8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. 9 So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money—seventeen shekels of silver. 10 And I signed the deed and sealed it, took witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales. 11 So I took the purchase deed, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open; 12 and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.
13 “Then I charged Baruch before them, saying, 14 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.” 15 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” ’ (Jeremiah 32:9-15, NKJV)
Jeremiah was called by God to invest in a future that looked impossible. This would never make financial sense and defies human logic to buy property that was about to be confiscated by another ruler. Jeremiah acted on the Word of God rather than relying on his wisdom. Jeremiah even doubted what he was being told to do until his cousin came to him asking Jeremiah to buy the field as God instructed him.
Obedience to God will rarely make financial sense and often disagree with common sense. This is due to the fact that God desire people to prepare for the fulfillment of His promises instead of waiting in doubt that God is going to do the things He says He would do. It is much like the rich man who desired for Christ to reveal to him what he must do to be perfect and inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22). This man was paralyzed to go and sell everything and follow Jesus as he was instructed to do. Where was the security in liquidating his assets? How would he live? Where would he find shelter? What would everyone say? These are all valid questions that are certainly going to be asked by others if a person does not wrestle with them in their heart.
The answer to all these questions are found in the brief parable of the wise and foolish builders recorded in Matthew 7:24-27, “24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (NKJV). Building life on the foundation of Jesus Christ is the only thing that is guaranteed never to change (Hebrews 13:8). Money and possessions will come and go. Other people will let us down in the same way we disappoint ourselves. Governments and philosophies will all fail to come through and eventually become unstable in sustaining a culture. The eternal truth in Scripture is the only thing a person can build their life upon that will never fail to give proper guidance and direction whenever God’s Word is allowed to be the ultimate authority by which everything else is measured against as the standard of life.
Praying beyond the physical:
Father, remind me that You are the only One who will never fail and can be trusted in spite of the sin of people.
Jesus, place in heart and mind Your Word and teachings so it is You I build my life upon and nothing else.
Spirit, empower me in my weakness to submit to Your guidance and direction in all things to remain faithful.
Pastor Tom
