A New Future

                                               Sunday School Lesson                                  

Lesson: Jeremiah 32:2-9, 14-15
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land” (Jeremiah 32:15).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  God’s plan for the future includes the people of Israel.  He has not cast them off forever.  The nation has been set aside until the fullness of the Gentiles is accomplished (see Romans 11:25-26).  Then God has promised the restoration of Jerusalem and the reconciliation of its inhabitants.  God cannot lie.  His promise will be fulfilled.  When God dealt with His prophets, He often directed them to do actions that carried a lesson to Israel, or foretold events in their future.  The prophet Ahijah’s torn garment was a symbol of the division of the kingdom (see I Kings 11:29-38).  Isaiah’s sons’ names revealed the future of Judah (see Isaiah 7:3; 8:3).  In this week’s lesson, we will see how God required Jeremiah to perform symbolic acts that would depict Israel’s future.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  At the time of our lesson in 587 B.C., Zedekiah, who was appointed king by Nebuchadnezzar,  was in his tenth year as king of Judah, and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon was in the eighteenth year of his reign (see Jeremiah 32:1).  This was the second year of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 32:2) which would last another year and then the city would finally fall to Babylon.  When the siege began, Jeremiah was able to move freely in Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 37:4).  But when the siege was temporarily lifted due to intervention by Egypt, Jeremiah tried to leave Jerusalem and return to his home in the territory of Benjamin (see Jeremiah 37:11-12).  However, he was arrested at the gate in Jerusalem and accused of deserting to the Babylonians.  Jeremiah denied the charges but was imprisoned anyway (see Jeremiah 37:13-15).  He was put in a dungeon (see Jeremiah 37:16), but when he was called before King Zedekiah, he begged the king to let him go (see Jeremiah 37:17-20).  Zedekiah did release Jeremiah from the dungeon, but kept him imprisoned in the court of the prison.  In Jeremiah 32:1, we are told that Jeremiah’s imprisonment took place, in the tenth year of King Zedekiah and the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  This is where our lesson begins.

III. THE MESSAGE TO THE KING (Jeremiah 32:2-5)    

A. Jeremiah’s imprisonment (Jeremiah 32:2).  This verse says “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.”  Here is confirmation of Jeremiah’s imprisonment in the “court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.”  With the exception of a brief period when Jeremiah was thrown into a muddy pit (see Jeremiah 38:1-13), he remained in the prison courtyard until Jerusalem fell to Babylon, also known as the Chaldeans (see Jeremiah 38:28).  The term “besieged” refers to a military strategy where an army would surround a city not allowing anyone in or out causing the city to surrender to prevent starvation.
B. Jeremiah’s offensive message (Jeremiah 32:3-5).
1. (vs. 3).  This verse goes on to say “For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.”  The phrase “For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying” introduces the reason why Jeremiah was kept in prison.  The Lord had commanded Jeremiah to prophesy that He would soon give the city over to Nebuchadnezzar who would take possession of it (see Jeremiah 21:3-7; 32:28-29; 34:2; 38:17-18).  Hearing Jeremiah make this prophecy prompted the king to ask him why was he prophesying that the city of Jerusalem would be taken by the Babylonians and claiming that the message came from the Lord.  As far as Zedekiah was concerned, Jeremiah’s message was the same as treason, making him a traitor.  Things were so bad in Judah that God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the people (see Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11).  Jeremiah also told the people that surrendering would be the only way to save their lives (see Jeremiah 21:9; 27:6-13; 38:17-18).  The king and Judah’s rulers understood Jeremiah’s words as betraying his nation.
2. (vs. 4).  Jeremiah went on to say “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.”  Not only would Babylon take the city of Jerusalem, but Jeremiah also prophesied that “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.”  Zedekiah was actually a puppet king placed on David’s throne by Nebuchadnezzar after the last king in the Davidic line, Jehoiakin, Zedekiah’s nephew (see II Kings 24:17) was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar (see II Kings 24:15).  As predicted, the city fell and Zedekiah was captured (see Jeremiah chapter 39).  Once Zedekiah was captured by Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah also prophesied that he would “speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes.”  This actually happened when Zedekiah was captured and brought before Nebuchadnezzar for sentencing (see Jeremiah 39:5).  There may also be additional significance to the phrase “and his eyes shall behold his eyes.”  Not only did Zedekiah see Nebuchadnezzar when he stood before him for sentencing, but after being forced to watch his sons be killed, Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s eyes put out (see Jeremiah 39:6-7).
3. (vs. 5).  This verse goes on to say “And he (Nebuchadnezzar) shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the Lord: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.”  God said that Zedekiah would be led to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.  The phrase “and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the Lord” doesn’t mean that God would eventually allow Zedekiah to be released from captivity, because he died in Babylon (see Jeremiah 52:11; Ezekiel 12:13).  This phrase most likely means that Zedekiah would die a peaceful, natural death, and be honored by his people like previous kings of Israel (see Jeremiah 34:4-5; II Chronicles 16:14; 21:19).  God’s last words in this verse were “though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.”  The term “Chaldeans” came to be synonymous with the Babylonians and is first mentioned in Genesis 11:28.  The Chaldeans were one of the ancient peoples that formed the dominant population in Babylonia, after Nebuchadnezzar set up his empire.  God told His people through Jeremiah that even if they tried to fight against the Chaldeans they wouldn’t be victorious.  The people really had only two choices: (1) they could stay in Jerusalem and die, or (2) they could surrender to the Babylonians and live.   Note:  The fate of the nation of Judah was sealed long before this because they were disobedient and unwilling to repent.  The point of no return for the nation was the reign of evil king Manasseh (see II Kings 21:10-16; 23: 26-27; Jeremiah 15:4).  Even the spiritual revival under King Josiah couldn’t prevent the fulfillment of God’s promise to remove the people from their land (see II Kings 22:15-20).     
IV. THE PURCHASE OF A FIELD (Jeremiah 32:6-9)      
A. The purchase of the field prophesied (Jeremiah 32:6-7). 
1. (vs. 6).  This verse says “And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying.”  This verse introduces what God wanted Jeremiah to do next.  It would involve a symbolic, yet real transaction involving land.
2. (vs. 7).  The Lord went on to tell Jeremiah what to expect next.  He said “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.”  God told Jeremiah to expect a visit from his cousin “Hanameel” who will ask him to buy his field or land that he owned in “Anathoth.”  This city where the field was located was a priestly center set aside originally for the sons or descendents of Aaron (see Joshua 21:13-19; I Kings 2:26).  Hanameel would offer the property to Jeremiah because he said “for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.”  In other words, under the Mosaic Law, there were rules governing the redemption or reclaiming of family property that was sold (see Leviticus 25:25-34).  God was actually the owner of the land (see Leviticus 25:23) and those who lived on it were merely tenants and had no right to sell it permanently.  It was to remain in their hands forever.  However, the Law also recognized that the head of a family might have to sell his land because of poverty.  If this happened, it was his duty to ask a relative to buy it and hold it for him until he was able to buy it back (Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 4:1-6).  If the original owner could not redeem it, he could still get it back in the Year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:13-15, 28).  Therefore the land would never permanently change hands.  Since Jeremiah was a priest (see Jeremiah 1:1) and “Hanameel” was his cousin, this land came under the law concerning Levitical lands.  Any fields surrounding a city like “Anathoth”  which was reserved for priests, could only be sold to members of the priesthood or Levites (see Leviticus 25:32-34).
B. Jeremiah completes the transaction (Jeremiah 32:8-9).
1. (vs. 8).  In this verse Jeremiah said “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.”  As Jeremiah tells what happened, he said that his cousin came to him while he was in the prison courtyard still in custody “according to the word of the Lord,” or just as God said he would.  Hanameel made the offer to Jeremiah just as God said he would.  Being from the tribe of Levi, according to the law of redemption (see commentary on verse 7), Jeremiah had “the right of inheritance” meaning he was from the same family and he also had the right of “redemption” meaning the right to purchase the property.  Therefore, Hanameel told Jeremiah to “buy it for thyself.”  At this point, when everything happened just as God told him it would in verse 7, Jeremiah declared “Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.”  In other words, Jeremiah had no doubt that the Lord was directing this transaction.
2. (vs. 9).  In this verse, Jeremiah continued to say “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.”  Jeremiah tells us that when his cousin Hanameel offered the land to him located in Anathoth, he “weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.”  The amount Jeremiah paid for the field was “seventeen shekels of silver.”  The “shekel” was not a coin but a unit of weight.  It was a piece of silver weighed on a scale to determine its worth. .   

V. THE MEANING OF THE PURCHASE (Jeremiah 32:14-15).  Verses 10-13 are not part of our printed text, but need to be summarized to lead us into the remaining portion of our lesson.  After Jeremiah completed the sale, he subscribed (or signed) the evidence (the deed) and sealed the deed in the presence of witnesses, who also signed it.  Jeremiah also made a duplicate copy (see verses 10-11).  He then gave the deed to Baruch, his scribe (see Jeremiah 36:4; 45:1) in the presence of Hanameel and the witnesses (see verse 12).  What Jeremiah did was a matter of public witness and record. 

A. The details of the transaction (Jeremiah 32:14).  In this verse Jeremiah said “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.”  According to verse 13 (not part of the printed lesson) these words from Jeremiah were directed to Baruch.  Jeremiah was about to give Baruch directions on what to do with the deed and he wanted Baruch to know that these instructions came directly from “the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel.”  God is described as the Lord of armies indicating His control over the entire universe, and also as the God of Israel.  Even though the nation had been divided into Israel and Judah, God still saw the people as one nation.  Jeremiah told Baruch to “Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open.”  The term “evidences” refers to both copies of the deed.  The original was sealed and the copy was open.  Note:   In Jeremiah’s time, it was customary that two copies of a deed were made on one continuous scroll with a short space separating the original from the copy.  The original, signed by the prophet and the witnesses was sealed and left attached to the copy, which was left open and unsealed for inspection.  The open copy, with the sealed copy attached was usually placed in custody of the court.  However, God intended to preserve this deed in a different way as we shall see.  After giving the deed to Baruch, Jeremiah instructed him to “put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.”  The purpose for doing this was to preserve the documents.  In order to preserve something of value like these documents, it was a common practice to put them in an “earthen vessel” or clay jars.  The jars would then be sealed with pitch to protect the contents from dampness and other conditions that could cause decay.  The phrase “that they may continue many days” means that these documents would have to be protected and preserved for a long time.  Jeremiah knew that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed and that the servitude to the Babylonians would last for seventy years (see Jeremiah 29:10).  However, he also believed God’s promise of a return to the land, and the restoration of the nation.  Note:  The storage of the documents in the jar indicated that the exile and Captivity wouldn’t last long, and would someday end.  At that time those who survived from Hanameel’s family could return and reclaim the land they sold to Jeremiah.
B. The divine explanation of the transaction (Jeremiah 32:15).  In our final verse Jeremiah says “For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”  Jeremiah prophesied that even though the nation would be taken captive, there will again be a possession of houses, fields and vineyards.  The people could have confidence that they would eventually return to their own land, because the promise was made by “the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel.”   Again, the phrase “Lord of hosts” means “Lord of armies.”  At this time the Chaldean, or Babylonian army was occupying the land, but they would eventually be put down by God’s superior army of might, and power, leading to Judah’s rescue and return.  Possession of the land was part of the ancient promise to Abraham (see Genesis 12:1).  Jeremiah’s purchase of the field, even though it was in enemy hands at the time, was confirmation of his faith in the promise, and an act of direct obedience to God’s Word.
               
VI. Conclusion.  Jeremiah’s confinement in prison within the besieged city of Jerusalem must have been personally depressing to the prophet.  The sale of land by his uncle’s son couldn’t have made Jeremiah happier.  But God used the sale of the land to provide an illustration of hope for His people and His prophet.  Jeremiah’s trust in the Lord and His promises not only sustained him during difficult times, but also provided comfort for the whole nation.  We too, are sustained through difficulties in our own lives when we look toward the glorious and certain future the Lord has prepared for us.