083. The Prayer Of Jeremiah In Prison.

The Prayer Of Jeremiah In Prison. The Prayer as recorded.—Jeremiah 32:16-25. The Lord’s Answer.—Jeremiah 32:26-44.

TheLord’s Second Answer to Jeremiah, in Prison.—Jeremiah 33:1-26. The prophet had been confined in the court of the prison, that he might not deliver his predictions. Zedekiah and his princes were determined to silence this man of God, and to hold out to the very last extremity against the superior power of the Chaldeans. In prison the prophet could still pray; no circumstance could shut him away from this privilege; thus far had he been faithful to his high commission.

“Servant of God, well done! Well hast thou fought The better fight, who singly hast maintained Against revolted multitudes the cause Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms; And for the testimony of truth hast borne Universal reproach, far worse to bear Than violence; for this was all thy care, To stand approved in sight of God, though worlds Judged thee perverse.” The Lord made known to the prophet that Hanameel would come to sell him a field which he must buy. All the land was now already in the hands of the Chaldeans, and during the famine the field was offered for the small price of about forty shillings; the prophet found it inconvenient to part even with so small a sum, and could not possibly in his own judgment, at present, reap much advantage from the purchase. The Lord was explicit in directions with regard to the deeds, and ordered them preserved in such a manner that they would not be liable to decay or loss. The prophet in his prayer seems perplexed; he cannot understand why the command should clash with the predictions he had been sent to deliver, and he seems to inquire of the Lord respecting the matter in this prayer. “The mounts” signifies anything that is cast up—a rampart—and is also used for engines of war laid on a high place to be ready for an attack on a city. The prophet seems to mourn deeply, for he had, no doubt, a secret hope that the “city” would be spared. Why had the Lord been so particular about the purchase of this field, so exact about the witnesses and deeds, if the land was to be inhabited by his enemies.