We read together in God's inspired word this morning, the prophecy of Jeremiah chapter 32. Jeremiah 32, it's a fairly lengthy chapter, but we're going to read the entire chapter to get the context before us. Jeremiah 32. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the 10th year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the 18th year of Nebuchadnezzar. For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house. For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it, and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes, and he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the Lord, though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.' And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanamael, the son of Shalem, thine uncle, shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. So Hanamael, mine uncle's son, came to me in the court of the prison, according to the word of the Lord, and said unto me, by my field I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin, for the right of inheritance is thine and the redemption is thine, buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. And I bought the field of Hanamel, my uncle's son, that was in Anathah, and weighed him the money, even 17 shekels of silver. And I subscribed the evidence and sealed it, and took witnesses and weighed him the money and the balances. So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open, And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Messiah, in the sight of Hanamel, my uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribe the book of the purchase before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison. And I charged Baruch before them saying, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed and this evidence which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel that they may continue many days. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. Now, when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying, Ah, Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands and recompenses the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The great, the mighty God, the Lord of hosts is his name, great in counsel and mighty in work. For thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. which has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men, and has made thee a name as at this day. and has brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders and with a strong hand and with a stretched out arm and with great terror, and has given them this land which thou did swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. And they came in and possessed it, but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law. They have done nothing of all that thou commandest them to do. Therefore thou has caused all this evil to come upon them. Behold the mounts, they are coming to the city to take it. and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans that fight against it because of the sword and of the famine and of the pestilence. And what thou hast spoken is come to pass, and behold, thou seest it. And thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, buy thee the field for money and take witnesses, for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me? Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall take it. And the Chaldeans that fight against this city shall come and set fire on this city and burn it with the houses upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal and poured out drink offerings unto other gods to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth. For the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the Lord. For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it, even unto this day, that I should remove it from before my face, because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger. They, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and they have turned unto me the back and not the face, though I taught them early, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind that they should do this abomination to cause Judah to sin. And now, therefore, thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city whereof ye say, it shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath. And I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. and they shall be my people and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them and of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good. But I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the Lord. Like 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. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, it is desolate without man or beast. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 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 in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south. For I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord. The text to which I call your attention this morning is Jeremiah 32, verse 39. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them and of their children after them. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, the text that we considered this morning is an expression of the wonder of salvation in the most desperate circumstances. It's the wonder of divine grace. taking a people ensnared in sin's bondage and in the desperate corruption of sin's consequences, and not only revealing salvation to them, but converting them by giving them a heart focus upon God. There is, as I trust you realize, a rather frequent expression of a religion that is divided. And when I say divided, I speak of the attempt to claim Christ as Savior while having a hard focus on this world. there is the attempt to claim Christ as Savior while serving other gods, idols of one's wayward heart. And that's also the sin that had characterized the kingdom of Judah. And that had already brought the kingdom of the 10 tribes to utter desolation. In rebellion against God, that rebellion so characterized Judah that at the time of Jeremiah's prophecy, God was in the process of giving them over to their sins. Already, much of Judah had been taken captive by the Assyrians, removed to Babylon, And the time was rapidly approaching when the city of God would be destroyed and all Judah would be found in bondage. These chastisements of God were necessary. They were called for by Judah's constant rejection of the faithful preaching of Jehovah's prophets and Judah's embrace of the false prophets who prophesied deceit. In the midst of an apostatizing nation, Jeremiah preached. He was faithful to God in his preaching, not regarding the faces of those who opposed him, not even regarding his own life. which was constantly in danger because of his faithful preaching. By the time we reach this 32nd chapter of Jeremiah's prophecy, we have seen the prophet cast into prison, abused, and then released, only to return to King Zedekiah to pronounce God's judgment upon him again. And for Jeremiah's faithful proclamation of God's Word, Zedekiah had imprisoned him yet again, this time in the king's prison, the prison in the king's palace set aside for offenders against the king. So God's prophet, Jeremiah, who should have occupied a position of honor and tranquility in Judah for his service of Jehovah, is instead brought to shame and abused for the sake of the word of God which he faithfully proclaimed. As you can see, Judah was really messed up from a spiritual point of view. But when you understand what Jeremiah had to prophesy, you can understand why the wicked in Judah would react that way. Of that which was known as God's kingdom and God's city, Jeremiah had to prophesy Thus saith the Lord, behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it. And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes, and he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him. And the idea there is until I visit him with judgment. saith the Lord, though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper. Judah could not escape the judgment of their God. They could not escape being given over to the hands of the enemy. They could not escape because that for all that God had given them, all the deliverances, all the promises, all the careful instruction of his word, the faithful prophets to show them the right way, they had rejected it all. to walk their own way and to serve self instead of God. They would claim to be the children of God while showing contempt for the Word of God. That's the background of the amazing text that we consider this morning. The Gospel Proclamation to the True Children of Israel. As we consider Jeremiah 32, verse 39, I call your attention to the divine gift of a wholehearted religion. We notice, first of all, the dire background upon which that gift appears. Secondly, the amazing promise of this astounding gift. And finally, the blessed consequences of receiving such a gift. The divine gift, this divine gift of wholehearted religion appears upon a dire background. God's judgment is to fall heavily upon Judah and Jerusalem. As we read in verses 28 and 29, therefore, thus saith the Lord, behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall take it. And the Chaldeans that fight against this city shall come and set fire on this city and burn it with the houses. And as if it's not horrible enough that the enemies of God shall destroy the holy city, we are told in verse 36 that God's hand itself shall come against them, not only by means of the Chaldean army, but God's hand shall smite them directly. by the famine and by the pestilence. And the reason is stated very explicitly. Those houses in Jerusalem that would be burned are houses upon whose roofs the children of Judah had offered incense unto Baal and poured out their drink offerings unto other gods. So we read in verse 29, They had provoked Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, to anger. The apostasy in God's church had been astounding. Listen again to verses 30 and following. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth. For the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the Lord. For this city has been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it. even unto this day, that I should remove it from before my face, because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, and so on. And then he summarizes it by saying, they have turned their backs upon me and rejected my word. this Israel had done in spite of all that Jehovah had done for them throughout their history. A history recounted by the prophet in his prayer to Jehovah, recorded in verses 17 through 25. God had not only created all things, showing that nothing is too hard for him in accomplishing his purpose, But he had shown loving kindness to thousands, even in delivering his people by the wonder of his grace, in leading them out of the bondage of Egypt, the picture of sin and death. But now, against this dire background of a morally bankrupt Judah, and even the persecution that God's faithful prophet faced, Jeremiah was instructed to do something that was very strange. From prison, he was told by God to enter into a real estate transaction. He was to buy a family farm in the land of Judah, specifically in the country of Benjamin from a cousin, Hanamael. This farm, this property was in Anatho, just northwest of the city of Jerusalem. and therefore in territory occupied by the enemy, the Chaldeans. How often haven't we heard that in real estate, if you're going to buy property, the primary consideration is location, location, location. And Jeremiah is told to buy this property that's occupied by the enemy. And that, in the light of what he had just spoken, that the land of Judah, and specifically the city of Jerusalem, was to be destroyed. We would say, humanly speaking, This was a terrible real estate investment to make at this time. And you get indication of that too from what Jeremiah says to God in prayer in verse 24, behold the mounts. And the idea there, the word speaks of something set on a high place for the purpose of shooting upon the city that's under attack. Behold the mounts, they are coming to the city to take it. And the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans that fight against it. to Jeremiah that the Lord would tell him to buy that field under these circumstances was incredible. He himself was in prison, his own future extremely uncertain, and the immediate future of Judah, including this property that God is telling him to buy, is in a desperate way. Jeremiah's reaction is clearly indicated by the closing words of verse 8. Jeremiah questioned whether he was understanding God correctly. But then we read in verse 8, So Hanamel, mine uncle's son, came to me in the court of the prison, according to the word of the Lord. and said unto me, by my field I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin, for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine, buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. And so Jeremiah did what the Lord had said. Even though he was still in custody, he bought the field, had the purchase legally recorded and sealed, gave evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah for safekeeping. But even while obeying God's instruction, Jeremiah didn't understand the why. He couldn't comprehend why God would have him enter a real estate transaction that would appear to have no positive outcome. Always, when we make an investment, We want to be careful to invest in something that will bring increase or at the very least that will serve us in our callings, whether to provide shelter for us and our families or a steady income or an instrument that better enables us to do what God calls us to do. Jeremiah could see none of that in this particular investment. It appeared to be the type of investment that would be all loss, a throwing away of his money, something which he probably didn't have much of either. But why did it seem that way to Jeremiah? It is true that God had pronounced his certain judgment upon Judah, complete destruction and captivity to the Assyrians in Babylon. But the Lord had also told Jeremiah, as we read in Jeremiah 29, verse 10, that he would deliver his people after 70 years. Jeremiah therefore would have to wait a long time for a return on his investment. But that wasn't the concern that caused him to question God's instruction. Rather, he questioned the deliverance of Judah at all. If God is holy, and he certainly is, separate from all sin, consecrated to his own glory, then he hates sin and punishes it both in this and in the life to come. And given the constant rejection of God's Word and the abominable history and incredible immorality of those who called themselves the people of God, Jeremiah surmised that God would certainly find reason to wipe them out altogether. So dire did the situation appear to God's servant, Jeremiah. It's against that dire background that we find given to Jeremiah the amazing promise of this divine gift that's recorded in verse 39. It's the amazing promise of salvation, the gift of a wholehearted religion to a people for whom such wholeheartedness had seemed impossible. After Jeremiah had pointed to the tremendous power and majesty of God and his loving kindness in delivering his people from Egypt, Jeremiah had concluded by showing the response of the people of Israel. Instead of responding in gratitude and living to the glory of God, they obeyed not his voice nor walked in his law. In fact, they had done nothing of all that God commanded them to do. And the implication of the prophet was not only that therefore God has caused all this evil to come upon them, but also that he would not deliver them after so great an evil. And it was indeed evident that if salvation had been left to them, there would have been no deliverance. And as if the people of God might later presume to look to themselves as having merited deliverance from Babylon, God had emphasized the truth He alone is God. In a fairly lengthy response to Jeremiah that begins at verse 26, the Lord immediately reminded Jeremiah of the promised deliverance. The salvation that would come after 70 years in captivity. It would not be dependent upon Jeremiah, upon his faithful preaching, it would not be dependent upon any of the people of Judah, because then salvation would be impossible. Salvation would come only one way, and because of that it would be sure. Verse 27, Behold, I am the Lord Jehovah. The God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? That rhetorical question is a reminder that what God is going to do is to give us something we would not expect. It almost seems illogical. that God would continue to gather His church and to do His saving work among such a rebellious people? We would expect the judgment. We would expect divine retribution, divine punishment for such spiritual dishonesty and obstinacy. And what follows is a recounting of the truth that all the judgments that were coming upon Judah and Jerusalem, even though by the instrumentality of the Assyrian world power, were judgments of God's hand. But that sovereign execution of God's justice would be followed just as certainly by the deliverance that he had promised. Verses 37 and 38, Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in mine anger and in my fury and in great wrath, and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And then follow the words that we consider most specifically, verse 39, and I will give them one heart, and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them and of their children after them. And while we focus on that aspect of God's promise, the two verses that follow stand inseparably connected. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them. to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. And it is to that end that God had Jeremiah buy that property from his cousin, namely, to show the certainty that the land would return to the possession of the children of God and that they, in turn, would once again buy and sell, live their lives in the land of promise. Note well who speaks the words of this promise. Because the gift depends entirely upon His grace. The text itself, the entire context, is spoken by God. And throughout, the words, I will, are repeatedly stated. I will be their God. I will give them one heart. I will make an everlasting covenant with them. I will put my fear in their hearts. Yea, I will rejoice over them. It's all God's doing. Notice that. It's all God's doing. And if you ask the question, why would God save such a people? Because after all, we have to ask the same question concerning ourselves. The reason can only be found in God Himself. God found the reason in Himself, not in us. Jeremiah explained it In the previous chapter, Jeremiah 31, verse three, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee. That everlasting love of God. We can't explain it. Can't even comprehend it. The Bible tells us about it. It's a love centered upon God's only begotten Son. And therefore, upon all those whom God has chosen in His Son from all eternity. But when we speak of an eternal love as God does? We necessarily speak of a love that's not based upon what we have done. In fact, it's a love that overcomes what we have done. After all, we have given God every reason not to love us. We have given Him every reason to cast us off, to curse us. Back in the opening verses of Jeremiah chapter 3, we His people are likened to a harlot, a whore, who has many lovers, And yet God stands in a covenant relationship to us as a husband. Not only faithful, but willing to do everything to maintain that unbreakable bond that he has established. So he says, yet return again unto me. even when it's necessary that he chastens those whom he loves. His love is unchangeable. His covenant is an everlasting covenant that he will maintain. His love, in fact, is so fixed that He would have His only begotten Son bear the punishment on behalf of and in the place of His people. That's a love that goes far beyond our puny understanding. But He is God. Is anything too hard for me? He said. So he not only would save his people from the Chaldeans who were his chastening rod, he would not only return them to the promised land and to safety, but he says, and I will give them one heart and one way. that they may fear me forever for the good of them and of their children after them." One heart. So often, the church is not manifest by one heart. And Satan does everything he can to work division. What a promise this is. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me forever for the good of them and of their children after them. And now we talk about his work that involves not just saving us, but making us beautiful. He will work a work in us that He creates in us a beauty that endures. That endures even in the line of continued generations. That's His work of grace in us. Scripture sheds light upon this promise of God. because Jeremiah gives essentially the same promise that Ezekiel proclaims in Ezekiel 11, verses 16 and following. He promises to return his people to the land of promise and to restore the types and shadows of that land that they might serve him as his people with a view to the fulfillment that is found in the coming of the Messiah. And in that connection, Jehovah promised, and I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh. He has Ezekiel repeat the same promise in Ezekiel 36. That one heart that he is to give his people is a new heart, which is to replace that stony heart which characterized us who were so diseased, so sickly, so ugly with sin. For God to give us a wholehearted religion is a remarkable wonder of his grace. because the fall into sin caused irreparable damage to our hearts. We don't have to know much about the function of the heart to realize that for life to continue, every aspect of the heart has to be functioning properly, in perfect order. There is the electrical current which causes the heart to beat. There are the valves that open and shut. There's the expansion and contraction of the heart muscle, pushing the blood through the body. And the moment that heart begins to function out of order or chaotically, you face a crisis. Well, our spiritual lives were in crisis. Within us were wars, fighting which rose from our own lusts. Our hearts were full of chaos, pounding with folly, electrically charged with many foolish imaginations, bringing us into everlasting death. And there was nothing, humanly speaking, that could be done to restore life and health. God does to the hearts of his people what no cardiologist or heart surgeon can ever do. He takes that corrupted heart and breaks it. He breaks it in such a way that every fragment of that broken heart cries out for mercy. It's not unlike what a defibrillator does in shocking the heart to bring order to a disordered heart rhythm. That which was so full of chaos now becomes perfectly united in one desire to be reconciled unto God. And therefore, He gives us a new way, giving us a new perspective, a new understanding, even the joy of the Christian life, to give it a New Testament interpretation. He shapes us after the image of his own dear Son, in whom he saw us from eternity, and by whom he has redeemed us and reconciled us unto himself. And the same was true of the elect children of Judah by the promise of the gospel. This amazing divine gift, therefore, brings with it some astoundingly blessed consequences. The salvation of which we are recipients, the salvation proclaimed by God's prophet Jeremiah to all who believed, is a salvation with everlasting consequences. From beginning to end, our salvation is of God. And therefore, it's certain That's not some abstract truth. God works that salvation in such a way He makes us partakers of that joy. The heart is that which denotes our entire inward disposition. Out of it flow all the issues of life. And therefore, God works in us a new perspective. that which will now govern our lives. The heart now governs our way, the outward expression of our life as the people of God. And it governs it in this way. We now stand in a relationship to God that marks us as His children. We love Him. the certain fruit of his love toward us. We live to honor him, no longer having a heart divided between him and the idols of our own imaginations. We walk in one way, no longer running from one idol to another, wearing ourselves out in a frazzle and tearing ourselves up with many sorrows. And because we have a single focus in life, we stand as mirrors reflecting God's glory, pointing even our children to the right way. You see, where God's people have one heart and one way, there's also the communion of saints, the blessed fellowship of God's family, Age makes no difference in that family. We're going to be together for eternity. Therefore, we shall also enjoy sweet communion together now. That's a blessed fruit of this amazing divine gift that is ours in Christ Jesus. Secondly, God's covenant with us is everlasting. And it is so because it's entirely dependent upon Him. And therefore, when we through weakness fall into sin, we must not therefore despair of God's mercy, nor continue in sin. And you recognize that expression from our baptism form. We still struggle with our sinful flesh. We tend rather easily sometimes to lose perspective and to forget about the important things in life. We find many things that are attractions to our old man of sin. But even though God's holy justice would cry out for our damnation, That justice was satisfied by our Lord Jesus Christ. The certainty of the gift and the fulfillment does not rest upon us, but upon the faithfulness of our covenant God. who is faithful and just, if we confess our sins, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And therefore, when such wholehearted religion is yours, you live in constant fellowship with God and possess the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. Then you know that you may call upon him in the assurance of knowing what he has done for you and where he is leading you, because you are his handiwork. Your heart shall pass all tests." What a blessed promise for God's servant Jeremiah. and that faithful remnant who would yet receive his word as the word of the faithful Jehovah. Though the times were dark and the immediate future was bleak at best, Jeremiah and the children of Jehovah would continue to live in the hope of the promise. The investment that Jeremiah made would not be a bad investment. After all, God called him to make it. The 17 shekels that Jeremiah handed over for Hananiel's field would not be money lost. God had promised that the day was coming when the land would be restored. And restored, mind you, as that typical land, the promised land. the land that pointed to the everlasting rest in heaven. So in these dark days and the days that lie ahead for us, carry on in the various callings God has given you. You may do so in the assurance that he who has promised is also faithful to his promise. Is anything too hard for him? When he has saved you and me, is anything too hard for him? As we see in the history of the Old Testament, So we see in the church today, God is faithful to His covenant. His covenant which also embraces the children. If this were a baptism sermon, I would probably put much more emphasis on that part of the text. But we may not overlook it. The gospel is for believers and their children. God's grace makes beautiful a people in continued generations, the one church of our Lord Jesus Christ. We walk in fellowship with him who is faithful to his covenant, who gives his people one heart and one way that they might serve him, they and their children. Blessed be God. Amen. Gracious Father, we give thanks to Thee for the Gospel of our salvation. The Gospel which would have us fix our eyes upon Thee and Thine only begotten Son, our faithful Savior Jesus Christ, in whom alone is our salvation. and in whose name we pray, amen.