Jeremiah 32:7
Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.
Jeremiah 32:7
Hanameel, the uncle’s son, comes with a surprising word: buy my field in Anathoth, asserting that the right of redemption—the family obligation to redeem property—belongs to Jeremiah. This is a practical, legal action within the social and familial framework of landholding. In a moment of siege, the normal economy of inheritance seems odd; yet God uses this act to demonstrate that He is the God of future hope and that land will again be owned by God’s people. The right of redemption is part of the Levitical and Mosaic inheritance laws, designed to keep land within the tribe and preserve the family line. Jeremiah’s buying the field serves as a tangible sign of faith in God’s promised restoration, despite surrounding devastation.
This act becomes a “prophetic concrete sign”—a tactile demonstration of concrete hope in the midst of crisis. It embodies faith in God’s future, not simply a wishful sentiment. It also echoes the broader biblical motif that land, inheritance, and belonging are about God’s faithful covenant, not merely political power. The action foreshadows the eventual restoration of Israel and the central place of hope in the redemptive plan.
In practical terms, consider acts that symbolize trust in God’s future when present circumstances are bleak. Examples: making plans for a future that honors God even while you are in a season of loss; investing wisely in relationships or ministries with the hope of future fruit; choosing to steward what you have for others’ benefit as a sign of trust in God’s provision.
Cross-References: Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 4:3–6; Jeremiah 35:14; Ezekiel 37:1–14