Tuesday - Jeremiah 32 - An Investment that Demonstrates Faith

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F I started rearranging furniture on a sinking ship, then perhaps there would be 2 conclusions that you could derive from that. Maybe my actions would demonstrate insanity. On the other hand, it could be that I'm privy to some information that gives me confidence that the ship is not going to be lost after all. This was the situation with Jeremiah. The city of Jerusalem was going down, but not forever. And, to prove Jeremiah believed that someday God would restore the land to the Jews, he was instructed of God to buy a piece of the property which was about to be taken by force by the hands of the Babylonians. The purchase was to be made good upon the remnant's eventual return to the land (vs. 14-15). So, with a siege in place and Jeremiah in prison, he made an investment that demonstrated his faith: he purchased real estate from his cousin.

Now, there is much more that is said in this chapter, including Jeremiah's prayer, God's answer and a clear message concerning the future. Yet the one thing that seals it all is the faith-filled action of Jeremiah. Whatever resources he possessed, he expended some or all of them in the purchase of a field that was being trampled by Gentiles. No advisor would have counseled him to follow such an irresponsible course, but he did. And, he did it well. He did right. He did what God asked him to do. He made his decision based upon faith rather than upon raw reason. He considered the promises of God to be heavier than all of the weaponry of the Chaldeans.  He valued God's words more than the money in his pocket.