something—our wealth,
health, reputation, position, safety, family, friends.
·
It reveals our
natural desire to protect the things in life that are important to us, rather
than fully entrusting them to God’s care and control.
·
But fear
cripples us emotionally and saps us spiritually. We become afraid to tell
others about Christ, to extend our lives and resources for the benefit of
others, or to venture into new territory.
Rev Kev | Cornerstone Baptist Church
| For Sunday AM, August 12, 2011
