Claiming the Promise of the Future

Scripture: Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’ I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. Jeremiah 32:8-9

Observation: There is a lot to unpack about Jeremiah's action of buying the field at Anathoth. Anathoth is the Levitical town closest to Jerusalem, was Jeremiah's hometown, and early in his prophesy his own family tried to kill him there. At the moment of this transaction, the town has already been destroyed by Babylon. Now, Jeremiah's family, completely destitute and in danger, comes to him while he is imprisoned and effectively asks him to give them money for something that now has no value ... and he does, even going through the process of having it legally witnessed, documented, and the documents secured for safekeeping.

Again ... a lot to unpack ... but perhaps the most important part to unpack is the context of when and to whom Jeremiah is even telling about this. He is talking to King Zedekiah here, and explicitly doing so in response to the king's questioning of Jeremiah's prophesy that Babylon will win, destroy Jerusalem, and capture Zedekiah. One might think the reason Jeremiah tells this story is that, since he predicted his cousin would come to him to request this action, the fact it happens proves his prophetic authority. That is a minor point. It seems the real reason Jeremiah tells this story is to remind King Zedekiah that he has actually pronounced TWO prophesies of the Lord.

The first prophesy is everything Zedekiah is self-centeredly worried about, that Jerusalem will fall, all Judah will be sent into exile, and Zedekiah himself will be captured.

The second prophesy is that Judah will someday be restored, that the exiles will return, and that the Jews will again own the promised land, live in their villages, own vineyards and livestock, and worship the Lord.

In the telling of this story, Jeremiah is pointing out the stark difference between he and Zedekiah when it comes to being obedient to the word of the Lord. Zedekiah is fighting against the Lord's word because he hears only the short-term impacts and especially the negative ramifications on his life. (Side note, these probably go hand-in-glove ... he is unfaithful to the Lord and ignores his word, therefore the problems are at his doorstep.) Jeremiah is in full alignment with the Lord's word, thus is focused on the long-term hope and promise of future restoration, and therefore not only buys a field but ensures the transaction is documented and legally secured for the benefit of future generations.

Neither Jeremiah nor Zedekiah will survive to see the promise of restoration. Zedekiah therefore ignores such a promised future even exists; Jeremiah lives his life as if the promised future is all that matters.

Observation: I have promises in my life. The Church has promises for faithful believers. In the end, the most important promises we have are the ones that exist in a future beyond our own lifetime, promises we trust in and hope for ... a future salvation and eternal, heavenly life in the presence of the Lord.

My problem is, I spend too much time like Zedekiah, trying to figure out why the world is so broken in the here and now, even reconciling this brokenness against biblical prophesy, instead of living for that promise of the future. I should really care about only one thing in life, which is how am I personally living so that my life aligns to that hope, a hope that will be part of me for millennia, not just another couple decades. That promise of the future should be so dominant in my life - so outweigh the present challenges - that I can't even conceive of taking time to worry about the present.

I do have to function within this present. Even Jeremiah, in this same section of his book, begins it by clarifying that he is currently imprisoned. We function and operate within our present context. However, my attitude needs to fully embrace the future context. I need to claim the promise of that future, and make it so central in my life that current issues and hardships are irrelevant.

Prayer: Abba, my daddy in heaven, I spend so much of my time on petty activities and worries in the present. I would so much rather sit at your feet, be held in your arms, and think only upon eternity in your presence and your love. Please forgive my sins, wash those sins away by the blood of Jesus in whom I have full faith as my savior, and help my mind embrace your promises of the future. Amen.