Jeremiah 24

Jeremiah 24:1-10

In the most desisting judgments God knows how to separate the precious from the vile. We have here, 1. A vision of true subjects of figs, we very good, and the other very bad, vers. 1, 2, 3. 2. The explication of this vision, applying the good figs to those that were already sent into captivity for their good, vers. 4—7. The bad figs to those that should hereafter be sent into captivity for their hurt, vers. 8, 9, 10.

1. Yes, I, I said, for indeed.

2. THE LORD shewed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and Smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. 2. One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. 3. Then said the LORD unto me, What doth thou, Jeremiah? and I said, Figs: the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 4. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5. Thus saith the LORD the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. 6. For I will

VOL. II.

set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. 8. And as they will figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil: (Surely that saith the LORD) so will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt. 9. And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a cause and a curle in all places whither I shall drive them. 10. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them, till they be confirmed from off the land, that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

Though in general the prophet’s word was rejected by the people, yet there were some who heard it, and to whom it was a favour of life unto life. And tho’ the nation’s iniquities now being full, they fell into the promiscuous ruin, yet even in their captivity God will take care of them, and make even this most addictive providence work for their good.

1. The date of the vision is in the beginning of Zedekiah’s reign, when Nebuchadnezzar had carried away Jeconiah the king, and the princes of Judah, captives to Babylon, and with them the carpenters and Smiths; either in employ them in his own works, or to deprive the captive land of their assistance in making fortifications and weapons of war.

2. The vision itself consisted of two baskets of figs, placed before the temple; the one, vile and refute, that could not be eaten; the other, very good, v. 2, 3. The explication of which the Lord gives him, v. 5.

(1.) The good figs were the captives gone into Babylon: their God promises to regard, to each their captivity to issue for their good; those who were faithful should be improved in the furnace of assitization, and those who were otherwise still then, should be, by grace, wrought upon and led to repentance by the visitation. In consequence of which, the eyes of his favour should be upon them, they should be again restored and firmly established in their own land; and, better than all temporal good, the Lord engages to enrich them with enlarged spiritual understanding, and to bellow on them the hell of bleflings; I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord, by experience of his power, grace, and love exerted eminently for them, and exercised richly towards them; and they shall be my people, enjoying his protection, and taken into covenant with him, and I will be their God, their helper and defender, their portion, their exceeding great reward; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart, in simplicity and sincerity, ashamed of their backsliding, and unfeignedly penitent. Nate, (1.) The ways of providence are mysterious; when seemed the greatest assitization, proves often in its issue the most substantial bleflings. (2.) God’s hand is to be acknowledged in all our sufferings; whatever instruments are employed, we must say, I became drunk, and opened not my mouth, for it was thy doing. (3.) If ever we come to the true knowledge of God, it would be wholly the gift of his grace; for without this, we can know nothing as we ought to know. (4.) Whatever our sins and backsliding have been, whenever God gives us a heart to return unto him, we may be assured his arms are still open to receive us. (5.) God says, I will, and ye shall, for the honor and backslider are worse than merely passive, they are reluctant; yea, the carnal mind is enmity against God; unless God therefore over-ruled our perversion and conquered our obituary, we never should be his people, nor he our God.

(2.) The evil figs represented the remnant which were left in Jerusalem under Zedekiah, who, tho’ they stood before the temple, yet were much worse than their brethren that had gone into captivity, for not the greatest sinners are always the first to suffer; God permits them to stand to fill up the measure of their iniquities, whilst he corrects his dear children with the scourges of paternal love: but their judgment advances; surely, thus saith the Lord, the decree is gone forth, and the execution of it sure; Zedekiah and his princes, with the residue of Jerusalem, are devoted to destruction; nor should they, who fled to Egypt for shelter, be exempted, since shelter the judgments of God should follow them. The sword, the famine, the pestilence, shall consume them; and those who survive, be doomed to a miserable sinnery, worse than death; destined into all lands for their hurt, where they should have no intercourse to administer friendly confidation to each other; and hardened, instead of repentant under their sufferings, their yoke should be made heavy, and their persons despicable and odious; they should be a reproach, a proverb, a cause, and a curle in all places whither God would drive them; and this seems to have a reference, not only to their desolations under Nebuchadnezzar, but also to

Look forward to their last more terrible destruction by the Romans; and the truth of the predilection appears verified this day in that unhappy people, who live under the evident curbs of God, and the contempt of all nations whither they are scattered.