November 7th, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Don't Just Tell Them

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Opening Prayer

Gracious Lord, forgive me for the pride that too frequently takes the place of praise in my heart.

Read Jeremiah 32:1-15

[1] This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. [2] The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah. [3] Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. [4] Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. [5] He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.'” [6] Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: [7] Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’ [8] “Then, just as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’ “I knew that this was the word of the LORD; [9] so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. [10] I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales. [11] I took the deed of purchase-the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy- [12] and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard. [13] “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: [14] ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. [15] For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“If his faithful commitment to the God he called ‘Abba’ cost Jesus his life, why should we expect following him to be comfortable and pain-free” (James Howell)?

Think Further

“Put your money where your mouth is.” That sums up God’s challenge to Jeremiah. “Jeremiah, do you really believe that I will restore fallen Israel?” Jeremiah was so sure of God’s judgment that he was willing to suffer imprisonment rather than water down his preaching. But was he going to be sure enough of God’s mercy to invest in some real estate at a time when the destruction he prophesied was so real to him? God’s reassuring word came with timing that, as always, was perfect (8; c.f. Rom 5:6). 

Holding on to faith in a merciful God in those times when all the evidence around you shouts for judgment is not easy, but that is God’s nature. For the moment, Israel’s intransigence and refusal to respond to God’s warm, loving and yet urgent call for repentance had fallen on deaf ears. Now it was too late. Babylon’s army was at the gates of Jerusalem. God’s judgment could no longer be averted. In graphic detail, Jeremiah tells what will happen to King Zedekiah. Yet he did not allow his unfair imprisonment to embitter his spirit. He knew that Jerusalem’s fall was not ultimately Babylon’s doing, but God’s. God was in control and he would restore. So whatever would happen in the short term, Jeremiah was saying that his investment was secure.

In our day, more people are imprisoned or are suffering in other ways to a greater or lesser extent–for living and witnessing faithfully to the Word of the Lord. In these situations, the temptation can be either to lash out aggressively or to abandon any public expression of our faith. Yet for Jesus, and for Paul and others, these situations have provided opportunities for the most fruitful witness. May we be prepared when the challenge and the opportunity come to us (1 Pet. 3:15)!

Apply

How has God’s mercy and his assurances been significant in your life? As you recall this, thank God for them.

Closing prayer

Loving Lord, Your clocks keep perfect time. I trust anew Your timing and seek to obey You in all things.

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