Chapter thirty-two occurs the year Jerusalem fell. The city was being besieged by Babylon and Jeremiah, for prophesying the downfall of the city, had been imprisoned by king Zedekiah.
Spiritually, Zedekiah had to be deaf and blind. He had absolutely no hope that he could outlast the Babylonian army – nor come close to defeating them. Yet he kept after Jeremiah asking why he kept prophesying doom and destruction.
Jeremiah answers his question half way through the chapter, but he begins with a story of promise: Jeremiah has bought a piece of land.
Why buy land when all of it is going to be taken by Nebuchadnezzar?
Because it is not going to remain Nebuchadnezzar’s. God’s people are going to experience blessing and restoration once again.
Why keep harping on the same old themes of sin and impending punishment?
Because those sins remain with us – as does the threat of punishment. For as long as the sins remain, people of God must be reminded of their seriousness. Those sins may become so ubiquitous we don’t notice them, but God always notices them and He never wants us to become so used to them that we don’t see them as He does.