Jeremiah - Lesson 24

• Chapters 1-6 The LORD calls Jeremiah as a prophet to Judah in the final years of the kingdom. The LORD’s people, Israel and Judah, had rejected their God by worshipping false gods without repentance. The LORD is sending a nation from the North as judgment, yet not for the complete destruction of His people.

  • Chapter 7-11 Jeremiah calls out the impending destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. The people have been led into the worship of false gods, signs in the heavens and idols by their spiritual leaders, forsaking the LORD and violating His covenant. The necessity for discipline is not pleasing to the LORD. Many want to silence the LORD’s prophet,

  • Chapter 12-17 The wicked seem to prosper.

    • The LORD is not deceived and rejects empty worship. The false prophets were not removed by the people. A drought is sent as a warning, but the hard hearts of the people continue in worship of false gods with no regard for the commands of the LORD.

    • Jeremiah brings warning of impeding destruction to kings, leaders and all the people, remembering the evil of king Manasseh.

    • Jeremiah laments his calling as a prophet but repents and continues to speak the words of the LORD, though alone and persecuted, denied by the LORD to mourn, or pray for the nation, yet the LORD will protect him and confirm his words.

  • There will be restoration for the nation in the future.

• Chapter 18-22 The LORD is the sovereign ‘potter’ over all His creation. The LORD will destroy Judah and Jerusalem because of the shedding of innocent blood and child sacrifice. King Zedekiah seeks a miracle from the LORD who preforms wondrous acts.

  • Jeremiah persecuted for the message he brings to the people’s leaders.

  • The LORD continues to speak through Jeremiah prophecies concerning each of the last kings of Judah.

• Chapter 23 Began with “days are coming” in the future for Israel, when the LORD will gather them from all the nations of the world and provide them a righteous ruler, the Messiah.

  • The unfaithful priest and false prophets working in unison and conveying peace for Judah, instead of repentance from their worship of false gods are promised judgment from the LORD.

Jer. 24:1 After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me: behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of the LORD!
Jer. 24:2 One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness.
Jer. 24:3 Then the LORD said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.”

• Verse 1 Jeremiah establishes when he receives this particular vision from the LORD.

  • This is after Nebuchadnezzar had carried away Jeconiah, king of Judah and the officials of the Judah.

  • This is the second time King Nebuchadnezzar has come to Jerusalem and taken away people.

    • The first time was in 605 BC, highlights in Dan. 1:1-4

Dan. 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
Dan. 1:2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
Dan. 1:3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
Dan. 1:4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

• Verse 3 Focuses on the fact that some of the sons of Israel taken were from the royal family and the nobles.

Jer. 24:1 The second siege that preceded Jeremiah’s vision lists that Jeconiah, also known as Jehoiachin king of Judah, and the officials of Judah are carried away.

• Jehoiachin had only been king for three months when this occurs.

  • This happens in 597 BC., eight years after the previous group of royals and nobles were carried off to Babylon.

  • The second time, the craftsmen and the smiths were removed as well.

    • The details of this event are found in 2Kings 24:8-17.

2Kings 24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
2Kings 24:9 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.
2Kings 24:10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
2Kings 24:11 And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it.
2Kings 24:12 Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign.
2Kings 24:13 He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, just as the LORD had said.
2Kings 24:14 Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.
2Kings 24:15 So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king’s mother and the king’s wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2Kings 24:16 All the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon.
2Kings 24:17 Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

• Verse 14 Makes it clear those who were taken to Babylon included all the captains and the mighty men of valor and ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths.

  • Verse 15 Adds the king’s mother and his wives and officials to the list of those taken away.

    • The leading men of the land are also taken away.

    • Babylon would have been wise to not leave leaders who had been associated with a rebellion in Judah in the land to take up that cause again.

• Verse 16 The men of valor are numbered at 7,000.

  • The men removed from the rebellious nation and potentially put to work for Babylon.

  • Second, the craftsmen and smiths are numbered at 1,000.

    • King Nebuchadnezzar left a legacy of significant building during his reign and these men possessed the skills necessary to be valuable in the king’s projects.

  • This verse includes all those strong and fit for war were led away into exile.

    • Babylon did not want to leave men who were able to become warriors and start another rebellion from Judah.

    • These men would also be valuable as strong workers for the building projects of King Nebuchadnezzar.

• Jer. 24:1 This vision comes sometime after this devastating siege, but we are not told exactly how long after this event.

  • We would also know the current king over Judah is now Zedekiah, who was made king by Nebuchadnezzar after Jehoiachin was exiled.

  • Jeremiah says the LORD showed him two baskets of figs set before the temple of the LORD.

    • The baskets could have been real physical baskets, but these baskets could also be seen in a vision.

  • Verse 2 Jeremiah says he sees one basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness.

  • Verse 3 The LORD asks Jeremiah to describe what he sees.

    • The only other place in the book of Jeremiah where a similar event occurs is in Jer. 1:11,13

Jer. 1:11 The word of the LORD came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.”

Jer. 1:13  The word of the LORD came to me a second time saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.”

• Jer. 24:3 Now the LORD again asks Jeremiah what he sees, and he reports to the LORD, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.”

Jer. 24:4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer. 24:5 “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans.
Jer. 24:6 ‘For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.
Jer. 24:7 ‘I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.

• Verse 4 After Jeremiah tells the LORD what he sees then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.

• Verse 5 The description begins as “the LORD God of Israel ‘says.

  • The LORD refers to the good figs first and says he will regard as good, like the figs, the captives of Judah, the ones He sent out of Jerusalem into the land of the Chaldeans.

  • The LORD says He is the one who did the sending.

• Verse 6 The LORD says He will set His eyes on them for good.

  • He will bring them again to this land.

  • He will build them up and not overthrow them.

  • He will plant them and not pluck them up.

    • He is going to give them a heart to know Him.

    • He is going to do this because He declares, ‘I am the LORD.’

    • The people will be His people.

    • The LORD will be their God.

    • The people will return to Him with their whole heart.

  • This time the LORD speaks of must incorporate all of these elements together.

  • The people will be brought back to their land and not be removed; they will also all have a heart to know the LORD.

    • Jeremiah will have more to say on this, but we will look at Jer. 31:33-34

Jer. 31:33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Jer. 31:34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

• The writer of Hebrews speaks of this time as well in Heb. 8:10-12

Heb. 8:10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS,
AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS.
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,
AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
Heb. 8:11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN,
AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’
FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME,
FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.
Heb. 8:12 “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES,
AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

• These events in totality have not yet happened for Israel, yet and therefore we know this is speaking of a future event to our time in history.

  • This will be dealt with more in-depth in Jer. 31.

Jer. 24:8 ‘But like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness — indeed, thus says the LORD — so I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who dwell in the land of Egypt.
Jer. 24:9 ‘I will make them a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all places where I will scatter them.
Jer. 24:10 ‘I will send the sword, the famine and the pestilence upon them until they are destroyed from the land which I gave to them and their forefathers.’”

• Verse 8 Now the LORD speaks about the comparison to be made to the bad figs Jeremiah saw that were described as inedible because of rottenness.

  • Like those inedible figs the LORD will abandon Zedekiah, his officials, those who chose to remain in Judah and even those who had fled to Egypt.

• Verse 9 For the group who had fled the land, but not in exile to Babylon, the LORD says He will make them a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth.

  • The ‘them’ used refers to those from verse eight who are the bad figs.

  • They will be a reproach, a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all the places the LORD will scatter them.

• Verse 10 For those who remained in the land the LORD says He will destroy them from the land He gave them and their forefathers.

  • He will use the sword, famine and pestilence until this eradication from the land is complete.

  • This will be covered in greater detail in Jeremiah chapters 40 and 41 but for a simplified overview we will look at 2Kings 25:1-7, 18-26.

2Kings 25:1 Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it.
2Kings 25:2 So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
2Kings 25:3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
2Kings 25:4 Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.
2Kings 25:5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him.
2Kings 25:6 Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him.
2Kings 25:7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

2Kings 25:18 Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple.
2Kings 25:19 From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and five of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city.
2Kings 25:20 Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
2Kings 25:21 Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.
2Kings 25:22 Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them.
2Kings 25:23 When all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
2Kings 25:24 Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”
2Kings 25:25 But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.
2Kings 25:26 Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

• Verse 1 Gives the beginning of the siege as the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, tenth month and tenth day to be precise.

  • This is the third siege of Jerusalem by the King of Babylon. 587/586 BC

• Verses 2-3 Provide the success of the siege happening in the eleventh year, fourth month ninth day of of the king’s reign.

  • This means the siege lasted eighteen months.

  • The famine was so severe there was no food in Jerusalem.

    • The people chose to stay and die from the famine and pestilence rather than to surrender to the Chaldeans.

    • This was a partial fulfillment of Jer. 24:10. “I will send the sword, the famine and the pestilence upon them until they are destroyed.”

    • I say partial, as there was much more dying to happen by sword, famine and pestilence throughout the land and in other countries after Jerusalem is destroyed.

• Verse 4 Once the walls were breached the men of war, including the king, fled the city.

  • Verse 5 The king is captured but his men fled away.

  • Verse 6 Zedekiah is brought back to Riblah, and the king of Babylon passes sentence on him.

  • Verse 7 All of Zedekiah’s sons are killed before his eyes and then his eyes are plucked out.

    • He is bound in fetters and taken to Babylon.

  • From mans perspective it would be important for the King of Babylon to make an example of Zedekiah, king of Judah.

    • Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Zedekiah to be king; loyalty was owed to Nebuchadnezzar.

    • The rebellion that ensued cost the King of Babylon a great deal: an eighteen-month siege requiring resources of manpower and financial output to maintain.

  • The disrespect demonstrated by Zedekiah had to be punished.

  • This is particularly true in Middle Eastern cultures.

    • From the LORD’s perspective this was a partial fulfillment of Jer. 24:8, “I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah.”

• Verses 18-19 The captain of the guard took the chief priest, second priest, three temple officials, the overseer for the men of war, the king’s advisors who were left in the city, the army scribe, and all sixty men who were left in the city and bought them to the king in Riblah.

• Verses 20-21 The king had all these men killed. The rest of the people were taken into exile.

  • This was a partial fulfillment of Jer. 24:8, ‘I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land.’

  • I say partial as there were more people in the land who were abandoned by the LORD, but their fates are not captured in the scriptures.

• Verses 22-24 A governor is appointed over the remaining people, including the remaining captains of the forces, who tries to get all those who remained in the land to serve the king of Babylon and live at peace with the Chaldeans in the land.

• Verse 25 The time description of the seventh month would be the same year as the successful siege that was completed in the fourth month so these events are only three months later.

  • One of the captains is described as being of the royal family, so was connected to the king’s lineage in some way. He and ten men kill the appointed governor and all the Jews and Chaldeans that were with him.

  • Still a stubborn people who will not come under the authority of the king of Babylon even though this was the LORD’s will for His people during this time.

• Verse 26 After this massacre all the remaining captains and all the people decide to flee to Egypt because they are afraid once the king of Babylon hears what has been done he will come back and slaughter everyone who remained.

  • This was probably a reasonable assumption.

  • This was a partial fulfillment of Jer. 24:9, ‘I will make them a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth.’

  • I say partial as the first place they brought their terror was Mizpah, but there were more events to unfold where these stubborn men would have brought their evil, not captured in the scriptures.

    • We know the rabble arose and went to Egypt.

    • The prophesy was for the ‘them’ already alluded to earlier.

    • This prophesy was not just about the fact that the rotten figs, those Jews who would not submit to Babylonian exile, or rule would flee the land, but included their destruction.

  • For this reason I do not believe this prophesy extends to the days of the Roman dispersion.

  • The Jews of that day were descendants of the Jews who were the good figs and submitted to the Babylonian exile.

• Secondly, not all the Jews in the later dispersion of Rome are destined to be destroyed as the LORD gave word to Jeremiah in this prophecy.

  • This was a partial fulfillment of Jer. 24:8, ‘I will abandon…. the ones who dwell in the land of Egypt.’

  • There are undoubtedly many stories not captured in the scriptures, but we know these people were abandoned by the LORD as that is what His words are to Jeremiah.

    • In review of Jeremiah chapter twenty-four, verses four through seven are yet to be fulfilled, while verses eight through ten have been fulfilled historically.

• The LORD clearly gave these words to Jeremiah for guidance to the LORD’s people, to be given insight into what they should do given the choice of staying in the land against the LORD’s words or surrendering to the king of Babylon, as they were instructed to do by the LORD through Jeremiah.

  • The LORD’s words are always fulfilled. Is. 55:8-11.

Is. 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Is. 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Is. 55:10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
Is. 55:11  So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

• God is faithful.

  • God never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

  • History is His story, and it has been written for us to know.

    • This is true of all prophecy.

  • When we study the writings of the prophets and then see those things fulfilled, we know the God that has saved us can be trusted to bring about all He has promised us as well.

  • Understanding what truths are revealed about the perfect character of God in the Old Testament helps us gain more knowledge of the LORD.

  • There is reward in increasing in the knowledge of the LORD. 2 Peter 1:2-7

2Pet. 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
2Pet. 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
2Pet. 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
2Pet. 1:5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
2Pet. 1:6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
2Pet. 1:7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

• He has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him.