Fruit Baskets

Opening Passage

Jeremiah 24:1–3 Wordstudy KJV

1 The Lord showed 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 seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are [so evil.]

Introduction

Visions are not associated with Jeremiah or his work with the Lord. Within the text of this prophetic book there are only two visions stated as such and this would possibly be the third. The idea before us is that God has shown, given Jeremiah a vision. This vision was a picture of two fruit baskets: one fruit basket was of good and ripe fruit. This was probably early fruit that was harvest in June, which would have been a month or two early from that of harvest season. The other basket is described as very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. The NASB translates this word as rotten. The Hebrew meaning of this word naughty can be described as evil, adversity, calamity, affliction, distress. None of these terms are terms that we want to be described by. If you were in one of those baskets, which basket would you be in? For when God gave Jeremiah this vision, he was showing two groups of people, two outcomes, and the only two outcomes were there going to be.

Focus Passage: Jeremiah 24:1-9

Neither group is being judged by their actions. All of the house of God has rebelled against their God. All were facing the judgment of God. All were going to reap what they had sown to some degree. All had been disobedient and all were guilty. However, God was not judging these people based off their heart but His sovereignty. As He judged His people according to His sovereign will, He divided them into two groups shown through these two baskets of figs.

Prior to our text, God had already told the people to go freely into captivity and not to resist his judgement. He was going to judge and had placed His face against the city.

Jeremiah 21:8–10 Wordstudy KJV

8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. 9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that [goeth out,] and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be [unto him] for a prey. 10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

Within our text, God builds on this declaration as He divides His people through this picture of two separate fruit baskets.

Accepting God’s judgment (vv.4-7)

God keeps His word for our good (vv.4-5)

God tells Jeremiah, the word of God came unto me…Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, that he will acknowledge them had went willfully into the captivity of the Chaldeans. What does he mean when he says, acknowledge? He is stating that He will look at them intently. He will scrutinize them. A different way to say this is that He will take a long hard look at them and their situation.

Now God knew that the Israelites would be spending a number of years, 70 to be exact. He will later inspire Jeremiah to state...

Jeremiah 29:4–7 Wordstudy KJV

4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are [carried away captives,] whom I have caused to be [carried away] [from Jerusalem] unto Babylon; 5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; 6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be [carried away captives,] and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

Those carried away were carried away under the will and sovereignty of God. This was actually for their good. Although God was judging His people, He was judging them mercifully. He states within our text, for their good (v.5). All that God does for us and toward us, even in discipline is for our good.

God will cast His view on us for our good

God sees all that we have done. He knows all that each and everyone of us have said and done. God is not judging us according to our works. Remember these people have sinned. These people have rebelled in every way. They were guilty of spiritual harlotry and idolatry. In all this they were still his people. He loved them. He, God almighty, even in his judgment, gave them a way of life and mercy rather than wrath and death.

This is how God is with us today. We are His children. He still sets before us life and death. Within our text we read, I will set mine eyes upon them for good. God is faithful. He remains faithful to His promises. He told his people, if you will go into captivity freely, accept my judgment without rebuttal, without fighting, it will in turn bless you. He now, despite their rebellion, remains faithful to that promise.

God will restore His people for their good (vv.6-7)

God will restore them to a heart that knows Him (v.7a)

God will restore them to a right relationship with Him (v.7b)

God will restore that which they lost (v.6)

Now this was the basket of ripe and good figs. The early figs that were juicy and good. What about the bad fruit. The rotten fruit, that was described as so bad it could not be ate.

Refusing and fighting God’s judgment (vv.8-10)

In (v.8) we find that these figs represent the ones that remained in the city. These figs represent king Zedekiah who made the pack with Egypt in a futile attempt to thwart Nebuchadnezzar invasion despite God sovereignly, willing allowing the prophesied captivity of Jerusalem by Babylon. These were those that rather than going into captivity even attempted to escape God’s judgment, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in the land, and them that in the land of Egypt. As we look at (v.8) and the surrounding context of this passage, we are brought two truths at the forefront: 1) It is always best to accept what God puts before rather that resisting and fighting His will and 2) You cannot escape God’s presence or will.

Within (vv.9-10), God declares a few other truths that we must take note of.

God was going to do with them what He wished (v.9a)

God was going to use their judgment as a warning to all other nations that rebelled against Him (v.9b)

God would bring about a three-fold judgment as He already promised

He would judge them through war - ‘sword’

He would judge them through drought - ‘famine’

He would judge them through disease - ‘pestilence’

God’s judgment would be all consuming and would not end until it was fulfilled, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

Conclusion

Let us be faithful to the Lord. Let us be aware of the warnings of God. In our seasons of discipline from God, let us not refuse that discipline and fight that discipline, but use that season as a season of repentance and restoration. For if we use in any other way, we will face the wrath rather than the mercy and grace of God.