Jer 24:2-3 | KingComments | STEP | We have in this chapter an explanation of the two ways presented in Jeremiah 21: the way of life and the way of death ( ). The explanation is presented in the picture of two baskets of figs: a basket of good figs and a basket of bad figs. One may expect any blessing from God if one first humbles himself. We must first acknowledge that we deserve judgment, then we will receive the blessing. The Judge Who condemns then becomes the Giver of blessing. The LORD draws Jeremiah’s attention to two baskets of figs set down before the temple of the LORD ( ). That they are set before the temple makes these baskets reminiscent of the basket of first fruits. That basket is set down by the priest before the altar ( ). There is no mention of that here. It is the time when the first carrying away into exile took place ( ; ). Nebuchadnezzar has carried away captive the leaders, leaving the people without leadership. He has also carried away captive the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem and has brought them to Babylon, so that the people also have no people to provide them with means of defense and weapons. We are told the contents of both baskets of figs. In the one basket are “very good figs” ( ). These good figs are “like first-ripe figs”, which are figs to be offered to the LORD as first fruits ( ). They are good to eat ( ; ). The LORD says of them: “A first-ripe fig [which] I crave” ( ). In the other basket are very bad figs, so bad that they cannot be eaten. The poor quality is emphatically mentioned. Then the LORD asks Jeremiah what he sees ( ; cf. ). Jeremiah must accurately tell what he sees so that the LORD can also make the meaning clear to him. His answer is that he sees figs and also that there is a great difference between them. He describes them exactly as they are described in the previous verse. This shows that he sees them as the LORD sees them.

‏ Jeremiah 24:2-3

Introduction

We have in this chapter an explanation of the two ways presented in Jeremiah 21: the way of life and the way of death (Jer 21:8-9). The explanation is presented in the picture of two baskets of figs: a basket of good figs and a basket of bad figs. One may expect any blessing from God if one first humbles himself. We must first acknowledge that we deserve judgment, then we will receive the blessing. The Judge Who condemns then becomes the Giver of blessing.

The Vision of the Two Baskets of Figs

The LORD draws Jeremiah’s attention to two baskets of figs set down before the temple of the LORD (Jer 24:1). That they are set before the temple makes these baskets reminiscent of the basket of first fruits. That basket is set down by the priest before the altar (Deu 26:1-4). There is no mention of that here.

It is the time when the first carrying away into exile took place (2Kgs 24:8-16; 2Chr 36:9-10). Nebuchadnezzar has carried away captive the leaders, leaving the people without leadership. He has also carried away captive the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem and has brought them to Babylon, so that the people also have no people to provide them with means of defense and weapons.

We are told the contents of both baskets of figs. In the one basket are “very good figs” (Jer 24:2). These good figs are “like first-ripe figs”, which are figs to be offered to the LORD as first fruits (Deu 14:22). They are good to eat (Isa 28:4b; Hos 9:10). The LORD says of them: “A first-ripe fig [which] I crave” (Mic 7:1c). In the other basket are very bad figs, so bad that they cannot be eaten. The poor quality is emphatically mentioned.

Then the LORD asks Jeremiah what he sees (Jer 24:3; cf. Jer 1:11 ; 13). Jeremiah must accurately tell what he sees so that the LORD can also make the meaning clear to him. His answer is that he sees figs and also that there is a great difference between them. He describes them exactly as they are described in the previous verse. This shows that he sees them as the LORD sees them.