Jeremiah 32:16=25 "Prayer When I Do Not Understand"

In Jeremiah 32, the prophet sits in prison while the Chaldean army surrounds Jerusalem, and God tells him to buy a field that the enemy is standing on. What Jeremiah sees doesn’t match what he’s heard from the Lord, and he does the right thing with his confusion: he takes it to God in prayer. Before voicing a single doubt, he recounts who God is and what he has done, declaring that there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Andy Falleur points out that Jeremiah isn’t living in la-la land. He tells the truth about his situation and the truth about God, and the Lord answers him in chapter 33 with gentleness rather than anger, just as he reassured Gideon and Paul. The message then asks what could drive a man to speak unwelcome truth for years with no converts, and answers that it can only be love for God, for the truth, and for people. Andy closes with three questions: how do you know who is telling you the truth, what are you doing with your doubts, and how much do you love people?

Scripture References

Primary text

Jeremiah 32:1–2 (Jeremiah imprisoned during the siege)

Jeremiah 32:16–25 (Jeremiah’s prayer)

Jeremiah 32:17 (“There is nothing too hard for you”)

Jeremiah 32:24–25 (the siege mounts and Jeremiah’s confusion)

Jeremiah 32:26 (the Lord repeats the line back)

Jeremiah 33:22 (as the host of heaven cannot be numbered)

Jeremiah 33:25–26 (the covenant is as sure as day and night)

Cross-references in the sermon

Jeremiah 27 (the wooden yoke)

Jeremiah 28 (Hananiah breaks the yoke)

Jeremiah 29 (three more false prophets)

Jeremiah 36:23 (Jehoiakim burns the scroll)

James 1:6–8 (the double-minded man; referenced, not cited by verse)

Judges 6 (Gideon’s fleece; referenced)

Acts 18 (Paul reassured in Corinth; referenced)

Acts 27 (Paul reassures the ship’s passengers before Malta; referenced)

Matthew 22:37–39 (the greatest commandment; referenced)

Matthew 6:9–13 (the Lord’s Prayer; referenced)

The Psalms (David crying out to God; referenced)

Maranatha, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20; referenced in closing prayer)

Topics and Keywords

Topics: Prayer in confusion · Doubt and faith · Remembering who God is · Speaking truth in love · Truth versus false prophecy · God’s compassion toward his servants · Written, spoken, and spontaneous prayer · The track record of God’s Word · Redemption and restoration · Living in reality as a Christian

Keywords: Jeremiah 32, Jeremiah 33, nothing too hard for the Lord, prayer, doubt, faith, Chaldeans, Babylon, siege, Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Hananiah, false prophets, purchase of the field, Gideon, Paul, love, truth, Messiah, covenant, Mother Teresa, Maranatha, sermon, Bible teaching, Old Testament, Christian living