Looking through scripture for references to jars seems a bit like digging and sweeping through dusty ruins of civilizations past, looking for . . . shards of broken jars. When one turns up, my first thought is much like an archeologist in his search for minute clues, "What will this tell me about the people who were here?" And because God used jars so often in scripature to be a symbol for something else, "What will this tell me about God? What use did He intend for this jar?"
And so I come to another jar in Jeremiah 32:14:
"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.'"
The purpose of this jar was to preserve documents so they would last a long time. Odd, since jars are so easily broken. And odder still because of what was going on just above their heads at street level in Jerusalem. More on that in a minute.
Perhaps clay jars have qualities of preservation greater than the potential blows that can come from the outside. It's certainly true of us, who are also likened to jars of clay, preserving something eternal. But the context of this jar to preserve this deed of purchase reveals more than protection of a document; it symbolizes protection of a promise.
The setting for this legal transaction is a prison under the palace in Jerusalem during the seige of the Babylonians when the city and nation fell and the Jews were taken captive back to Babylon. Jeremiah was told by God to purchase a piece of land that would be offered to him by a relative. Sure enough, the relative shows up unannounced at the prison and offers the property. Bad investment? Extremely, given the battle going on above their heads. But that was the point. God's instruction was intended to say: Though it looks impossible that this deed will ever be worth anything, given that hoards of Nebuchadnezzar's army will soon occupy this ground, I will bring my people back and restore their land and settle them in this place of promise. In fact he says so much to Jeremiah:
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27)
I guess not; because He did just that when Nehemiah lead the captives back about 70 years later to rebuild the city.
An impossible promise kept in a jar. What other impossible promises may be hidden in jars, real or symbolic, waiting to be found and fulfilled?
And so I come to another jar in Jeremiah 32:14:
"This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.'"
The purpose of this jar was to preserve documents so they would last a long time. Odd, since jars are so easily broken. And odder still because of what was going on just above their heads at street level in Jerusalem. More on that in a minute.
Perhaps clay jars have qualities of preservation greater than the potential blows that can come from the outside. It's certainly true of us, who are also likened to jars of clay, preserving something eternal. But the context of this jar to preserve this deed of purchase reveals more than protection of a document; it symbolizes protection of a promise.
The setting for this legal transaction is a prison under the palace in Jerusalem during the seige of the Babylonians when the city and nation fell and the Jews were taken captive back to Babylon. Jeremiah was told by God to purchase a piece of land that would be offered to him by a relative. Sure enough, the relative shows up unannounced at the prison and offers the property. Bad investment? Extremely, given the battle going on above their heads. But that was the point. God's instruction was intended to say: Though it looks impossible that this deed will ever be worth anything, given that hoards of Nebuchadnezzar's army will soon occupy this ground, I will bring my people back and restore their land and settle them in this place of promise. In fact he says so much to Jeremiah:
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27)
I guess not; because He did just that when Nehemiah lead the captives back about 70 years later to rebuild the city.
An impossible promise kept in a jar. What other impossible promises may be hidden in jars, real or symbolic, waiting to be found and fulfilled?
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