The Deed in the Jar

Chapters 32 and 33 were written while Jeremiah was in prison. (So I’m going to cover them together and I recommend reading them together.)

He’s been locked up for speaking the Truth.

😒 Hm. Not much has changed in the world.

This is the 10th year of the reign of Zedekiah. We are only a year away (or less) from the bitter end. At this point, the Babylonian army is back and have surrounded Jerusalem in the final siege.

The LORD gives Jeremiah a message about the exiles returning to the land. And along with the message, Jeremiah is going to be (again, like with the yoke) a living object lesson. But in this object lesson we are going to learn a CRUCIAL detail about property transactions that we will need for later. Much later.

I don’t know if you ever played video games as a kid (or maybe you still do), but there are some games where your character has to pick up a critical item. If you fail to collect the item you won’t be able to complete the level. Jeremiah 32 contains just such a critical item. But it’s easy to miss. Consider this post your “cheat code.”

Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanamel, visits him in jail because there is property to be redeemed and Jeremiah is the Kinsman Redeemer. We’re not told why the previous owner is out of the picture, but with the army of Babylon actively conquering the land, there are plenty of possible scenarios.

Remember the story of Ruth? Her father-in-law had property in Bethlehem but he died. Her husband would’ve inherited the property but he also died; and his brother. Boaz was the next-of-kin; the Kinsman Redeemer. In Hebrew that is:

The man who redeems the property is the ga’al, and the transaction – the act of doing the redemption – is called:

This is the word used here:

“Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭32‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

So Jeremiah, like Boaz, assembles witnesses and goes through the legal process to transfer ownership.

(Are you paying attention?)

😐 Uh… yeah. Am I supposed to be seeing something deep here?

Just wait.

“So I bought the field at Anathoth, paying Hanamel seventeen pieces of silver for it. I signed and sealed the deed of purchase before witnesses, weighed out the silver, and paid him. Then I took the sealed deed and an unsealed copy of the deed, which contained the terms and conditions of the purchase, and I handed them to Baruch son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I did all this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed, and all the men of Judah who were there in the courtyard of the guardhouse. Then I said to Baruch as they all listened, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.’ For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.’””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭32‬:‭9‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jerusalem is literally under siege. The whole town of Anathoth is probably abandoned. This real estate deal would’ve seemed like buying a piece of land next to Chernobyl or Fukushima. Or buying a shop in London during the Blitzkrieg. Or purchasing a villa in Ancient Rome while the Visigoths are invading. This is sometimes called “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” Utterly futile and a waste.

The very fact that Jeremiah is going through with this transaction is meant to show that this is not the end. It will look like the end for a long time. But restoration will come.

Both copies of the transaction contained what we now call “the terms and conditions.” KJV has it as “the law and custom.” It contains the terms of the purchase and the evidence – the proof, in the form of the signatures of the witnesses – that this transaction is legal and binding.

Incidentally, when you see silver in the Bible it’s nearly always associated with redemption.

😐 ummmm… I think I missed the “critical item.” All I’m seeing is ancient guys signing real estate papers on a sinking ship. Or something.

Ok. So… do you know what Jeremiah’s deed would’ve looked like?

🤔 Well, if they signed it, was it paper?

Not exactly, but close. It was a document.

Books – as we know them, with bound covers and a spine and pages – did not exist at this time. This deed would’ve been a scroll made of sheepskin. And it was “sealed.”

And “sealed” doesn’t mean like this:

Sealing something is to provide proof that the contents have not been tampered with.

Jeremiah’s deed was sealed like this.

There was an unsealed copy. But if there was ever an accusation that the unsealed copy had been falsified or switched out for fake, then the owner would take the sealed copy to the judges or town elders and unseal it in their presence so the open copy could be compared to it. It was like the “Home Title Lock” of ancient Mesopotamia.

Now… where else in the Bible do we ever see a sealed scroll being opened??

🤔

🤔

🫢💡

😲💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

“Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Why does John begin to lament and wail loudly when no is able to open this document? Notice that not even the Father can do it!!!!

ONLY THE PURCHASER, THE KINSMAN REDEEMER HAS THE RIGHT and AUTHORITY to OPEN IT.

This document is the deed of purchase – for not just humanity but the entire planet itself. If no one can open it, that means there is no way to complete redemption. That is why John wails!

“And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Y’all… Heaven ERUPTS with PRAISE because the Kinsman Redeemer is about to prove in the celestial courts that HE is the owner of the planet AND – like Boaz – HE has taken the dead man’s widow (humanity) to be His bride. He is RECEIVING the kingdom that is rightfully His.

I have no idea what material heavenly documents are written on, but sheepskin could very well have been what Adam and Eve were clothed with in the Garden when God provided “garments of skins” in Gen. 3:21. Sheepskin. The Lamb that was Slain…. It’s a fitting material to record the terms of redemption. The flesh of the Lamb of God IS the terms of redemption. The Lamb IS the garment of righteousness that covers our nakedness.

And notice that every creature – the very animals on land, the birds of the sky, and the fish in the sea join in this praise for the Lamb opening the scroll. Why? Because they have been groaning and waiting under the dreadful curse of sin for this very moment.

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This moment in Revelation 5 is what Paul was talking about. This is what all creation is waiting for – Redemption! No wonder Heaven goes ballistic! The moment has FINALLY arrived.

To me, there is a possible implication in this imagery of Jeremiah, that someone – the Antichrist, Satan, who knows – might attempt to claim possession of humanity and the entire earth; and could have “evidence” that seems to be convincing.

Note that the LORD instructed Jeremiah to store the documents in a jar (like the Dead Sea Scrolls) so they would last for 70 years. That way, when the exile is over, this important real estate title – this record of ownership – is still intact.

The title deed of Redemption is in Heaven. And we’re all in exile; strangers in a strange land. But when the exile is over, the title deed will be unsealed and the TRUE owner will take possession of what He has ALREADY purchased by His blood. The phony “Title thief” will be exposed.

THIS is what we MUST have in our heads when reading The Revelation. So pick up this critical item and keep it til we get there.

This deed of redemption imagery is not an accident. In this very same prophecy, Yahweh connects it to the New Covenant (which we just read about in the last chapter). This New Covenant will begin the redemption:

“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭32‬:‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Again, it is a covenant of the heart and not of law written on stone. And then while Jeremiah is still in prison, Yahweh gives him some information about when and how this will come about:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭33‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This is yet another Messianic prophecy. Chapter 33 is brimming with hope and promise. I mean, the city of Jerusalem hasn’t even fallen yet, and already the LORD is comforting the people with promises of restoration.

As we likewise await restoration we can hold on with tremendous hope to the promises God gave to the exiles of that time:

“I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭33‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The saints of God will be so wildly blessed that it’ll blow everyone’s minds.

😑 Oh dear. My mind is already blown enough for one day.

The bottom line for Jeremiah’s readers is: I’m so certain that Yahweh will bring this exile to an end that I am putting my money where my mouth is.

Do you know – I mean REALLY KNOW – that Christ is returning to claim the earth as His own? And that His Redeemed ones will reign on the earth with Him? When we really know something it affects our outlook and actions.

You don’t have to have a bunch of stuff in this life. You don’t have to try to accomplish all the things. You will have all eternity. On earth. With people. With Jesus. We will continue to learn- new things, new skills…

Who cares if you live in a hut? Or in prison like Jeremiah. It’s all going to go up in smoke in the fairly near future. The true inheritance comes after the exile.

This is not all there is. This is not the end.