Daily Manna 17 June
KEY VERSE: “Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains… and… valley… for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.” – (Jeremiah 32:44)
TEXT: Jeremiah 32:36-44
36 And now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and by famine and by pestilence:
37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries to which I drove them in My anger and in My wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them again to this place, and I will make them dwell safely.
38 And they will be My people, and I will be their God.
39 And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may [reverently] fear Me forever for the good of themselves and of their children after them.
40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will not turn away from following them to do them good, and I will put My [reverential] fear in their hearts, so that they will not depart from Me.
41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly and in truth with My whole heart and with My whole being.
42 For thus says the Lord: As I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
43 And fields shall be bought in this land of which you say, It is desolate, without man or beast; it is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.
44 Men shall buy fields for money and shall sign deeds, seal them, and call witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South (the Negeb), for I will cause them to be released from their exile, says the Lord.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
The passage for reading shows God’s direct answer to the earlier request of Jeremiah. The Israelites had been in captivity and several heathen nations had oppressed them as a result of their backsliding and constant disobedience to God’s word. They provoked God to anger and in His fury and wrath, He permitted heathen nations to take them captive. But now God in His infinite mercies and loving kindness, promised to gather them from their different captive nations, return them to their land and cause them to dwell safely in the land. Upon their return, He promised to bless the land and prosper their labour. Commerce would return and business transactions would bloom among the inhabitants.
One of the key features of the new economy God revealed to Jeremiah was land transactions. Earlier in the chapter when Jeremiah was buying his uncle’s land in Anathoth, the silver was duly weighed in the presence of witnesses and of all the Jews that were in the court of the guard. A deed was drawn up, signed by Jeremiah and the witnesses, and publicly delivered to Baruch to be kept safely in an earthen vessel. A repetition of what Jeremiah did was again promised for the returnee Jews. They would be able to buy property and get them duly certified and documented.
Many Christians do not take documentation of land or their business transactions seriously. It is important that we learn to keep proper records of land and business dealings. Apart from being a legal requirement in many situations, it is also a way of living a truly transparent life whether as a buyer or a seller. Proper documentation will ensure honesty of intentions and should there be any unforeseen challenges, it will assure every party of fairness and confidence.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Follow the footsteps of God, the great record Keeper.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ephesians 4-6
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Necessity of Proper Documentation – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 17 June 2021
