Jeremiah 32

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Jeremiah 32:1-44 (KJV) 

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which [was] the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. 

God gives the time of when He spoke to Jeremiah.

2 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. 

Babylon surrounded the city of Jerusalem.  The people could not do anything outside of the city fearing that they would be attacked. Many times the army that is sieging the place they want, makes it inside of the place under siege and many times the people surrender because of the lack of basic needs. 

3 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; 

Zedekiah arrested Jeremiah and he was placed in the king's court, where the king lived.  I thought this was God's idea.  You may lock him up but he will live where the king lives and you will respect him.

Zedekiah was appointed by the king of Babylon.

Zedekiah asked Jeremiah why do you say the things you say?  Why do you say God told you that this city will be given to Babylon?

4 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; 5 And he 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. 

Zedekiah said:

1.  You say I will not escape

2.  I will be captured by the king of Babylon

3.  They will arrest me

4.  I will be removed from Jerusalem to Babylon

5.  If I try to defend myself I will be wasting time

This is Jeremiah's response to the question:  Jeremiah took his time and gave him a timeline of what God spoke to him.

6 And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 7 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]. 

In the king's own court, God told Jeremiah that my uncle's son will bring him the right to purchase some land. God told him the exact name of the place that he will be offered to buy.

8 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. 

His cousin came as God said and did exactly what God told Jeremiah that he would do.  Jeremiah knew it was God because God spoke to him before it happened and it happened as He said.

9 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 bought the land and gave the money to his cousin.  He paid 99.56 united states dollars.

10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed [it], and took witnesses, and weighed [him] the money in the balances. 

Jeremiah said I did what God told me according to the ordinance of the law.  I gave money, signed document/s, and had witnesses in the court who saw the transaction.

11 So I took the evidence of the purchase, [both] that which was sealed [according] to the law and custom, and that which was open: 12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's [son], and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah said I took the receipt in front of all who witnessed the business transaction including my cousin and all that the law required for this transaction, I followed every guideline.

 13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 

I gave my receipt to Baruch in front of everyone that was present.

14 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. 

I then told them what God told me; take all the paperwork that legitimized the land I just bought and put it into a bottle and leave it in there for many days.

15 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. 

God said this land will be inhabited again by my people after they return from the land I am sending them to.

16 Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying, 

After I did what I did, I prayed.

17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee:

My prayer started out with recognizing who God is:

 18 Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, [is] his name, 

You judge righteously to all.  You show love and you are kind, when one generation does wrong, the next generation suffers:  You are Great, You are Mighty and you are God and the Lord of Host is Your Name.

19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: 

You give the right advice, you see everything that everyone does and you give the right consequences for the work each person does.

20 Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, [even] unto this day, and in Israel, and among [other] men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day;

You made it known to the entire world how you brought the children of Israel out of bondage;

 21 And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;

You showed your strength in how you brought millions of people to the promised land;  You showed the world how powerful you are;

 22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; 

You kept your promise toward Abraham and his decendants.

23 And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them: 

The children of Israel possessed the land and refuse to do what you said to do; now this evil is upon the land that God gave to you freely.

24 Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest [it].

Lord, everything you spoke is happening; not one word is left out.

 25 And thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 

Lord, you told me to buy a field and I did even though the land will be overtaken by the enemy.

26 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 

Then God spoke to Jeremiah,

27 Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? 

God told Jeremiah He was God and asked Jeremiah, is anything too hard for me?

28 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 

I said I will give this land to your enemy and he will take it:

29 And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. 

The enemy will destroy this city for the sins committed in it.  The people made me angry and I am giving the wages of their wrong.

30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. 

My people have disobeyed me from their youth until now doing evil in my sight.

31 For this city hath been to me [as] a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 

Ever since I let you take this city you have provoked Me and I will remove you from this city and you will know that I am having you removed.

32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

The government is evil, the church is evil and all the people are too and that is why my wrath is against this place.

33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching [them], yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. 

I sent you good teachers but you turned your back on Me and did not seek My face.  I gave you instructions but still, you did not obey.

34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. 

Then you brought the evil into my house and made it unclean.

35 And they built the high places of Baal, which [are] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.   

My people did what I did not think they would do, they found a place and killed children as an offering to the god of flies.  I told you before you entered the land not to do these things.

36 And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; 

Zedekiah, you say this has nothing to do with God's wrath but it is a mere war;

37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 

I will remove but I will also bring them back.  They will learn from this I am doing and when they return they will know that I am God.

38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 

I will be the leader and they will follow Me.

39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:

I will give them My Word and it will be the same Word that will be given to those who follow them.

 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. 

I will make the last covenant known to man, I will keep My Word and I will do good to my people. however, I will put my fear in their hearts, that they will not leave me.

41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. 

With My Heart and Soul I will be glad to do them good when they return to possess the land.

42 For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

I will punish them and I will also bring them back and do good to the same people I punished. 

43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, [It is] desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 

Although it will be said the land is given to your enemy, it will be given back to you.

44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal [them], and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.

Just as Jeremiah bought land, the men who return will buy land also; they will purchase fields in every part of the land God will bring them back to.