It’s not unusual for God to tell His people to do something out of the ordinary.

He told Noah to build an ark before rain was even a thing.

He told Gideon to reduce his army to only 300 men before he fought the mighty Midian army.

He told Peter, a good Jew, to eat unclean animals.

In Jeremiah 32, God told Jeremiah to do something out of the ordinary.

Jeremiah Uses Prayer to Double-Check His Real Estate Transaction

Jeremiah was in prison because King Zedekiah was tired of Jeremiah constantly prophesying that the Babylonians were going to take over Jerusalem and Judah. There was no use fighting against them. Zedekiah didn’t like the nay-sayer so he locked Jeremiah up in the court of the guard inside the besieged Jerusalem.

While Jeremiah was imprisoned, God told him to buy a piece of land from his cousin. The land was about three miles outside of Jerusalem and was already overtaken by the Babylonian soldiers. Not a great time to invest in real estate! But this deed to the field was a tangible hope of God’s promise that He would bring the Israelites back to the land. This deed would be useful to Jeremiah’s family in the future.

After Jeremiah obeys the Lord and buys the land, he prays to the Lord. First he tells the Lord that he knows that nothing is too hard for Him. He tells God that He is the Creator, the Redeemer, the Sovereign One with a purpose and plan. Then he just double checks that he was really supposed to buy the field at this particular time.

God Reassures Jeremiah

God’s answer reassures Jeremiah that nothing is too hard for Him and yes, He does have a plan and yes, he was supposed to buy the field.

What is noticeably absent from God’s reply is a rebuke. God never scolds Jeremiah or is angry that he double-checked the hope God had given him. What a relief!

I can understand why Jeremiah wanted to double check something so unfamiliar. I feel this way at work sometimes. This year I started a new part time office job. When I am learning a new part of the job, I sometimes think I know a particular procedure, but just to make sure, I retell my supervisor what I’m supposed to do. Her confirmation gives me confidence to proceed in my job.

Rebuke or No Rebuke?

There are other times in the Bible when God’s people are met with rebuke when they question God’s given hope.

Zechariah is struck mute when he asks God how he and his barren wife can possibly have a child.

Thomas says he won’t believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection unless he sees the nail-pierced holes for himself. When Jesus shows him, he comments “blessed are those who believe without seeing.”

So what makes the difference? Why do some people get rebuked for double-checking in prayer and Jeremiah does not?

I believe it all comes down to tone. What tone did Jeremiah use when he asked God about buying the field?

A Tone of Praise

Jeremiah prayed to the Lord with a tone of praise. Jeremiah started his prayer with reviewing who God is. This praise reminded Jeremiah that God is in charge. Jeremiah was not questioning where he stood in comparison to God. He simply, humbly admitted to the Lord that he needed some reassurance of the hope that God already had given.

Just like Mary, the mother of Jesus, did when she asked “how can this be?” when told that she was going to become pregnant.

Just like Gideon who put out a fleece not once but twice to be very sure that Israel would be saved through his leadership.

Neither Mary nor Gideon faced rebuke from the Lord. God patiently gave them the reassurance that they needed to have confidence to obey.

In our own walk with the Lord, there are times when we are uncomfortable doing the out of the ordinary for God. We may need reassurance of a hope God has given us.

Don’t be afraid to double-check what God has said. Come to him with humble praise. God can see our true heart attitude and will patiently answer us. Is anything too hard for Him?