the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 3 of 5
Jeremiah 32:1-15
Ch. 32 opens at some particularly critical events. Jerusalem, under siege from the Babylonian army, is living through her final days of independence. In order to keep Jeremiah quiet, having been accused of undermining the courage of those under siege, the king has gone to the trouble of locking him up in the court of the prison. However, the prophet’s captivity does not prevent the word of the LORD from reaching him. Nor does it stop him following the instructions he receives and buying his cousin Hanameel’s field via a third party, the faithful Baruch, mentioned here for the first time. At such a moment this act takes on an obvious and public importance. Whilst knowing from the word of the LORD that destruction is imminent and inevitable, Jeremiah in this way shows his faith in the same divine Word, according to which Israel’s restoration will just as certainly take place (Jeremiah 31:1-40). The prophet’s personal situation seems to have no future (what use is a field to a prisoner?), that of the people is desperate; humanly speaking Jeremiah can expect no help from his compatriots, nor from the Chaldean enemies. However against all hope he believes with hope (see Romans 4:18). And this field which he buys bears witness of this hope to everybody.
