A Bad Time To Buy?
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 21 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Jeremiah 32:1-25
Many investors would say right now is a bad time to buy real-estate. The prices are too high but in a few months, maybe years, the prices will eventually go back down again.
In Jeremiah’s day the prices were at an all-time low, but it was still a bad time to buy.
Nebuchadnezzar was besieging the city and Jeremiah had been locked up locked up by his own people.
At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned in the guard’s courtyard in the palace of the king of Judah.
Verses 3-5 tell us that King Zedekiah wasn’t going to get away with it. God says he’s going to be sent to Babylon and remain there until he’s dealt with. But in the meantime Jeremiah is imprisoned and at the mercy of his captors. It’s not a good time to buy some land out in the suburbs.
In addition to his imprisonment, the country was at war and Israel was losing. Jeremiah 33:4 says they were even tearing down houses and palaces for defense against the siege ramps. It wan’t a good time to buy.
Cousin Hanamel
While all of this is going on cousin Hanamel showed up to sell Jeremiah some land. I’m not sure what Hanamel was thinking but maybe he saw what was happening to Judah and figured Jeremiah would be gullible enough to buy his land for “a really good deal.”
God warned Jeremiah...
Jeremiah 32:6–7 (CSB)
“The word of the Lord came to me: Watch! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy my field in Anathoth for yourself, for you own the right of redemption to buy it.’
Whatever Hanamel’s motive was— maybe he just needed the money to buy food— Jeremiah as a family member was obligated to buy the land if he could.
Anathoth was just outside of Jerusalem probably in a really pretty area — with just one problem: it was likely occupied by the Babylonians as they besieged the city.
But despite it being a terrible time to buy, Jeremiah bought the property anyway.
So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out the silver to him—seventeen shekels of silver.
That’s not a lot of money but it’s still more than it was worth. So they signed a contract, called in witnesses, made copies and did all of the legal things (Jeremiah 32:10-12). It was official.
Hanamel must have been pretty proud of himself, convincing his cousin to pay 17 shekels for a piece of property that was essentially worthless.
Why did Jeremiah buy it?
Well, God told him to, so obedience is one reason. The end of verse 8 says Jeremiah “knew that this was the word of the Lord” so he bought the field. Obeying God is always the right thing to do but for Jeremiah it was more than that.
Jeremiah bought the field out of faith in God’s promise it would increase in value.
For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’
Despite how bad things looked it was God’s unbreakable promise that property values were going to go up again. For those that had faith in God it was the best time to buy.
So Jeremiah took all the signed documents and sealed them up “so they would last a long time” (Jer 32:13-14). In a dry climate documents could last thousands of years as the Dead Sea Scrolls did which were also preserved in clay jars.
Everything Jeremiah did in purchasing this property, including the preservation of the documents, were acts of faith. He didn’t personally see houses, fields, and vineyards on his land because he was eventually taken to Egypt and executed even before the 70 years were up— but his ancestors reaped the benefits.
Christians make the same kind of faith-based decisions everyday. Some choose to get married and raise a families trusting in God’s provision despite the difficulties of the world that we live. Some choose to move to far away places to become missionary hundreds if thousands of miles away from the nearest Walmart also rusting in God’s promises.
Others give up some of their time to help feed the hungry, or come to Sunday School and Worship Services. Others give up a portion of their incomes for the work of the church.
Why? Out of obedience but also out of faith in the promises of God.
Many of you do these kinds of things but have you ever had second thoughts? Have you ever wondered if it’s worth it?
I can remember as teenager questioning decisions I made that that put me at odds with my friends. Lying in bed looking up at the ceiling I remember rehearsing all the proofs of God’s existence and all the reasons to trust in God’s word. Then being reassured I could fall asleep knowing I’d made the right decision.
Jeremiah needed to be reassured, too.
Jeremiah’s Prayer for Reassurance
“After I had given the purchase agreement to Baruch, son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:
If we ever start to have second thoughts about obeying God going to him in prayer is one of the best thing we can do. Do we ever have doubts and misgivings about God’s promises? Of course we do. We all do at times but we should take them to the Lord in prayer.
Jeremiah has made the right decision to buy the property but he’s having second thoughts so he goes to God in prayer.
Jeremiah begins his prayer in verse 17 with “Oh, Lord God!”
Oh, Lord God! You yourself made the heavens and earth by your great power and with your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you!
When we feel confused or unsure it’s good to be reminded that God is the well-spring of all that is. From him flows all power, life, motion, and perfection. Nothing is too difficult for him!
You show faithful love to thousands but lay the fathers’ iniquity on their sons’ laps after them, great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of Armies,
When we have doubts it’s good to be reminded that God isn’t just a little bit good. He is a God of boundless bottomless mercy. He doesn’t just show his lovingkindness to a few here and there but to thousands and thousands of persons and generations.
When we feel like having second thoughts about God, himself, remember that he is the great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of Armies. He’s doesn’t just have a army at his disposal. He commands all the hosts of heaven and earth, and of men and angels.
the one great in counsel and powerful in action. Your eyes are on all the ways of the children of men in order to reward each person according to his ways and as the result of his actions.
God is so great he doesn’t just give good advice he brings the best out of everything he decides to do. He is powerful in action. Such a God is not to be argued with. He’s to be obeyed because his word can be completely trusted.
When we feel unsure about how to proceed remember that our God is not a distant spectator. He isn’t just sitting on the couch watching the game, he’s actively observing from the field and he knows intimately all the ways of the children of men. And he’s ready to reward us accordingly.
For example, Jeremiah 32:20 says...
You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt and still do today, both in Israel and among all mankind. You made a name for yourself, as is the case today.
God hasn’t changed. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. God saved his people in the past and he will save them again and again in the future. When we feel full of doubts it’s good for us to reflect on all the great things that God has done his people, especially in regards to preserving his church.
Remember also what it says in...
You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror. You gave them this land you swore to give to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.
God is always faithful. He gave them the land just as he promised but remember his eyes are on all the ways of the children of men. So when the people did not obey him or live according to his instructions (Jer 32:23) God was also faithful to punish them for their disobedience. Everything happened just as God said it would.
Look! Siege ramps have come against the city to capture it, and the city, as a result of the sword, famine, and plague, has been handed over to the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you have spoken has happened. Look, you can see it!
Yes, God can see the trouble we are in. He is not oblivious to the fact there is a global pandemic. He knows we are getting older. He knows all of our sufferings but he has a plan to fix them.
So he tells us to buy a field. He says, despite what you see, invest in that spiritual piece of property that seems worthless to those without Christ.
For Jeremiah it was perplexing that despite the awful things going on around him that God would tell him to buy a field...
Yet you, Lord God, have said to me, ‘Purchase the field and call in witnesses’—even though the city has been handed over to the Chaldeans!”
You know what? We can’t go wrong if we invest in the things God tells us to invest in because we serve an awesome God who always keeps his promises. If God says he’s going to rebuild Jerusalem then Jerusalem is going to be rebuilt. You can take that to the bank, as they say.
So what does God tell us to invest in?
“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.
In other words we are called to invest our time, talent, and finances in the kingdom of God. If we do there is an eternal reward that will never be taken away. It will only increase in value, never depreciate. So, it’s a good time to buy— it’s a buyers market for men and women of faith.