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Scripture Reading: Jer. 24; Jer. 25; Jer. 26
In this message we will consider Jeremiah 24—26, a section concerning Judah's captivity and Judah's reaction to Jeremiah.
Judah's captivity is described in chapters twenty-four and twenty-five.
In chapter twenty-four Jeremiah received a vision of two baskets of figs. The fig tree is the national symbol of Israel. In the sight of God, the people of Israel are a fig tree. The fig tree cursed by the Lord Jesus (Matt. 21:18-22) was full of leaves but was fruitless, signifying that at that time the nation of Israel was full of outward show but had nothing that could satisfy God. Hence, He cursed the fruitless fig tree.
Jeremiah tells us that Jehovah showed him two baskets of figs placed before the temple of Jehovah (Jer. 24:1a). Both baskets of figs were presented to God in front of the temple.
Jeremiah saw this vision after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had exiled Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, the princes of Judah, the craftsmen, and the smiths to Babylon (v. 1b).
"One basket had very good figs, like first ripe figs" (v. 2a). This basket of good figs signifies those Israelites whom the God of Israel had sent from the holy land to the land of the Chaldeans (vv. 2-7).
"Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so I will regard those who are exiled of Judah, whom I have sent from this place to the land of the Chaldeans, for good" (v. 5). We might think that Jehovah would have no regard for the exiles; however, here we are told that He would regard them for good.
According to verse 6, Jehovah said that He will set His eyes upon them for good, bring them back to the holy land, build them up and not tear them down, and plant them and not uproot them.
Jehovah also promised that He will give them a heart to know Him, that He is Jehovah. They will be His people, and He will be their God, for they will return to Him with their whole heart (v. 7).
"The other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten because of their rottenness" (v. 2b). This basket of figs signifies Zedekiah, the king of Judah, his princes, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remained in the holy land and those who dwelt in the land of Egypt (vv. 8-10). Those who were living in Egypt were those who had escaped for security from the holy land to Egypt.
Concerning Zedekiah, his princes, the remnant in Jerusalem who remained in the holy land, and those dwelling in Egypt, Jehovah said that He would make them like the bad figs (v. 8).
Jehovah said that He would make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, to be a reproach, a proverb, a byword, and a curse in all the places where He would drive them (v. 9). Here byword indicates mocking, and proverb signifies a formal expression of derision. Because of God's judgment, they would be put in such a low condition that they would be mocked and derided by the nations.
Finally, Jehovah promised that He would send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them until they were consumed from the land which He had given to them and to their fathers (v. 10).
In chapter twenty-five we see Jeremiah's prophecy concerning all the people of Judah.
Jeremiah's prophecy in this chapter began from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. Verses 1 through 3 say, "The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that is, the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even unto this day, these twenty-three years, the word of Jehovah came to me, and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you have not listened." Nebuchadnezzar came into power as king in 607 B.C., and the next year he attacked Judah, seizing Jerusalem and capturing a number of the people. In his prophecy, Jeremiah told the people of the evils, the calamities, that were coming upon them, and he advised them to repent and return to God.
As we read the book of Jeremiah, we should keep in mind that this book was not written according to the historical sequence. Rather, Jeremiah, inspired by the Spirit, wrote a book that is a composition of history, prophecy, and autobiography. However, although this book does not follow a historical sequence, it often conveys a spiritual sequence.
Jeremiah's prophecy concerning all the people of Judah includes three things. First, in verses 3 through 11 Jeremiah prophesied that because Israel did not listen to the prophets to turn from her evil way, Jehovah would send from the north Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to attack Israel and make her an astonishment, a hissing, and an eternal reproach. Jeremiah also prophesied that Israel would serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Second, Jeremiah prophesied that after the seventy years Jehovah would punish the king of Babylon and make the nation of Babylon an eternal desolation (vv. 12-14).
Finally, here Jeremiah prophesied that Jehovah would also punish all the nations of the earth beginning from Israel, until all the inhabitants of the earth would be slain by Jehovah (vv. 15-38).
Jeremiah 26 records the reaction of the people of Judah to Jeremiah's prophecy concerning their destiny.
In the first seven verses of chapter twenty-six, we have Jeremiah's prophecy.
The word of this prophecy was given to Jeremiah in the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (v. 1).
Jehovah charged Jeremiah to stand in the court of the house of Jehovah and speak to all the cities of Judah, who came to worship in the house of Jehovah (v. 2). When the people came to worship in the temple, Jeremiah was to take that as an opportunity to prophesy to them.
Jeremiah advised the people of Judah, including the priests and the prophets, to listen to his word and to turn from their evil way (vv. 3-7). Otherwise, Jehovah would make the temple like Shiloh (7:12-14; 1 Sam. 4:10-11) and the city of Jerusalem a curse to all the nations of the earth. If Israel did not listen, repent, and turn, their destiny would be like that of Shiloh, which was defeated and destroyed, and they would become a curse to the nations.
The priests, the prophets, and all the people seized Jeremiah, saying, "You will surely die!" (Jer. 26:8-11).
Jeremiah answered and said that Jehovah had sent him to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words which they had heard. Then he told them to amend their ways and deeds and listen to the voice of Jehovah their God, and Jehovah would repent of the evil He had spoken against them (vv. 12-13). Regarding himself, Jeremiah went on to say, "But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your eyes. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon her inhabitants; for truly Jehovah has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears" (vv. 14-15). Jeremiah's attitude here was excellent.
The princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets that Jeremiah was not worthy of a sentence of death, for he had spoken to them in the name of Jehovah their God (v. 16).
Some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people about how Hezekiah king of Judah and all the people of Judah listened to the word of Micah the prophet. Hezekiah feared Jehovah and entreated His favor, and Jehovah repented of the evil which He had spoken against them (vv. 17-19a). Then the elders said, "But we are about to bring a great evil on ourselves" (v. 19b). The speaking of these elders was quite good.
In verses 20 through 23 we are told that another man by the name of Uriah prophesied in the name of Jehovah against Jerusalem and the land words like all those of Jeremiah. The words of Uriah confirmed and strengthened Jeremiah's prophecies. The king Jehoiakim sought to put Uriah to death, but he fled to Egypt. Then the king sent people to Egypt to bring him back to the king. The king slew him and threw his corpse into the graves of the common people. This exposes how evil King Jehoiakim was.
Under God's sovereignty, Jeremiah was preserved by Ahikam the son of Shaphan (2 Chron. 34:20) and was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death (Jer. 26:24).
Chapter twenty-six indicates that Jeremiah was the object of much discussion. Some wanted to put him to death, whereas others spoke against this. Eventually, even though the king wanted him to be put to death, Jeremiah was preserved.
Jeremiah was forced into such a dilemma that he even cursed the day of his birth (20:14). God was determined to judge and punish Israel, yet He still wanted Israel to listen to His word, repent, and return to Him. But Israel would not return. Instead, the king, the priests, the prophets, and the people became worse and worse. They persecuted Jeremiah and derided him, and it seemed to Jeremiah that there was no way for him to go on living.
Although Jeremiah was preserved, because of the different opinions, nothing was attained toward the accomplishment of God's goal. Whether the people were for Jeremiah or against him, the opinions had the same result — God's purpose was frustrated. Both those who were for Jeremiah and those who were against him were kept away from God's dispensing. They were distracted from Him as the fountain of living waters (2:13). Distractions are the devil's devices to keep God's people from receiving the divine dispensing.
God's intention is to be everything to His chosen people that they may trust in Him and rely on Him for everything. If they do this, they will receive God's dispensing. But Satan knows and hates God's intention, so he frustrates God's people by the worship of idols. According to the teaching of the New Testament, behind every idol is a demon (1 Cor. 10:19-22). On the one hand, idols are vanity in the sight of God. On the other hand, behind the idols are demons, things that are devilishly real. Behind every opinion is also a demon. This was the situation with the opinions expressed about whether Jeremiah should live or die. According to the spiritual scene, the unseen view, in the book of Jeremiah, there were demons behind the idols and also behind the ideas.
God's goal in sending Jeremiah was to bring Israel back, not to the right opinion, teaching, or instruction, but back to God directly as the source, the fountain, of living waters that they might receive His dispensing. But all the different opinions kept God's people away from His dispensing.
My desire in these messages is that you would receive something according to the central line of the divine revelation concerning God's dispensing to fulfill His economy. My aim in this life-study is neither opinion nor teaching; my aim is to infuse you with God's economy by His dispensing. I hope that you will see God's economy in the book of Jeremiah.
We have often said that Christ is the centrality and universality in God's economy. However, this should not become a mere slogan to us. Rather, our heart must be touched by God's center, by the centrality and universality of Christ regarding God's economy. We need to be touched by this center so that in every book and every chapter of the Bible we would see Christ.
