Jars of Clay

Jars containing scrolls of the Hebrew scriptures (what Christians refer to as the Old Testament) were discovered in 1947.  The scrolls they preserved have been dated to 68 AD and even earlier.

Scripture:

Jeremiah 32:14-15

14 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.

Observation:

Here's the scene - Jerusalem is under siege by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah has been jailed by King Zedekiah because of his stubborn refusal to prophesy anything but defeat and doom for Judah - the city will be sacked, the kingdom overthrown and much of the people exiled. Just then, a shady relative of Jeremiah's offers to sell him some land. At the Lord's instruction, Jeremiah goes through with this ridiculous real estate deal, buying land that he himself predicts will soon be attacked, plundered and seized by the King of Babylon.

Once the paper work is all drawn up and witnessed, Jeremiah makes provision for them to be stored in the closest equivalent to a safe-deposit box in his day - an earthenware jar. Such a vessel could protect documents made of primitive paper, papyrus, or even prepared animal skin from the elements over the long term.

(For an idea as to just how effective this approach could be, try looking up the Dead Sea Scrolls.)

In his role as prophet, Jeremiah resolutely refuses to speak falsely in the name of the LORD. As such, he proclaims only the warnings, verdicts and promises he receives. In today's passage he offers a word of hope. This word is neither naive nor trite. Jeremiah rejects the prosperity prophets of his day who promise that no defeat or harm can ever come to God's chosen people. So too, he avoids patting us on our heads in the midst of our suffering saying,

"God never gives us more than we can handle, dear."

I imagine that most of Jeremiah's contemporaries thought he was crazy. Maybe that's even why so many of his prophesies were recorded - for entertainment sake. Eventually though, because he faithfully heard and responded to what the LORD said to him, those who were indeed exiled began to see him as a true prophet. At that point, I can almost hear them asking each other, "Well, if he got all the bad stuff right, couldn't he be right about the good stuff too?" And in the midst of their waiting and longing, someone finally made the connection that they were not the first generation of God's people to be conquered, enslaved or exiled ... nor would they be the first generation to have their pleas heard by God ... nor would they be the last to be claimed, set free, and returned home.

Application:

I wonder if Paul had this section of Jeremiah in mind when he wrote to the church in Corinth:

7 But we have this treasure [the gospel of Jesus Christ] in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed...[2Cor 4:7-9, ESV]

Holding on to faith in the midst of trials and tragedies is difficult. Encouraging others in the midst of such struggles can sound hollow unless they know that we have passed through similar difficulties and learned to see God's presence and activity all along the way. This is exactly the context of Jeremiah. God know's the people are in for a rough ride, so God sends them words of hope meant to remind them of the many and various ways their God has worked through the ages to preserve and redeem their ancestors. In this way, Jeremiah 32:15 is revealed to be more than a cliche. It is a promise from God who has proven time and time again to be faithful.

All this begs a few questions:

1) What tangible signs of God's faithfulness have I been given to share and preserve?

2) What am I doing to share these signs now and to preserve them to be shared with future generations?

How about you?  

What is the best way you know of to make sure your loved ones will have access to signs that God's power and will to save are real when they need such signs most?

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, I give thanks that I know your calming, correcting, inspiring touch. You are the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecied new covenant living within us, written upon our hearts. Thank you for your presence in good times and bad. Work within me to embolden my imperfect faith, so that others might be aided by my sharing what you have so freely given. Amen.