The Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the Lord. One basket had very good figs like those that ripen early; the other basket had very poor figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. Then the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad that they cannot be eaten.” Then the word of the Lord came to me: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land.” (Jeremiah 24:1-6)
We are nearing the end of this series on the early part of Jeremiah’s ministry, which will culminate next week with the revelation of the New Covenant.
Jeremiah began his ministry in 626 BC, the 13th year of the reign of Josiah, and its first stage ended with the surrender of Jerusalem 28 years later, in 598 BC. Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, had provoked the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar by revoking a treaty and putting his trust in Egypt. The Babylonians attacked Judah, but they had hardly entered the territory when Jehoiakim died, leaving his 18-year-old son Jehoiachin to face the might of Babylon. Jehoiachin had only been on the throne three months when the decision was made to surrender unconditionally and the whole army of Judah, “7,000 fighting men, strong and fit for war” (2 Kings 24:16), together with the young King, his family and about 3,000 leading citizens, were taken captive to Babylon - some 10,000 people in all.
The streets of Jerusalem must have seemed empty as Jeremiah walked past the Temple, when his eye was caught by two baskets of figs left on the Temple steps. They were probably thank-offerings from worshippers for the first-fruits of the harvest. One contained fruit in excellent condition, but the other held overripe figs that were unfit for eating – breaking the requirement of the Torah that offerings should be in perfect condition.
The people remaining in Jerusalem after the Babylonian army had departed were already saying that those taken into exile were being judged by God, while those left behind were the ones enjoying his blessing. The message Jeremiah received was that the reverse was true: it was the ‘Leavers’, not the ‘Remainers’, who were blessed!
The people remaining in Jerusalem were saying that those taken into exile were being judged by God, while those left behind were the ones enjoying his blessing. The message Jeremiah received was that the reverse was true.
‘Remainers’ vs ‘Leavers’
Jerusalem was a city torn asunder by division between ‘Remainers’ and ‘Leavers’ – even after the captives had left for Babylon. There were those who wanted to remain in Jerusalem under vassalage to Babylon and those who wanted to leave and seek freedom in Egypt. Jeremiah’s message was that both ‘Remainers’ and ‘Leavers’ were under the judgment of God. They were, as they had always been, a stiffnecked people, as Moses had stated: “Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiffnecked people” (Deut 9:6). And as Jeremiah had so often stated as a word from God, “From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. But they did not listen to me or pay attention” (Jer 7:25).
Judgment had now fallen upon the nation. But it was only a mild judgment that God was allowing, to give the people another opportunity of repenting from their evil ways and turning to the Lord in trust and righteousness.
This was the outcome that God really desired, but he knew that the hearts of the people had not changed – “This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips” (Jer 7:28). The result was, “The Lord has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath” (Jer 7:29). Jeremiah knew that unless there was repentance and change, God would allow the Babylonians to come back and burn Jerusalem down – tearing down even the Temple and the great historic buildings of this proud city with its great heritage.
Drastic Action
God had to do something drastic in order to maintain his purpose in calling Israel to be his servant and establishing his covenant promises. His purpose was to have a people who would “take his salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isa 49:6). But they could only be his messengers if there was radical change – if they had a new heart.
This is what Jeremiah foresaw as he looked at that basket of fresh, delicious figs presented to the Lord as a thank-offering from a faithful believer: he foresaw God’s purpose in sending that large number of people to Babylon to form the community of Israel in exile. This is what Ezekiel, the prophet of the exile, heard God promising: “I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezek 36:26).
Jeremiah foresaw God’s purpose in sending that large number of people to Babylon to form the community of Israel in exile.
But what about the poor figs which were so bad they could not be eaten? The message Jeremiah received was one of harsh judgment (although there were obviously some faithful believers left in the city, such as the one who had left the good basket of figs at the Temple). But throughout the rest of his ministry in the time of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah never ceased to call for repentance and change, promising God’s mercy upon the nation if they would turn from their idolatry and their wicked ways and put their trust in the God of Israel.
Sadly, this message was always rejected. The people went from one level of idolatry to another. Mixing the worship of God with the worship of Baal; and then, as the rumours of the Babylonian army on the move reached Jerusalem, instead of repentance the people actually turned to the worship of Babylonian gods – burning their babies in the fire – to the horror of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah’s message from the two baskets of figs was that both ‘Remainers’ and ‘Leavers’ would come under the judgment of God, unless there was a total change of heart in the nation: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed” was the word of the Lord (Jer 24:30).
Only repentance and change could save the nation! Is not this the word of the Lord for today?
This article is part of a series on the life and ministry of the Prophet Jeremiah. Click here for previous instalments.