Jeremiah is seated in the royal palace's Courtyard of the Guard in Judah. Unlike the witnesses and the elders who are seated there, Jeremiah is in chains. He is in chains because he has prophesied desolation over Jerusalem and defeat over her king, Zedekiah (Jer. 32:3-5). The act of prophesying today is a mixture of fortune-telling and wishful thinking. It never dares to be direct or negative. Jeremiah was none of this and so he suffers the consequences. But GOD has a Word to uplift him in his captivity.

GOD tells him, "Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, `Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it (v.7)." On the face of it, it does not uplift. In fact, Jeremiah does not accept this Word as from GOD. Only when Shallum comes and requests him to buy the land does Jeremiah say, "I knew that this was the word of the LORD(v.8)." The Word comes true for Jeremiah but the notion of encouragement lies in the promise which this present Word signposts. Before we look at the symbol or at what this Word directs us to see, let's look at Jeremiah's response.

Jeremiah was walking with GOD. He knew GOD's Word would come to him because he was the appointed prophet to the nations(v.5). But when GOD's Word came to him, he waited for its fulfillment before he concluded that this Word was from GOD. In times of deep grief and prolonged waiting seasons, it is so easy to appropriate a verse as GOD's Word to us or appropriate some sort of an impression as GOD's leading. In the dark night of the soul may we have the strength to prolong our wait on the LORD by waiting for GOD to show us if the Word was from Him. In GOD's time, GOD's guidance and its confirmation will come to us at the point of our need and that will encourage us.   

Jeremiah is commonly referred to as the 'weeping prophet' by biblical scholars. He wept over the desolation of Jerusalem and the hardness of GOD's people. GOD's Word to this prophet was to buy a plot of land. Jeremiah buying a plot of land was a symbol to GOD's people that one day the land which would be deserted for generations would be filled with people who would inhabit it, buy, and sell land to their fellowmen. The exile would end. The land would not be desolate and the hardness of the people's hearts would be gone(v.39). Jeremiah could wipe his eyes dry because the reason for his tears was addressed by GOD's Word which symbolized restoration for His people.

Let's wait for the LORD to fulfill His Word to us if He has led us. When we see GOD's fulfillment we will also see that GOD has met us at the point of our need. The fulfillment of His Word, thus, will encourage us. May we settle for nothing less.

Scripture quotations from the NIV were sourced at this page on 4th September 2021, 22:00.