How does Jeremiah 24:2 connect to God's promises in Deuteronomy 28? Setting the Scene - After King Jeconiah and the leading men of Judah were carried to Babylon (Jeremiah 24:1), the LORD showed Jeremiah a vision in the temple courtyards. - Two baskets of figs pictured two distinct groups within Judah. Jeremiah 24:2—The Pivotal Verse “One basket contained very good figs, like those that ripen early; but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten.” Echoes of Deuteronomy 28 Deuteronomy 28 had already laid out a covenant framework of blessing and curse: • Blessings for obedience (vv. 1-14) • Curses for disobedience (vv. 15-68) Agricultural imagery dominates both the blessings and the curses, making the vision of figs an intentional callback to that earlier covenant warning. Good Figs and the Blessings of Obedience - Deuteronomy 28:2-4: “All these blessings will come upon you… Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your ground, and the offspring of your livestock.” - Jeremiah 24:5-7 identifies the “very good figs” with the exiles in Babylon: • God sets His eyes on them “for good.” • He promises to bring them back, give them a heart to know Him, and be their God. - The early, ripe figs symbolize the first, choicest produce—just as the obedient nation was promised choice fruitfulness. - Though the exiles suffered loss, their submissive acceptance of God’s discipline placed them under the restorative side of the covenant promises. Bad Figs and the Curses of Rebellion - Deuteronomy 28:15,18: “If you do not obey… the fruit of your womb and the produce of your land will be cursed.” - Deuteronomy 28:36: “The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you.” - Jeremiah 24:8-10 links the “very bad figs” with Zedekiah, his officials, and those remaining in Jerusalem: • They become “a horror, an object of scorn and ridicule.” • Sword, famine, and plague pursue them until they are destroyed. - The inedible, rotten figs mirror the cursed produce in Deuteronomy 28—useless, rejected, and destined for judgment. Point-by-Point Parallels • Quality of Fruit – Good figs: Deuteronomy 28:11—abundance; Jeremiah 24:2—early, excellent produce. – Bad figs: Deuteronomy 28:39—vineyards yield no wine; Jeremiah 24:2—so bad they cannot be eaten. • Location and Exile – Deuteronomy 28:36-37—driven to foreign lands; Jeremiah 24:5—the exiles become good figs under God’s care. – Deuteronomy 28:64—scattered among nations; Jeremiah 24:9—bad figs are scattered “to be a reproach.” • End Result – Deuteronomy 28:9—“The LORD will establish you as His holy people”; Jeremiah 24:7—“They will be My people, and I will be their God.” – Deuteronomy 28:63—The LORD will uproot the disobedient; Jeremiah 24:10—sword and famine until they are “consumed.” Living Lesson for Then and Now Jeremiah’s two baskets visually reaffirm the blessings and curses Moses recorded centuries earlier. The good figs assure that even in exile, God remains faithful to His covenant promises, ultimately restoring a remnant. The bad figs warn that persistent rebellion brings the very curses foretold in Deuteronomy 28. The passage underscores that God’s Word stands unaltered: obedience invites blessing, while hardened disobedience invites judgment—then and now. |
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