All right, let's turn in our
Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 24. This chapter, just 10 verses,
is a parable. It's a parable that God gave
the prophet Jeremiah in a vision. I titled the message, A Parable
of Salvation and Judgment. A Parable of Salvation and Judgment. You know, by definition, a parable
is something It means to sit something alongside of. That's
what it literally means. So you take a symbol or some
kind of a metaphor and you set it alongside of something physical
to make a point, to teach a spiritual truth. We don't derive our doctrine
from parables, but we interpret parables by the doctrine of Christ.
That's how we do it. But this is an interesting parable
It's really a very simple message, just two points here. First of
all, there's a parable given. That's the first three verses.
And then secondly, in the last part of this chapter, there is
described the meaning of the parable. And that's one thing
about the parables of the Bible. The meaning is always given.
You're not left to your own devices to understand these things. But
listen to the first three verses. Verse one of chapter 24. Jeremiah
is speaking, he says, the Lord showed me, and behold, two baskets
of figs were set before the temple of the Lord. So there's the symbols,
the two baskets of figs, there's the temple, that's the presence
of God, representing the judgment of God and the mercy of God.
That whole temple, as you know, was a type, a type of the whole
realm of salvation by the grace of God in Christ. housing the
Ark of the Covenant, which represented the place where God would meet
with sinners on the basis of the shed blood of the sacrifice,
the picture of Christ, the Lamb of God. And so here's two baskets
of figs, and then he gives us the time. It says, after that
Nebuchadnezzar, and that's Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, had carried
away captive Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah.
Now this Jeconiah, remember he was the one who was called Coniah. He's the same one. Jehoiachin
is another name for him. But he says he's the son of Jehoiakim,
king of Judah. And also Nebuchadnezzar carried
the princes of Judah, that's the noblemen, with the carpenters
and smiths, that's all the artisans, all the skilled laborers, from
Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. So this is probably
somewhere around 597 BC. And it was that year that this
king, Jeconiah, was taken captive to Babylon. Remember, I've told
you in the history of Judah here, there were three waves of captivity
that Nebuchadnezzar come through. The first three deportations. And this is the first one right
here. When he left, he left in charge his appointed viceroy,
who was called King, named Zedekiah. We've talked about Zedekiah,
he mentioned that here in verse eight. So Jeconiah was removed,
he was taken captive to Babylon in the first deportation. Probably
this is where Daniel was taken away, one of the noblemen, and
that's what Daniel was. And this may have been when Ezekiel
was taken away to Babylon. Daniel being probably around
middle age and Ezekiel being a young child or a young boy.
And so this gets you in line with what's going on here. So
here, Jeconah has been taken away, all the noblemen. In fact,
if you, in the book of 2 Kings, it tells you the only ones who
were left after this were the poorest in the land. But Nebuchadnezzar,
he came back again. He took another bunch with him. And then when he came back the
third time, that's the destruction of Jerusalem. That's the leveling
of the temple. That's when he turned this temple
of Solomon into dust. And that's the way the historians
describe it too. I mean, it was just nothing but
ruins when Nebuchadnezzar got through with it on the third
time that he come in. But here they are in captivity. And so in Jeremiah's vision here,
he sees two baskets of figs set before the temple in Jerusalem. Verse two, it says, one basket
had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe.
That's the figs that are good to eat. And the other basket
had very naughty figs. Now that word naughty, you know
what it is? It's a Hebrew word that really
indicates worthlessness. These are worthless figs. They're
good for nothing except to be thrown out. And so they were
very naughty figs which could not be eaten. They were so bad. Think about that. They were so bad. And then he
says in verse three, then said the Lord unto me, what seest
thou, Jeremiah? And Jeremiah said, I said, figs.
And the good figs, very good. The evil, very evil, that cannot
be eaten, they're so evil. Some smart Alec preacher said,
this is figurative language. I'm talking about figs. Well,
it is, because these figs represent certain things. Well, what is
the meaning of the parable? Well, look at verse four. Now
he begins to give the meaning. He says, and again, the word
of the Lord came unto me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God
of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them. Now, you may have in your concordance
another translation of the word them. And it may say the captivity. You may have that in your concordance.
And that's a good translation too. So you could say it this
way, like these good figs, so will I acknowledge the captivity,
and who are they? They that are carried away captive
of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of
the Chaldeas for their good. For their good. So who's he talking
about? Who the good figs represent?
Well, those who were carried off, like up here in verse 1,
in the first deportation, captivity to Babylon and as I said that
would include Daniel that may include Ezekiel that would include
Shadrach Meshach Abednego all of them they were carried carried
away and Then he says in verse 6 now look at verse 6 and 7 we're
going to come back to these verses But he says for I will set mine
eyes upon them for good And I will bring them again to this land
And I will build them and not pull them down. And I will plant
them and not pluck them up. And I will give them in heart
to know Me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be My people,
and I will be their God, for they shall return unto Me with
their whole heart. Now this language First of all,
the thing you need to understand about this language, we are talking
about good figs and bad figs. But now this language shows us
that the goodness that he is speaking of is not goodness in
themselves. I mean it is not like God looked
down upon Judah and he said, well now there is a bunch of
good people over here, there is the good figs and then there
is a bunch of bad people over there, they are the bad figs
and I am going to treat these good figs in a kind way, but
I'm going to treat these bad figs in an evil way or a judgment
way. That's not what happened here.
First of all, these good figs that he's talking about, if they
were good according to God's standard of goodness, good in
themselves, they wouldn't have been deported at all. How do
I know that? Well, do you remember what I
read in Deuteronomy 30, there's the conditions of the Old Covenant,
and of course there's some prophecy there too. There's prophecy here
in verses 6 and 7. But if they had been good in
themselves, if they had been righteous people in themselves,
then they wouldn't have been deported. That was a punishment. The deportation was a punishment.
The captivity was a punishment. So we're not talking about people
who are better than others here. Based upon their inherent goodness
or based upon their works. The second way I know that's
true is because what the Bible teaches. There's none good, no
not one. You remember that? Romans 3.10,
you really don't have to go to the New Testament to learn this,
it's all over, but it's in the Old Testament too. But there's
none righteous, no not one. There's none that do a good,
no not one. The Bible teaches that from the
fall of man, man is by nature totally depraved. The best men
and the worst men. All in the same boat. They may
be better in the eyes of men. They may be better men in the
eyes of society. And that's fine. We need morality.
I wrote an article for the Bulletin, was it last week or the week
before, that don't confuse morality with godliness. Now we need moral
people. We do. If it weren't for morality
and ethics in our society, even among sinful men and women, Just
think about what our society would be like. It would be chaos.
I mean, I thank God that we have laws and law enforcement. I know it's getting worse and
worse. But we need morality and we need ethics. But don't confuse
that with godliness, you see. Because godliness is something
different altogether. Godliness what what does the
bible say great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest
in the flesh? Godliness can only be accomplished
and come forth as the fruit of God's grace in the salvation
of sinners by Jesus Christ The only ones who can be described
as godly are those who are saved by God's grace in Christ and
Now are they to be moral and ethical? Of course they are.
Our walk is to match our talk. We're to seek to strive to be
conformed to Christ in our character, in our conduct, in our attitude,
in our conversation. But godliness has to do with
a sinner who's been washed in the blood of Christ and clothed
in his righteousness, you see. So when we talk about this goodness
here, we're not talking about those people who have achieved
goodness in the sight of God by their works and their efforts.
The language here shows that the goodness is not in themselves,
but in God alone. The goodness is in God. As he
sovereignly chose to acknowledge them. Look at it again. Verse
six. He said, well, up here in verse
six or verse five, he says, thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel,
like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them. That means
to recognize them. That means to know them. That's
what it means. Remember he told those moral,
ethical preachers in Matthew seven, I never knew you. He said
he didn't acknowledge them, but these he acknowledges. And then
he says in verse 6, he said, I'll set mine eyes upon them
for good. What that means is that God chose
them out to do them good. God sovereignly chose these to
do them good. Were they sinners? Of course
they were. All men and women are sinners. Did they deserve any consideration
from God? Of course they didn't. None of
us deserve any consideration for blessedness from God. Did
they earn any favor from God? Did they earn any acknowledgement
from God? Of course they didn't. The Bible
is clear on that. You can't take one passage of
Scripture out of the Bible and set it against the rest of the
Bible. No, they didn't earn any acknowledgement from God or any
favor from God. But it's simply saying that God
sovereignly according to His own determinate counsel and will,
according to His electing grace, He set His eyes upon them to
do them good. God said, I'm going to do you
good. Now what does that picture to you? Sovereign electing grace
before the foundation of the world. Isn't that something?
How did God choose sinners before the world began? There's only
one answer I can give you scripturally. In Christ. Isn't that right? I know he didn't look down through
a telescope of time and say, well, look, there goes oh so
and so. Look, look at what, he's going
to church. Look, he's walking an aisle. Look, he's being baptized.
I'll choose him. Is that the way you think God did it? Well,
no, you know better than that. God chose a people. The election
of grace, that's what the Bible calls it, isn't it? Grace. God. Unconditional election. That's a biblical, biblical truth. And so why did God choose this
bunch and not only known to Him, but it's for His glory? We know
that any goodness man has in the matter of salvation or blessedness
from God is by the sovereign grace of God and not based on
any supposed or claimed goodness in ourselves or any good works,
which we have none. Or any righteousness, which we
have none. Or any holiness, of which we
have none. If we have any goodness, where
do we find that goodness? In Christ. That's right. He is our goodness. He's the
goodness that I claim. Christ. If I have any righteousness,
where do I have, in whom do I have? In Christ. He's the Lord my righteousness. Didn't Jeremiah just get through
prophesying of that in chapter 23 here? This one who's coming,
the King, who's going to execute judgment and justice in this
earth. And this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah Sidcanu,
the Lord our righteousness. If I have any holiness, it's
not in myself, it's in Christ who is my wisdom, my righteousness,
my sanctification and my redemption. This is the determination of
God out of Himself, out of His own sovereign will to do this
people good. Look back there at Deuteronomy
30. He prophesied of this even in
pronouncing the blessings and the curses of the Old Covenant.
Look at verse 5 of Deuteronomy 30. He says, And the Lord thy
God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed,
and thou shalt possess it, and He will do thee good, and multiply
thee above thy fathers. Now hold that there at Deuteronomy
30. Go back to Jeremiah 24. I'm going
to come back to Deuteronomy 30 there. You see back there in Deuteronomy
when Moses read the law to the children of Israel as they went
getting ready to go over into the promised land, God knew that
this nation would not be an obedient people. He knew they were rebellious
people because He knows that about all men and women by nature.
Listen, by nature, we're rebellious, disobedient, aren't we? Unbelievers. God knew that and
He knew what was going to happen according to the terms of that
conditional covenant in their perpetuation and their fruitfulness
in that land. He knew they were going to fail.
He knew they were going into captivity. We read that in Deuteronomy
30. When you're spread out to the heavens, he said, that's
to the far corners. He said, I'm going to bring you
back. What God's saying there is I'm going to keep you all
together in spite of yourself until I'm through with you. Now
when was God going to be through with? Well, you know when it
was. When Messiah comes. That's why
He brought that nation. That's the main reason He brought
that nation together. That's the reason He delivered
them from... He made the promise to Abraham, and then 400 years
later He delivered them out of Egypt, and then He kept them
together in spite of themselves in the wilderness for another
generation now. And then when He brought them
over into the promised land, even then, even then, they were
rebellious people. He kept them together. And then
for nearly 1,500 years, he kept them together, didn't he? Until
Messiah would come, until Christ. What does that tell you here?
It tells you everything's about Christ. Everything in salvation,
everything in providence, even God's dealings with the nation
Israel, it's all about Christ. That's why I think these fellows
today, who are talking about prophecy in Palestine and I think
they've missed it because it's not all about Christ to them. It's about other things. But
think about this now. The hope for the future that
Jeremiah brings here. You know, here they are. They're
going into captivity. Jerusalem's going to be destroyed.
Where's there any hope? Well, the hope for the future,
you'd think, if we're thinking naturally now, the natural man,
you'd think the hope for the future would be with the rebels
who stayed in Jerusalem and in Judah and stayed there with Zedekiah
and said, now we're going to defend this place. Come hell
or high water. Isn't that right? You think that's
the hope for the future. Oh no. The hope for the future
is where? In the exiles that God put into
Babylon away from Jerusalem. It's not with those who stayed
in Jerusalem and then fled to Egypt. It was through the remnant
that God would preserve His people and bring Messiah into the world.
So what we have here is a prophecy that can only be ultimately fulfilled
in the new covenant, in the calling of God's remnant according to
the election of grace from among the Jews. This prophecy here
in Jeremiah 24, six through seven speaks of the conversion of many
Jews in the latter day. That's what it talks about. Now
let me ask you this, just to put this, I believe it puts it
in terms that any of us can understand. How do we know this is not referring
to their return from Babylon to Judah and Jerusalem 70 years
later? The next chapter, it's going
to be the first time that he reveals that they're going to
be in captivity 70 years. And we'll talk about that next
time. And then they're going to be
brought back, some of them. And you know that, I mean, that
was a glorious thing. I mean, there's Zerubbabel, the governor,
there's Nehemiah, there's Ezra, Zechariah, Joshua the high priest,
there's the rebuilding of the temple, and then there's the
building of the walls of Jerusalem, all that was going on. But I
want to tell you something, it didn't last long. And look how
it describes it. How do we know that this is not
referring to that? Well, look at verse 7. Well,
first of all, verse six, he says, for I will set mine eyes upon
them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and
I will build them and not pull them down. Now, when they returned
from Babylon after the 70-year captivity, they did some building. They did it reluctantly. You
remember we studied that in the Minor Prophets. They didn't come
back with a whole heart now. They had to be almost forced
to build the walls of Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. But did
God bring them down again? Yes, he did. He said, I will
plant them and not pluck them up. They were planted, but were
they plucked up? Yes. AD 70, the whole thing was
destroyed. I will give them in heart to
know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people,
and I will be their God, for they shall return unto me with
their whole heart. When they came back, did they
come back with their whole heart? Well, few of them did. Zerubbabel
did. Ezra did. Nehemiah did. Zechariah did. But very few of
them. Not the whole nation. Whoever
he's talking about here, he's talking about a captive remnant
of a nation that's brought back in. Now when was that fulfilled? Well, Jeremiah speaks of that.
We've seen it so many times. We refer to this chapter so many
times here. Jeremiah 31, 31. What's he say
there? The days come, saith the Lord,
and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah. There Israel is included, the
northern kingdom. Not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by
the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant
they break, although I wasn't husband to them, saith the Lord.
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I'll put my law in
their inward parts. I'll write it in their hearts
and will be their God and they shall be my people. You see what
he's talking about? He's talking about conversion
there. He's talking about people converted to Christ. He's talking
about people brought under conviction of sin and brought to faith in
Christ and repentance of dead works. That's exactly what he's
talking about here. Now go back there at Deuteronomy
30. Look at verse 6. Now whenever this prophecy is
fulfilled, look at what it says in verse 6. Deuteronomy 30. It says, And the Lord thy God
will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to
love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul, that thou mayest live. Now what's he talking about there?
Talking about circumcision of the heart. Who are the circumcised
in heart? That's those who are born again
by the Spirit. Paul was inspired by the Holy
Spirit to tell us in Romans 2, 28 and 29 that those who are
circumcised in the flesh, they are not the children of God,
spiritually speaking, but those who are circumcised in heart.
And what did Paul write in Philippians 3, 3? And this would include
both Jew and Gentile who believe in Christ? He said, we are the
circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoice glory in
Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. That's the fulfillment
of this prophecy. What's Jeremiah telling them?
He's saying the whole reason that God has shined upon this
remnant in captivity to do them good is because God has a promise
to fulfill. God is working all things after
the counsel of His own will. He is going to bring you back
into this land. You are going to be together
until Messiah comes and in that day there is going to be a pouring
out of the Holy Spirit and many Jews will be converted to Christ.
God's remnant according to the election of grace. And he said,
I'm going to build them and I won't tear them down. Christ said,
upon this rock, I'll build my church and the gates of hell
will not prevail against. Now let me ask you something.
If the gates of hell, whatever Christ is talking about and whatever
he's talking about here, if the gates of hell couldn't prevail
against it, you think the Babylonian army could? Well, no. Do you
think the Roman Empire could? No. Who do you think raised up
the Roman Empire? Read Daniel. We've already done
that, haven't we? God did. Who do you think brought
down the Roman Empire? God did. Who do you think raised
up this country? God did. Who do you think is
going to bring it down? God will. And you know what? Now listen to me. You know what?
Here's the kicker. It's all gonna be for our good. And that's what he's telling.
I've set my eyes upon you to do you good. Don't we quote it
all the time? All things work together for
good to them that love God, who are the called according to His
purpose. According to His purpose. What is His purpose? Not to raise
up the American flag. That's not his purpose. That's
just part of his providence. His purpose is to raise up the
banner of Christ. His purpose is to glorify himself
in the salvation of his people through Christ Jesus. And he
sent his eyes to do us good. Think about that. Ezekiel, while
they were in captivity, Ezekiel prophesied of it. Over in the
book of Ezekiel chapter 36, he speaks of it too. As I said,
I believe Ezekiel was taken into captivity as a young boy, a young
child, I don't know how old, there in Jeremiah 24 when he
took Jeconiah. And then Ezekiel, he prophesied
after Daniel. But there in Ezekiel 36, in verse
26, He speaks of it while they are in captivity. He says, A
new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you a heart of flesh. That's one that's broken
and contrite. That's a pliable heart, a humble
heart, a submissive heart. He said in verse 27, I'll put
my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and
you shall keep my judgments and do them. That's very similar
to Deuteronomy 30. What does that tell you? That
was God's purpose all along. God's purpose was never to establish
His kingdom on earth through a nation in some geographical
location here on this earth. He used all that to get to His
ultimate purpose, which is right here. That He might have a people
conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, His Son. That He might
have a nation, a spiritual nation, brought under the headship of
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why when Christ finished
His work on the cross, He was given a name which is above every
name. That every knee should bow and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Think about that. Back in Jeremiah 24, now, this
parable of the good figs and the promises for them is an account
of the gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus. It's the word
of faith which at this time should be brought near to the Jews and
be received by them. Isn't that right? For Christ has always been and
always will be the only hope of salvation for sinners Jew
and Gentile. And God preserved this nation
through captivity. And you think about how He did
it. Isn't it amazing how He did it? We saw a little bit of that
when we studied the book of Daniel. That's an amazing thing to me.
I mean, there's Daniel. One of the noblemen. Deported
to Babylon. They make him a eunuch and he
becomes high in the court of Nebuchadnezzar and lives on past
Nebuchadnezzar. And look at the miracles and
the word of testimony of Christ, the types of Christ that we have
there in the book of Daniel alone. What's God doing? He's working
all things after the counsel of His own will. Right there.
We haven't studied the book of Ezekiel. Maybe we'll get to that
one day if the Lord lets us live long enough. But that's an amazing
thing too. All that prophecy. And then when
they came back out of the captivity under Zerubbabel and Nehemiah
and Ezra and all, it's an amazing thing. Just stand back and stand
amazed at the power and providence of our sovereign Savior to work
everything after the counsel of His own will. It's just an
amazing thing. I think about our own lives.
Well, look back here at Jeremiah 24. Let's just read the last
few verses. Now, here's what's going to happen
to the bad figs. And he says, and as the evil
figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil, surely thus
saith the Lord, so will I give Zedekiah, the king of Judah and
his princes and the residue of Jerusalem, that which is left,
that remain in this land and them that dwell in the land of
Egypt, that some fled to Egypt, Now Jeremiah fled to Egypt too,
but he's talking about the rebellious nation here. All right? And he says, and I will deliver
them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their
hurt. Remember on the remnant in captivity, he said, I'm gonna
do them good. He said, I'm doing these hurt.
To be a reproach and a proverb. That's like being a joke. A taunt
and a curse in all places, whether I shall drive them and I will
send the sword the famine and the pestilence among them till
they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and
to their fathers." They're gone. What does that teach us? Number
one, there's no hope for those who cling to their false refuges.
You cling to that temple, you cling to Jerusalem, you cling
to this earth, you cling to each other, there's no hope for you.
No hope for any sinner who clings to that. Only cling to Christ. There's your hope. Secondly,
the promise of and for the good figs is the same given to all
who are recipients of God's grace. God set His heart to do us good.
And He means to do it. And then thirdly, those who were
in captivity, those who went under captivity, They typify
sinners being brought to repentance. You remember how Jeremiah told
them that the best thing for them was to accept God's punishment
for their sins and submit to the conqueror? That's just against
our grain, isn't it? We don't give up. Well, when
it comes to God's wrath against our sin, we better just give
up. submit to his will, take sides with God against ourself
and accept God's punishment. But you know something? That's
what a sinner does when he's brought to submit to Christ.
Submit to his righteousness, Romans 10. God, I deserve whatever
you give me, but thank God for your mercy in Christ. Jeremiah,
later on, he wrote a letter to the Jews in captivity. You know
what he told them? You read chapter 29, not getting
ahead of myself, but that's his letter to those in captivity.
And he tells them to live peaceably in the land and to seek the Lord
with all their heart. You know, that's what Daniel
did. That's what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did. I know they
went through trials. Daniel had to go to the lion's
den. He stood against Nebuchadnezzar and all those counselors of his. And God took care of him. Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, they went to the fiery furnace, all of
that. We know that's so. But my friend, there's no replacement. There's nothing that would harm
us eternally and spiritually as long as we cling to Christ.
As long as we stay with Him and in Him. All right, let's sing
as our closing hymn, This is My Father's World. That's a good
hymn for this. Hymn number 39. 39.