Bible Commentaries
Jeremiah 24

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-10

  1. Intro:
    1. Jeopardy – Commercials for 100. " Ooey gooey rich and chewy inside, Tenderflaky golden cakey outside, {Wrap the inside with the outside, and its good for you(not sure about this line)}…It's the big Fig Newton!!1.1.1. Read chapter!
    2. The 1st deportation occurs in 597bc! - 2 Kings 24:14-16 “Also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. And he carried Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. All the valiant men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all who were strong and fit for war, these the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.”
    3. Outline: (1-3) Gives the Parable; (4-7) Explains the Fabulous Figs; (8-10) Explains the Foul Figs!
  2. PARABLE OF THE 2 BASKETS OF FIGS (1-3)
    1. Vs.1 – An O.T. Parable
      1. A parable is “a placing beside of” or comparison of earthly truths with heavenly truths. It is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. {58 in OT; 38 Christ; 16 other, NT} (Only 2 times in 773,692 words in scripture.)
      2. This is similar to the Lord’s Wheat & Tare parable.
    2. “The Lord showed me…” – Be careful(this statement is only here & in Zech 1:20)
    3. “Set before the Temple” – See Deut.26:8-11
      1. The best (1st were to be given to God).
      2. The owner of this other basket either had a real bad crop, or was trying to pass off some shoddy produce on God.
    4. Figs in Scripture – used 40 times. {ficus sycamores}
      1. 1st time? (fig leafs) – It was used to hide sin.
      2. Last? (Rev.6:13“And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.” 6th Seal, a metaphor – It was used for judgment of sin.
      3. Jesus used how? – When blossoms shows summer is near…i.e. end times is near. Fertilized one. Cursed one. Who sat under? Philip
      4. Who was a fig picker(sycamore fruit)? – Amos 7:14 ”Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: "I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit.”
      5. 2 centuries earlier – Amos 8:1,2 “Thus the Lord GOD showed me: Behold, a basket of summer fruit. And He said, "Amos, what do you see?" So I said, "A basket of summer fruit." Then the LORD said to me: "The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.”
    5. Vs.2 1st ripe – After waiting all fall, winter, spring, then watching it hang on the tree, then finally…mmmm(peaches, apricots, nectarines)
      1. Micah7:1 “Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.”
      2. Is.28:4 “Like the first fruit before the summer, Which an observer sees; He eats it up while it is still in his hand.”
        1. Safeway – The choice produce!
    6. Vs.3 – Sounds like a good commentary Jeremiah! (Jimmy Stewart)
  3. FABULOUS FIGS! (4-7)
    1. ​​​​​​​Vs.4,5 Q: What do you do with Tasty Figs? {Eat & Enjoy them}
      1. You can: Dry them, Can them, & Candy them.
        1. Dry(this preserves them); Canned(protects them); Candied(sweetens them).
        2. God Preserves, Protects, & Sweetens us also)
        3. Did you know God has a sweet tooth - Is. 43:24 “You have bought Me no sweet cane with money, Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices; But you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities.”
    2. Five of the fabulous figs who went to Babylon were. {Daniel, Ezekiel, Shad/Mesh/Abendigo}
    3. Good & bad are used in a comparative sense not an absolute one.
      1. They weren’t “good” in themselves, hence the judgment; but good because God looked on them w/favor, he Divinely acknowledged them(5). Good, for what he was going to do for & within them.
    4. You might think good figs were the figs that remained in the land & the bad were deported…nope!
      1. The future lay w/the exiles(5).
      2. It didn’t lay w/the unfaithful reign of Zedekiah & the Politicians who manipulated him in Jerusalem, who later went & hid down in Egypt.
    5. Vs.6 – The godly remnant experienced good things from God during the exile. (not club-med/Babylon, but it could have been like Eygpt)
      1. The Ungodly were consumed w/trouble.
      2. The Godly made the best of the situation because they trusted the Lord!
    6. “set my eyes on them” – as opposed to not looking upon the ungodly.
      1. Hab.1:13 “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness(later). Why do You look(now) on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?”
    7. “Builds & Plants” – not tears down & pulls up. Thank you Lord!
    8. Vs.7 – God promises to care for them, work in their heart’s, & 1 day bring them back to their land.
      1. Our 1st house we rented in Whittier had a fig tree – attacked by Japanese beetles (weed whacker revenge! I was going to protect my figs!)
      2. Jeremiah even writes a letter to the Jews in captivity(ch.29), telling them to live peaceably in the land, & to seek the Lord w/all their heart’s.
        1. Remember, Saul had a hard heart; Solomon had a ½ heart, but David had a whole heart!
      3. (7b) Q: Who does this remind you of? (Ruth)
    9. The important thing is a heart that knows the Lord & is wholly devoted to Him.
      1. You can’t control the situation, but you can control how you respond to it & to God.
      2. Prov.4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”
      3. NLT, Prov.4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.”
      4. ICB, Prov.4:23 “Be very careful about what you think. Your thoughts run your life.”
  4. ​​​​​​​FOUL FIGS! (8-10)
    1. ​​​​​​​Q: What do you do with Rotten Figs? {Throw them away}
    2. I like the KJV of this verse (someone have?) “very naughty figs”
      1. It was an old English word meaning worthless.
    3. Vs.10 – The destruction of Jerusalem & fall of Judah were not accidents; they were appointments, for God was in control!
      1. The land was going to get its Sabbath(the 70 year rest they robbed it of){next chapter}
      2. God the potter was going to remake his people(ch.18). Then they’d return chastened & cleaned.
    4. Heb.12:11 “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit(figs) of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
    5. End:
      1. ​​​​​​​The sycamore fig had to be punctured w/the point of a knife at a certain stage, so as to insure that the little figs would ripen properly.
      2. God takes that special care with us, carefully making that incision on our hard hearts, then pouring His Spirit into us!
Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Jeremiah 24". "Bell's Commentary". https://studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/jeremiah-24.html. 2017.