It was a straightforward real estate transaction, yet onlookers were bewildered. Why would this man buy this field knowing that it was part of the territory conquered by a foreign invader? Was he delusional? Did he have some privileged inside information? Indeed, he did!
At that time the LORD sent me a message. He said, “Your cousin Hanamel son of Shallum will come and say to you, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else.’” Then, just as the LORD had said he would, my cousin Hanamel came and visited me in the prison. He said, “Please buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else, so buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that the message I had heard was from the LORD.
Jeremiah 32:6-8 (NLT)
The field at Anathoth, located in Judah, was in the territory conquered by the Babylonians. Jeremiah was a prophet of God. Although Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanamel, owned it, it was a seemingly dubious and hollow purchase. Jeremiah was throwing his money away, purchasing a property that technically did not belong to Hanamel nor would it belong to him. Worse, Jeremiah, the buyer, was in prison! But Jeremiah did have inside information. God told him to purchase the property! Jeremiah had been told by God that the Jews would be released from Babylonian captivity after seventy years. Yet, he would not live to see that day. Thus, Jeremiah acted in great faith to purchase a field that he would never occupy. He was putting his money where his mouth was.
A wise man once wrote that faith is not believing in spite of evidence and obeying in spite of consequence. May we all be encouraged by Jeremiah’s great act of faith.
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
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