What is the meaning of Jeremiah 24:4? Then • “Then” links directly to the vision just given (Jeremiah 24:1-3). • It signals God’s timely response: once the prophet sees, God immediately interprets. • Scripture often uses “then” to mark decisive divine action after human observation (cf. Genesis 15:1; Acts 9:6). Meaning for us: God never leaves His people guessing; revelation follows revelation in perfect sequence, assuring that what He shows, He also explains (Psalm 25:14). --- the word of the LORD • Not Jeremiah’s insight but God’s authoritative word—“the word of the LORD” is repeated throughout the book (Jeremiah 1:2; 2:1; 16:1), underscoring inspiration and inerrancy (2 Timothy 3:16). • This phrase stresses that what follows carries divine weight equal to creation’s command (“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,” Psalm 33:6). • Because it is God’s word, the promise of judgment and restoration in the fig-basket vision is guaranteed (Isaiah 55:11). --- came to me • The initiative is God’s; Jeremiah does not seek an explanation—he receives it. • “Came to me” highlights the personal, relational nature of revelation (Jeremiah 1:4-5). • Prophets are moved “by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21); the encounter is intimate yet authoritative (Amos 3:7). Application: God still brings His word to willing servants, often through Scripture illuminated by the Spirit (John 14:26). --- saying • God speaks in intelligible, discernible words. • What follows (vv. 5-10) is not cryptic symbolism left to guesswork but explicit explanation: the good figs represent exiles God will restore; the bad figs represent those remaining in rebellion. • Similar pattern: vision plus verbal explanation occurs with Amos’s plumb line (Amos 7:7-9) and Zechariah’s lampstand (Zechariah 4:1-6). Takeaway: God’s revealed word interprets God’s revealed works; we rely on Scripture to understand God’s actions in history (Nehemiah 9:30). --- summary Jeremiah 24:4 reminds us that God initiates revelation in perfect timing, delivers it with full authority, personalizes it to His servant, and clarifies it through plain speech. The verse introduces the divine explanation of the fig-basket vision, assuring us that the Lord who judges also promises restoration—and that His sure word equips His people to understand and trust His unfolding plan. |
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