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Here in this chapter we see a gloomy situation The city of Jerusalem is surrounded and under siege by the
Babylonian army and King Zedekiah will not accept the situation as being serious. However God always has his man on the spot. This world is in a serious condition and position, sin and wickedness is rife. Disease and tragedy everywhere. Are you God’s man or woman and willing to tell of a way of escape and preach and witness to the truth of God.? Jeremiah was such a man in Judah.
We find:-
[1] Jeremiah was faithful in his preaching.
King Zedekiah had put Jeremiah in prison for speaking the Word of God. “For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy”, verse 3 Maybe because he kept telling the king of the way that God was going to judge the all the people including the king for their sin and idol worship. Are you and I faithful in our proclamation of the Scriptures or do we water them down because we feel the message is too strong.
a. He believed God’s Word
He believed that when God speaks you can accept His word for it will be accomplished. “what thou hast spoken is come to pass;” verse 24
Do you and I accept the Word of God as infallible and really believe that it will come to pass. Do you believe that Christ died for you and was raised again and will return. Do we believe that unsaved men and women are lost and going to hell. Do we really believe the Bible? All of it without exception?
b. He preached God’s Word
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD” verse 1 “ And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,” ver .6
Jeremiah told it as he had received from God. He had said to the King. “it is no good fighting against this army just surrender, you just can’t win”.
I wonder how we would act if we knew that prison awaited us for preaching God’s Word? Are we willing to tell the unsaved the
truth of the gospel that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”.
[2] Jeremiah was faithful in his praying.
Because :-
a. He knew the power of God
“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”. Verse 17
He accepted that nothing was impossible for God to do unless it was outside His Divine and Holy character. Jeremiah knew that anything he asked according to the character of God he could and would do. Why did he believe this?
b. He knew what God had accomplished
Thou “ 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; And hast given them this land”, verses 21, 22.
[3] Jeremiah was faithful in his providing.
We see here and great act of faith and remember every act of faith has its eye on the future. “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Heb:11:1 Jeremiah had a complete trust in the Word of God that He would bring about that which he had promised. This was Israel’s land and the promises that God had made would never be withdrawn and will ultimately be fulfilled. So we find that he:-
a. He held loosely to the things of the present
“I knew that this was the word of the LORD”. v.8 : ”And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth,” v. 9
God had told him what to do and he was completely obedient to the Word of God for God knew that if he had possessions in the land he would want to get back to them. He released his grasp on the present things to gain things of the future. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Mt.6:19,20,21
b. He invested in the future.
“weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.v.9 : And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. v 10 It did seem a stupid thing to do but he believed God who had told him that the people would come back to the land. 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:” verse 37: “ Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them” ver 44 Are you and I investing in eternal things? Are we investing the things of God in the hearts and minds of our children? Are we teaching them the scriptures and showing that we believe them also by the way we live and conduct ourselves? Are we preaching God’s Word and glorifying God in all that we do?
He is no fool who gives away that which he cannot keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose.
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