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Sermon #2003 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: “Evidence of the Purchase”
Text: Jeremiah 32:10 Subject: Jeremiah’s Purchase of Hanameel’s Field Date: Tuesday Evening — August 21, 2012 Tape # AA-74 Readings: David Burge and Larry Brown Introduction:
Open your Bibles to the Gospel of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 32. The prophecy of Jeremiah has been, if I am not mistaken, distinctly blessed of God the Holy Spirit to my soul in the past three or four weeks. By the time we get to this 32nd chapter the city of Jerusalem has been under siege by the Babylonians for several years. Jeremiah was in prison because he dared to declare the Word of God to a people who had forsaken God. Now people were starving in the streets of Jerusalem. There was neither bread to eat nor water to drink. Typhus was rampant. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were dropping dead like flies.
Bad as things were, Jeremiah knew things were about to get worse; and he had plainly declared it. God told His prophet that He would soon send His servants Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans to destroy Jerusalem and carry Zedekiah the king of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem into Babylon. In less than a year Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Zedekiah, his sons, and Judah would be fulfilled. Jerusalem would be destroyed. The Jews would be captives in Babylon, the heathen land of idolatry and moral filth.
But here, just before concluded his prophet word from God, Jeremiah was told to do something, the Lord God told him to do something that seems very strange, something by which the prophet of God would portray the certainty of Israel’s deliverance from Babylon. He was told to purchase a piece of property, a field that belonged to his cousin Hanameel but was already in the possession of the Babylonians who held the city of Jerusalem under siege. Let’s read about it — Jeremiah 32:1-15.
“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 Nebuchadnezzar. 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. 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; 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. 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. 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. 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. 10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 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. 13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 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. 15 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” (Jeremiah 32:1-15)
Two Things Obvious
Three times Jeremiah used this phrase “evidence of the purchase.” That is the title of my message. — “Evidence of the Purchase.” Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanameel, said to him, “the right of redemption is thine” (v. 7), — “the right of inheritance is thine” (v.8), — “the redemption is thine” (v. 8), — “buy it for thyself” (v. 8). Two things are obvious: 1. This passage has something to do with redemption and the law of the kinsman redeemer (Leviticus 25). 2. The whole history of Israel’s Babylonian Captivity and her deliverance out of Babylon was, by Divine design, an allegory of God’s saving grace in Christ and our redemption and salvation by His mighty operations of grace (Revelation 17-19).
Strange Purchase
I said that it seems strange that Jeremiah would be commanded of God to buy Hanameel’s piece of property because the Babylonian’s possessed Anathoth and all the land surrounding Jerusalem. Jeremiah knew that the Jews would not be delivered from their Babylonian captor’s and would not return to their land for 70 years. Why would anyone want to buy a piece of ground that he knew was possessed by an invading army? · Jeremiah was in prison. He didn’t have money to buy food, let alone property. If he had the money, there was no food to be purchased. · He was in prison. He couldn’t even go look at the land he was told to purchase. Even if he had not been in prison, he couldn’t go look at the land. Jerusalem was under siege.
Why would God command His prophet to make such a purchase at such a time? The answer is found in verse 15. — “For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”— Jeremiah purchased Hanameel’s field for 17 shekels of silver and gave both sealed and open evidence of the purchase because this was to be a picture of Israel’s sure and certain deliverance out of Babylon.
Proposition: This thing was done by Jeremiah to be a picture of the sure and certain redemption and salvation of God’s elect by Christ Jesus.
Divisions: I will do little more than read the Scriptures to you. As I call your attention to our Savior and His great salvation in the Gospel of Jeremiah, you will see the obvious. I want to show you seven things in this message. 1. As Anathoth was lost to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, we were lost to Satan and sold into the captivity of Babylon (Jeremiah 32:6-7). 2. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer (Jeremiah 32:7-8). 3. The Son of God made a lawful purchase of an inheritance for Himself (Jeremiah 32:9). 4. Our dear Savior holds evidence of the purchase (Jeremiah 32:10-15). 5. The redemption of our souls is the revelation of the glory of our God, and for His glory (Jeremiah 32:16-25). 6. This redemption, grace, and salvation is a freegrace, covenant gift and operation of “the great and Mighty God, the Lord of hosts is His name” (Jeremiah 32:37-33:26). 7. All God’s elect, all the Israel of God, all the people chosen of God and purchased by the precious blood of Christ shall be saved by God’s omnipotent grace in Christ Jesus, graciously saved, completely saved, everlastingly saved (Jeremiah 49:39-51:10).
The Lost Field
First, as Anathoth was lost to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, we were lost to Satan and sold into the captivity of Babylon (Jeremiah 32:6-7).
“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.” (Jeremiah 32:6-7)
· Hanameel means “God is gracious.” · Shallum means “retribution.” · Anathoth was a land belonging to the priests of Israel, now in the hands of Babylon.
You and I were like that lost land, in the hands of Satan, the prince of Babylon, held in darkness under a sentence of just retribution, guilty before God. — But God is gracious! That means there is hope for guilty, helpless, ruined, doomed, damned sinners, like you and me.
The Kinsman Redeemer
Second, the Lord Jesus Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer (Jeremiah 32:7-8).
“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. 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.” (Jeremiah 32:7-8)
· Christ is our Kinsman and our Redeemer (Ruth 1-4). · He had the right to redeem that which we have lost. · He had the ability to redeem us. · He had commandment from Jehovah to redeem us (John 10:16-18).
The Purchase Made
Third, the Son of God made a lawful purchase of an inheritance for Himself. — “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 32:9). · Christ bought the field, a specific field, to be His inheritance forever. · That field is His Church. He calls His people His inheritance (Isaiah 19:25). · He bought us at the price required by law. — His own precious blood.
The Evidence of the Purchase
Now, fourth, look a verses 10-15. — Our dear Savior holds evidence of the purchase (Jeremiah 32:10-15).
“10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 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. 13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying, 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. 15 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” (Jeremiah 32:10-15)
What a picture we have here of our Savior and His great work of redemption! · The field was purchased (1 Peter 1:18-20). · The deed of purchase was registered (Hebrews 9:12). · This was done before witnesses that subscribed to the purchase. — The Law and the Prophets! · The evidences of purchase are both sealed and open.
Notice that Jeremiah, by Divine command, had Baruch take the evidences and put them in an earthen vessel, both the sealed and the open. I think I know a passage that might shed some light on that — 2nd Corinthians 4:7.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
· The evidence of redemption by Christ is sealed in the hearts of God’s servants by God the Holy Ghost in the new birth (Ephesians 1:13-14). · But the evidence is open and openly proclaimed by the Gospel we preach.
(2 Corinthians 4:1-7) “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
In Jeremiah 32:15 the Lord God declares that as surely as this field was purchased by Jeremiah, so surely Israel would be delivered from Babylon.
“For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” (Jeremiah 32:15)
Now hear the Word of God. —— Just as surely as the Son of God shed His precious blood at Calvary, so surely all Israel shall be saved by the grace of God in time. It is written, “Every purpose of the Lord shall be performed” (Jeremiah 51:29).
The Glory of God
Fifth, the redemption of our souls is the revelation of the glory of our God, and for His glory (Jeremiah 32:16-25). Hanameel said to Jeremiah, “buy it for thyself;” and the Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior, bought us for Himself, for the praise of the glory of His grace, to make Himself a great and a glorious name. — Hear the prophet’s praise and prayer (Jeremiah 32:16-25).
“Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying, 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: 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, 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: 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; 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; 22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
But this was all a matter of pure, free, sovereign, undeserved grace upon sinners who have earned for themselves everlasting damnation, for we have done nothing that God commanded us to do!
“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: 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. 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.” (Jeremiah 32:16-25)
Freegrace Gift
Sixth, this redemption, grace, and salvation is a freegrace, covenant gift and operation of “the great and Mighty God, the Lord of hosts is His name” (Jeremiah 32:37-33:26).
(Jeremiah 32:37) “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: 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.” (Jeremiah 32:37-44)
(Jeremiah 33:2-3) “Thus saith the LORD the Maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
“6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. 7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. 8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. 9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.” (Jeremiah 33:6-9)
Here is Christ! When I assure you that this whole passage, this whole history of Israel and Judah, the Babylonian Captivity, and deliverance from Babylon was intended to portray our blessed Savior and redemption by Him, I am not guessing. Look at Jeremiah 33:14-16.
“14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
Israel Saved
Seventh, all God’s elect, all the Israel of God, all the people chosen of God and purchased by the precious blood of Christ shall be saved by God’s omnipotent grace in Christ Jesus, graciously saved, completely saved, everlastingly saved (Jeremiah 49:39-51:10).
Here is a picture of every saved sinner’s experience in conversion (Jeremiah 50:4-5).
“4 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. 5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 50:4-5)
Here is complete forgiveness, complete pardon, complete salvation by the God of all grace for poor, needy sinners bought by Jesus’ precious blood (Jeremiah 50:19-20).
“19 And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. 20 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: —— for I will pardon them whom I reserve.” (Jeremiah 50:19-20)
Here is Christ our Savior, the Mighty God (Jeremiah 50:33-34).
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. 34 Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.” (Jeremiah 50:33-34)
I have to quit; but look at Jeremiah 51:5, behold the reason for all this, and rejoice!
“For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.” (Jeremiah 51:5)
Truly, ——“The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name” (Jeremiah 51:19).
Amen.
Don Fortner
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