Jeremiah 24
by Pastor David Groendyk

The final exile for Judah has not yet happened, but King Nebuchadnezzar is slowly choking the capital city of Jerusalem. This is now the second “mini-exile” Babylon has done to Jerusalem; the final big one will happen 11 years after the events of verse 1. After this mini-exile, the Lord gives Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs—one very good basket and another very bad basket.

The good basket represents all the people of Judah who go into exile in Babylon (v. 5). This group of people can be considered “good” for two reasons. One, the Lord has decreed that he will do good to them (v. 6). He will build them up and plant them. He will cause them to prosper. More than that, the Lord reiterates the new covenant promises found all throughout the prophets, that the Lord himself will give these people new hearts that know him, turn to him, and follow him. The Lord will initiate this great work within the hearts of this group of people. The second reason this group can be considered “good” is that this is the group who listened to the Lord’s decree back in chapter 21. Remember, God had said that when Babylon comes, God would let the people live who surrender themselves to the enemy, but all those who try to fight or run away, he would put to death (21:8–9). This good basket of figs trusted God’s promise, and now God is showing them why it’s a good thing to trust him. The reward for believing in God is that he is now yours (v. 7). Nothing will separate you from him, not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword, as Romans 8:35 reminds us.

The bad basket of figs represents all the people of Judah who decided not to listen to God’s words in chapter 21. They chose the “way of death”. Jeremiah confronts this wicked people (as he’s done already with the wicked kings and false prophets in previous chapters) and says they will become everything from a curse to a byword. So great will be their destruction, nations around the world will know what happened and say, “Don’t be like Judah; remember what happened to them?” Sword, famine, and pestilence will fall upon this people (v. 10), and they will have all the reason in the world to be terrified. Contrast that with the people of God in Romans 8. For those who love the Lord and whom the Lord loves, the same evil things befall them, but they get the promise that nothing separates them from the love of Christ. Though tribulation befalls us, we have no reason to fear, because we know God is on our side and loves us no matter what. The people who do not trust and love God get the anti-Romans 8 promise. They will have no hope and no peace in the midst of tribulation as a result of their continued rebellion against and ignoring of the Word of God.

All of the nation of Judah, from the king all the way down to the lowest servant, is dropped into one of these two baskets. There is no third basket. As we gather also from Romans 8, you can either be for God or against God; there is no possibility of a middle ground. Which basket are you in? What’s your assurance for being in that basket? While God must initiate the work in us to give us new heart, we also have the responsibility of turning to him wholly with that brand new heart (v. 7). Do not half-heartedly commit to God. He does not accept lukewarm worship or waffling obedience. I’m reminded of the last verse of the hymn “Like a River Glorious”: “They who trust him wholly find him wholly true” (the rest of that hymn is worth a look as well; see also Isa. 26:3–4). Trust him wholly today! Give him your wholehearted worship and obedience.