In Jeremiah 32, we read about how Jeremiah purchased a field. This field was in a land under the control of the Babylonians, and appeared to be a foolish purchase, but the Lord instructed Jeremiah to do this to instill hope in Israel.
Here's how Ellen White brings this story to light:
"In the closing years of Judah’s apostasy the exhortations of the prophets were seemingly of but little avail; and as the armies of the Chaldeans came for the third and last time to besiege Jerusalem, hope fled from every heart. Jeremiah predicted utter ruin; and it was because of his insistence on surrender that he had finally been thrown into prison. But God left not to hopeless despair the faithful remnant who were still in the city. Even while Jeremiah was kept under close surveillance by those who scorned his messages, there came to him fresh revelations concerning Heaven’s willingness to forgive and to save, which have been an unfailing source of comfort to the church of God from that day to this.
Laying fast hold on the promises of God, Jeremiah, by means of an acted parable, illustrated before the inhabitants of the fated city his strong faith in the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purpose for His people. In the presence of witnesses, and with careful observance of all necessary legal forms, he purchased for seventeen shekels of silver an ancestral field situated in the neighboring village of Anathoth.
From every human point of view this purchase of land in territory already under the control of the Babylonians, appeared to be an act of folly. The prophet himself had been foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, the desolation of Judea, and the utter ruin of the kingdom. He had been prophesying a long period of captivity in faraway Babylon. Already advanced in years, he could never hope to receive personal benefit from the purchase he had made. However, his study of the prophecies that were recorded in the Scriptures had created within his heart a firm conviction that the Lord purposed to restore to the children of the captivity their ancient possession of the Land of Promise. With the eye of faith Jeremiah saw the exiles returning at the end of the years of affliction and reoccupying the land of their fathers. Through the purchase of the Anathoth estate he would do what he could to inspire others with the hope that brought so much comfort to his own heart." (Prophets and Kings, p. 466-469)Even after this purchase, Jeremiah's personal faith was tested... but I love his prayer: "Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee." (Jer. 32:17)
Not long after, the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah again, the second time while he was in prison. This promise from God I have claimed many times: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and she thee great and mighty things, which thou knows not." (Jer. 33:3)
We may at times find ourselves in hopeless situations, but let us remember that nothing is too much for God. His arm is stretched out still, and there is nothing too hard for Him.
Tomorrow's Reading: Jer. 34-35 and John 13
[Yesterday was a down day for me recovering from these past couple weeks, and I never opened the computer for ANYTHING yesterday, until this morning, so I still need to post yesterday's post. I apologize to all those following this daily reading.]
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