Good and Bad Figs

After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the officials of Judah and all the craftsmen and artisans, the LORD gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the LORD’s Temple in Jerusalem. One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with bad figs that were too rotten to eat. Then the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I replied, “Figs, some very good and some very bad, too rotten to eat.” Then the LORD gave me this message: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians. I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them hearts that recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly. [Jeremiah 24.1-7]

The interesting thing about this passage is that the "bad figs" described later were NOT the ones banished to exile in Babylon! 

“But the bad figs,” the LORD said, “represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. I will make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them. And I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors.” [Jeremiah 24.8-10]

The "good figs" then, were those who acknowledged their inability to overcome the curse of their own wickedness and submitted themselves entirely to God. They neither fought nor resisted Babylon in their own strength, nor did they flee in their own strength to Egypt.

The determination of "good" or "bad" figs was evident in which group submitted entirely to God and which group stubbornly relied on their own strength. This highlights a recurring theme of the Bible, to trust in God alone (not diluted by idol worship). It furthermore points to the First Commandment:

“You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

The degree to which this vision of good and bad figs given to Jeremiah applies to the Church today is certainly at an all-time high. It seems counterintuitive not to "fight in the strength we have" to resist evil in the world. If our testimony to the world (and each other) is that we "fight in the strength we have" then when is God glorified in His strength alone?

Am I saying we just sit around then and let evil prevail? Not at all. What I am saying however is that rather than standing up to fight, God's people should be kneeling down to ask for forgiveness, direction, and help from the LORD. In a word, God's people need to repent.

It is from the position of repentance that strongholds will be broken and God's power will manifest on behalf of His people. When we make the conscious choice to reject even our own strength lest we be found trusting in ourselves, so that the power of God is clearly seen, then God (and God alone) is glorified!

It is not in any way ironic that Jesus' effort in His life and on the Cross was indeed to glorify God. Nor is it ironic that Jesus advocated for a life of faith and selfless obedience in His followers. It is then no surprise that Jesus hinged all the victory of forgiveness on one thing:

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ [Luke 24.47]

Not to be overlooked is the fact that repentance is the epitome of faith. And in turn, faith is the only thing that pleases God:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

God had clearly spoken through Jeremiah instructing His people to submit to Babylon. Their humble submission to Babylon then indicated their repentant (faithful) hearts toward God and therefore secured the title "good figs" over their lives.

Father, help us to understand the challenge we face to glorify You with humble faithfulness to Your promise to care for us. May we be found trusting in You alone - interjecting none of our own strength - so those watching will see Your glory and Your glory alone! May we be found repentant for trusting in ourselves. Forgive us, Father, for our arrogant self-sufficiency.