Scripture
Jeremiah 32:1-15
Open your mind and heart as you read the passage of Scripture aloud and then again quietly to yourself. Listen for God’s word to you.
Spend some time in worship.
Observation
The conquest of Judah began in the ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah. By the time Jeremiah wrote these words the following year, the Babylonians were at the gates of Jerusalem. Zedekiah had seen some of Jeremiah’s prophecies being fulfilled, but he did not like this prophecy of defeat when Jeremiah prophesied that God said the Babylonians would be successful and the king would see Nebuchadnezzar face to face. This made Zedekiah so angry he had the prophet thrown into prison in the courtyard of the palace. Even though it was a prison, prisoners could receive visitors there.
God told Jeremiah that his cousin Hanamel would come to ask him to purchase of a piece of land in Anathoth that his uncle was selling. This offer would be made under the law of redemption which ensured that land would remain in the family and so would remain the property of Israel in the Promised Land. In spite of Israel having strayed so far from God, they still followed this law of redemption.
Anathoth was just outside Jerusalem and it would have already been in the hands of the Babylonians. It was a strange offer in the eyes of the world for the land would have no value at all. Hanamel arrived, just as God had said he would. Jeremiah had no doubt this was God speaking to him and he bought the land. It is possible other members of the family had already refused such a ridiculous offer. In a state of siege, the inhabitants of Jerusalem would need all their money to buy food. It was an absurd idea to spend such an amount on a worthless piece of land.
Jeremiah was living out God’s message as he completed the purchase and the legal aspects of the sale from prison and fulfilled all the legal requirements. He gave Baruch, his scribe and assistant, his instructions so that those around could hear what he said. He told him to preserve and the title deeds in clay jars and bury them so that others could read them later. Evidence of documents preserved in this way came to light when the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered some 2000 years after they were hidden away.
Taking such care to ensure the survival of these legal documents in Jeremiah’s case, enabled Jeremiah to assure people that God would be true to His word and Israel would be restored to His people. The whole transaction showed Jeremiah’s absolute faith in God’s promise. Yes, the land would be taken away from them – for a time – but the people would be return and God would restore them in their land once again.
Icebreaker:
What did you hope for as a child/young person? How did you go about trying to fulfil this hope? Were you successful? How do you feel about your success/lack of success now? Is it still a hope you have?
Application
- What is your greatest hope today? How does it differ from your childhood hope? Why is this hope so important to you? What would it mean to you if it was fulfilled?
- Disorientation: What is happening in your life that is disrupting the way you wish to live? How did this situation come about? Does it seem insurmountable or is there hope/light at the end of the tunnel?
- What role is God playing in this disruption to help you cope? To what extent are you involving Him? Or are you trying to ‘go it alone’? Why?
- How much do you trust God to help you in such circumstances? What does this say about your relationship with God, especially when your life seems to be on an out-of-control roller-coaster ride?
- Re-orientation: What role are you playing to deepen your relationship with God at this time? Are you walking away from Him or towards Him? How much time do you spend in prayer?
- How honest are you with God? Do you speak about your confusion and pain? Do you tell Him your hopes and dreams? Do you spend time praising Him in spite of all the difficulties you are facing? What does this say about how much you trust Him?
- ‘It takes dedication to serve the Lord when life does not make sense.’ Do you agree or disagree with this statement? How do your current circumstances impact the way you serve the Lord?
- Re-conditioning: Are you able to give your challenges to God and rest in His promise that He can handle any situation? Why/why not?
- How can the group help you with the struggles you have mentioned during this session?
Prayer
Pray for one another in regard to the issues that have been raised during your discussion time, and in regard to other needs of the group.
Service
How can you offer hope to those around you this week – especially to those who are truly hopeless? What words of comfort can you offer? What can you do? Ask God to show you the way forward and take action. Report back to the group next week.
Memory Verse: Isaiah 40:31 Who can remember it? Have another look and memorise it together.
Bibliography
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