Reviewing BuyTheField

I am considering the words of this offering from 2019 as I near a Sabbath pause from Buy The Field. Lots of heart pining here.

The Other Buy The Field

(originally written September 18, 2019)

On May 13, 2016, I began these word offerings. The title on that day and for this hub of words was and still is Buy The Field. Bible book of Matthew, chapter 13 and verse 44. "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." The treasure is that good. God is ruining us from all the other tastes.

The other "buy the field" is tucked away in the Bible book of Jeremiah, chapter 32. Jeremiah has cried out repeated warnings to Israel that God has judged them, that they will be removed from their land and taken captive by the Babylonians. This is so hard. We’re told that it was the 10th year of the reign of King Zedekiah. The captivity would begin in the 11th year of his reign, so it’s coming. It’s close. Nebuchadnezzar and his army are just outside the walls of Jerusalem. This has not been a brief time. They’ve been under siege for a year. Famine has set in and there’s no bread. It’s a dark time. There seems to be no relief. And this prophet Jeremiah is telling King Z that it’s going to get really bad. The city will be handed over to the Babylonians and Z doesn’t like these words so he has Jeremiah put under arrest at the palace for speaking God words. This is hard.

In the midst of his incarceration, God tells Jeremiah that his cousin will come to him and ask him to buy a field that his cousin owns in Anathoth, which is their hometown. And it happened. His cousin did come and make that request. And it seems so important and kind that God told Jeremiah ahead (probably refreshing for a prophet don’t you think?) that this would happen because it didn’t really make any sense to invest in this field. This field and place would be in captivity to the Babylonians for who knows how long? And we know now, how long. Seventy years. A little less than the current life expectancy of a man today. A lifetime. Invest in a field that is going to be captive and worthless for seven decades. Makes no sense…..unless God prepares you to do it.

He bought it. Humanly it didn’t make sense. But he bought it. And he followed the details of the investment with great care. He signed the deed with witnesses and did what God told him to do. He put the sealed deed of purchase and a copy of it in an earthenware jar so that they would last a long time. God knows how long. This is foolish. Why even bother with this? "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land'.” Can’t see it yet, but invest now, because I declare that there will be fruit on this land. Investing when you can’t see a return. This is so hard. This stretches our faith muscles with soul ache.

And he prays. Don't miss this. Huge. So huge. "Ok. Just do these things even though they are kind of silly really. Ok. I did it. Now back to living my normal, routine life." No. Part of the investment now is his prayer life. Much of his investment now is talking to God. And waiting. Ahhh, the waiting. Excruciatingly beautiful. A space for God glory to be further formed in Jeremiah. And us. And while you wait you keep learning with God about how wicked these human hearts really are. "They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction." Them and me.

What a fool to invest in this field. Five years, ten years. Still waiting. Nothing. Captivity, more captivity. Thirty years, fifty years. Still a smoldering, captive field. Nothing seemingly beautiful. Charred. Worthless.

THE POWER OF GOD!

No human prompting.

Behold I will gather.

I will bring them back.

I will give them one heart and one way.

I will make them a covenant.

I will not turn away.

I will put the fear of Me in their hearts.

I will rejoice over them to do them good.

I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and all My soul.

I WILL DO THIS!

Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, it is a desolation.

I WILL RESTORE.

I WILL DO THIS.

He did. He is. He will.

We get to be invested in the goodness of God now. We ask God for confident expectation in His goodness even when we can't see what is to come, even when it seems foolish. We are preserving maps for the astonishing wonder of God's heart for the next generation.

If this is true, then what does this mean?

Buy the field....from joy over it.

Truly....

There's more.